Is 2025 a good time to become a translator – an auguring tale

 

[ruins of Greek temple]

Many linguists, young and old, are considering whether it is a good time to begin a translating career in 2025 with AI shaking the foundations of the linguistic world, among others. It is clear that nobody can see the future but in ancient Greece, there was a special group of priests, augurs, whose task was to answer vital questions about the future. The responses were often vague and sometimes not encouraging. For example,  the parents of Oedipus asked and didn’t enjoy the answer, i.e., that he would kill his father and marry his mother. (Apparently, they did occasionally get it right.) It is said that these priests would take these questions and go into a deep cave and then breath in radon gas or take a hallucinogen to sharpen their vision. As modern methods for predicting the future are no more effective than the old way, let’s imagine the answers a hesitant linguist would receive if s/he would ask the augurs whether to start a career in translating in 2025.

The first augur would enter the cave and become quite euphoric. He sees a future filled with work booked in advance for two weeks and a large positive balance in the bank account. His/her answer might be:

a.   I see endless growth in the language service sector.

b.   I see the world becoming more and more connected.

c.    I see masses of disappointed AI users seeking you.

In short, our augur with pink glasses would say: go study translation and start a business.

 

The second augur is a dourer type and had a bad morning. Upon entering the cave of seeing, his/her visions becomes dark, stating:

a.   I see AI taking over each and every sphere of translation.

b.   I see masses of translators slaving over machine-translation versions trying to justify their existence.

c.   I see translators joining the ranks of blacksmiths on the extinction list of professions in six years.

This bringer of dark omens would say: he who approaches the island of the Sirens [possibly the island of Capri] should not be surprised if his ship crashes into the rocks.

The third augur takes some natural version of Ritalin instead of the usual mushrooms and tries to analyze all of the facts. After a while (no computers at the time), a confusing set of statements would emerge:

a.   I see that AI is fundamentally shaking up the language service market, which was already being transformed by neural translation and other forms of machine translation.

b.   I cannot predict the long-term viability of AI translation, i.e., to quote a certain translator, whether people will learn to accept lower quality in exchange for lower price or return to human translators.

c.   I see that translators with the appropriate skills will find fruitful islands in the technological storm.

In short, this non-committal augur paints a foggy picture and tells the linguist: beware of the storm but listen to your heart. Prepare for but do not fear the future.

As an experienced translator and not a fortune teller, my “reading” is that the world will continue to need translators but their role and skills are changing, just as they it has in the past. What is constant is the need to attain skills beyond linguistic ones. These additional anchors include deep familiarity with a specific field of knowledge such as law or medicine, solid computer skills (including but not limited to AI), digital marketing experience and knowledge of business management. We all learn some of these skills “on the job” but just knowing two languages is not sufficient, especially now. The more skills a person has before starting, the greater chance of success there is.

As I look at the grounds of my Turkish coffee (as there are no augurs in my neck of the woods), I see a future with many shades of grey, with some intense black where the coffee grounds are thicker and off-white where the bottom of the cup  is visible. I imagine the augurs would give a similar answer with equal confidence. The one certainty is uncertainty. Physics even has a law for that. Thus, I would advise uncertain translators to follow their ambition if their heart says to become a translator but also their head by gaining expertise in some if not all of the required skills. Time will tell what will happen even if the augurs generally did not. Whatever the result, I hope the decisions of the these future translators augur well.

The 65th ATA Conference – on matter, antimatter and the translation business

 

[man on an island]

I had the pleasure of attending the American Translators Association conference in Portland, Oregon and have even recovered from the jet lag (more or less). As with all packed events, it takes some time to absorb all the impressions and information, especially when more than 1500 people attend and share their perspectives. Looking back, the conference was remarkable for the matters people discussed and no less for what they did not discuss, producing great food for thought on the future of the profession.

This large national conference featured, as always, a great variety of lectures, amazing networking opportunities and a national, if not global, view of the profession. The presentations, with a choice of 9 different topics in each time slot over 3 days, varied widely with topics ranging from approaches to technological matters and specific markets to directed advice to experienced and new translators alike. The two most striking features were the quantity of presentations for interpreters, which indicates the vivacity of this field, and the emphasis on specific markets and issues for translators. I confess that while I gave two presentations (project-based quotes and how to make a presentation), I failed to attend a lecture not because I was not interested but because the conversations in the hallways were far more tempting,  relevant and important. I had learned from my previous ATA conference 5 years ago (BC – before Corona) in Palm Springs that it is impossible to talk to each to each and every person at a conference with more than a 1000 people. Therefore, this time I strived to have longer and more impactful conversations with fewer people. This approach was less stressful and more effective in building contacts, the most important purpose of an industry conference. From these conversations, I received a feel of the spectrum of the language specialist industry, the business trends, and the hopes and fears of translators and interpreters in all fields. This conference provided much information on the state of the industry.

Of no less importance were the topics and statements I did not hear. First, nobody expressed the thought that AI was the death of the industry. As in all technological innovations, some language specialists were more enthusiastic about ChatGPT than others. However, I did not hear any extreme forecast of the imminent disappearance of AI or it replacing human translators. In the same vein, I did not hear about people wishing to leave the industry due to the changes in the market and translation technology, only the search for how to adapt to and effectively adopt them. Finally, I did not hear complaints about low rates. To clarify, people mentioned irrelevant and/or ridiculous rates proposed by certain agencies. However, the translators stated them as facts that are a part but not the whole of the industry. In short, I heard no prognosis of the impending death of the human translation industry.

Between the said and unsaid, I understand, perhaps incorrectly, that the future of the translation industry depends on adaption to the everchanging landscape of technology and markets and the providing of support to new translators to help them navigate it. AI, just as machine and neural translation, is changing the manner translation providers and buyers operate. This process began decades ago with the major difference today being the pace of the development. This rapid evolution creates a “future shock” syndrome even for younger professionals. Yet, each person has the freedom to leverage technology depending on the individual niche, willingness and skill. It is not an all or nothing matter but a much more subtle evolution. Concurrently, markets are changing. Some 20 years ago, local or national agencies dominated the industry, handling all types of texts. Today, multinational agencies rely on volume, causing freelancers to specialize and reach out directly to customers in order to achieve rates that allow them to earn a living. Moreover, customers no longer need to pay a human translator to handle a simple text for personal use as ChatGPT or even Google Translate handles them quite satisfactorily. As in many industries, translators must specialize, such as in the fields of medicine, law and marketing. Finally, while it was never easy, new translators find establishing a translation business quite complicated and confusing. The relevance of national translator organizations has thus only increased as they can and do provide vital information that allow newcomers to quickly find and establish themselves in this complex market. The road alone is more difficult than ever. The world of translation and interpreting is not disappearing but constantly evolving, required language providers to adapt accordingly.

One of the purposes of national conferences is to provide a wide-angle picture of the industry, similar to the image produced by the multiple eyes of a fly. ATA65 presented an industry in transition but healthy and vibrant not to mention ambivalent about the changes that are occurring but facing them at the same time. Attending it was an intense but rewarding experience for me personally. I strongly recommend any translator or interpreter, whether experienced or new to the profession, to attend such events and join your national or regional organization. To paraphrase John Donne, no translator must or should be an island. Each is part of a larger and inspiring industry as I rediscovered this month. Translators, interpreters and conferences do matter.

Freelance service providers – Beware of unlimited liability clauses in agreements

 

[minefield warning*]

The attitude of many freelancers staring at a long agency agreements with small print is either to consider it a “mission impossible” to actually read and understand it or fatalistically hope that it never becomes relevant, whatever it is written there. Thus, feeling helpless, they sign it blindly. Unfortunately, most agency service agreements include a very problematic clause that should and can be negotiated. Specifically, numerous agencies try to impose unlimited liability on the service provider for any damage, direct or indirect, resulting from an error. To quote a recent agreement I received: “The supplier shall ensure that the goods or services it provides are free from defects and feature the warranted characteristics. The liability of the supplier in this respect is unlimited.” This potential for huge loss is real but the service provider can quickly and easily identify the terminology in the contract and have the agency insert reasonable liability language, eliminating the risk.

It is a mistake to dismiss such a risk as theoretical only. First, it is true that US and possibly European consumer law possibly does protect parties from outrageous terms in “adhesion contracts”, agreements such as those binding consumers on various Internet sites and purchase agreements. However, these laws often do not protect agreements between businesspeople, who are expected to read and understand what they sign. Furthermore, many freelancers, especially translators, mistakenly believe that the clause is on paper only and is never applied. I personally know of one incident of a translator that had to pay for reprinting of a run of books after the publisher belatedly discovered a critical error. As in all statistical incidents, there is no consolidation in being the 1 in the nth number. Unfortunately, liability insurance is generally not a practical option as In most countries, the premium is far too expensive to justify given the freelancer’s income and frequency of events. Thus, ignoring the risk can be ruinous.

To protect themselves, freelance service providers merely need to take the following steps. First, conduct a search (Control F) in the Word or PDF document for the words “indem” and “liab” The results should identify those clauses that contain “indemnify/indemnification and liable/liability and may pose some risk. In my opinion and I am not a lawyer, it is possible to ignore those terms when they refer to data protection or non-disclosure as the freelancer has full control of the matter. However, if the agency wants to impose unlimited liability on the service provider for defects, a matter of disputed definition and wide-ranging consequences, it is necessary to  negotiate and insist on a restricting clause. In translation, it is standard to limit liability to the amount of the invoice. While a few agencies, generally the larger ones, refuse to compromise, most bodies  I have negotiated with have had no issue with the proposed clarification.

This efficient manner of identifying and avoiding a serious potential problem requires little effort and prevents financial stress and disaster.  Regarding the sentences cited in the first paragraph, the agency in question agreed to add the following sentence: “The service provider's maximum liability per occurrence shall not exceed the total amount invoiced.” We are now off and running. Even with individual customers, that limitation is a part of my conditions. An additional benefit, at least for a legal translator, is that the customers know that we actually read contracts. Knowledge is power.

 

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Moving the stone – dealing with quiet business times

 

[millstone*]

Every freelancer has experienced them, the dead times when the phone does not ring and the only emails that you receive mention deceased distant relatives with large inheritances in very exotic countries. Ever so slowly, the feeling of failure and despair grows until even the most experienced entrepreneurs, including translators, start to have doubts. As the ebbs of business are inevitable as its flows, the only aspect that freelancers can control is their reactions to the situation. In my experience, with understanding, strength, perspective and belief, the quiet seas become an acceptable part of a long voyage.

As each business has its regular flows and unpredictable elements, freelancers can help maintain their emotional balance by analyzing the known and accepting the unknown. In practice, certain months traditionally have more or less work, generally due to holidays, with variances by country. For example, December is a great month for retail in Europe and the US but a terrible month for most other businesses as customers focus on Christmas and New Years. By contrast, December in Israel is a normal month, unlike late September through mid-October when the Tishrei holidays (Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Succot) paralyze the country. On the other hand, some slowdowns are completely mysterious. The reasons why a given month had been traditionally busy but is very slow this year are often not clear unless some even event having a major effect on a given economy has occurred, such as Corona or a hurricane. Wisdom is accepting that it is impossible to predict or understand all events and wait patiently in the meantime. Not every down period is the fault of the freelancer or avoidable.

These periods of low activity create anxiety and even depression, which can lead to lethargy and despair. It is ineffective to advise people not to worry when there are bills to pay. Instead, it is more practical to leverage this emotion and use the free time to improve market position. There are always ways to improve a business, many of which require significant time to plan and implement. These practical actions include improving or building a website, contacting customers, taking online courses, writing articles, exploring social media and investigating other avenues to expand the business. It takes a strong will to harness the negative energy and render it positive in the long term. In some cases, quiet times are not only unavoidable but also necessary to create a successful business.

One of the hardest skills to develop is perspective. It may take years to view the ups and downs of a business work with a calm spirit and quietly roll with them. I have been a translator for almost 19 years ago and no longer despair when work slows down although I still find them annoying. I now use slow times to plan trips, conduct complicated purchases (currently a sofa), spend time with family, get exercise, see doctors and plan an expansion of my services,  not to mention play computer games. I generally find it difficult to find time for these activities when I am busy. My time investment may not be immediately profitable but it will lead to greater financial success in the future and personal happiness in the present. Quiet times do not have be non-productive times if a person can approach them as part and parcel of business.

Ultimately, people choose to become entrepreneurs because they have some type of vision, however unclear it may be. They believe in their skills and ability to provide a product or service that customers will purchase. While periods of low business may be emotionally trying, they do not necessarily signify that the person and business model are deficient in any significant way. The causes of such quiet times often go far beyond the matters of the entrepreneur and may be temporary. In other words, like farmers, entrepreneurs must have faith in the future. Panicking and lowering prices or abandoning a business are not generally not healthy or effective reactions. Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves of past successes to retain the assurance that “we can do it”. Whether it is confidence, faith or stupidity, perseverance and long-term success go hand in hand, tempered by an objective analysis of the market and the flexibility to make changes. In short, successful, happy freelancers have confidence in themselves and the future regardless of current circumstances. This confidence in itself attracts customers.

A very close friend of mine, Sarah Wrench, who unfortunately died in her twenties, wrote a fantasy book in which part of the plot involved people entering a cell in a huge heavy circle with one entrance. Alone in their cells and not knowing what others were doing, they had to push until the circle turned and reached the sole exit. Freelancers, especially translators, can relate to that feeling of working in a void. Sometimes, the work flows but other times, nothing seems to happen despite all one’s best efforts. However, when entrepreneurs grasp the known and accept the unknown, overcome and reverse negative energy, gain a perspective of the business and apply it and keep their faith in themselves and remain steadfast, these times not only do pass but lead to better days.

* Picture captions allow the blind to fully access the Internet.

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Keeping costs down in translation – on time and money

 

[man skateboard slaloming*]

This week, one of my favorite agency customers and I negotiated a price for a complex and urgent two-certificate translation. Since the buying customer was not prepared to compromise on the amount of material, the deadline or the price, we fortunately came to a mutually beneficial agreement involving the agency preparing a proper template and I reducing my price demand. As the price should reflect the time and effort, all parties felt they received proper value, the best of all outcomes. The key to this compromise was ideal document preparation, specifically format, content and deadlines,  a step that can reduce the time and effort required by translators and allow them to minimize rates in good conscience.

The major factor complicating translation is actually formatting. The most convenient documents to translate are in Word. Unfortunately, customers send many documents, especially certificates, in pdf or jpg format. For a variety of reasons, including a lack of awareness, the quality of this images is often quite poor, sometimes preventing conversion of the PDF into a Word document and, in that case, a significant reduction of the translation speed due to the need to look back and forth from original to the translation in progress. Even when the PDF is sufficiently clear to convert it into Word. The process  takes time, with the longer the document, the more time it taking both at the initial stage before translation begins and after translation in terms of arranging the formatting. In simple terms, working with PDF adds time, which is ultimately reflected in the price. The best way to limit translation costs is to provide a Word document.

Of course, the content of the document also affects the speed of translation. Here, the buying customer has much power to influence the matter. First, if the text involves technical vocabulary, especially if it is specific to the company, the translation purchaser should provide a glossary of the terms they wish to use. It is not uncommon for even an experienced translator to spend up to 30 minutes finding the correct term in the target language, a time investment that can be avoided. Even worse, too many customers mention their preferred terminology only after the translation is delivered, creating negative feelings for everybody. Another important choice by the translation purchaser is the actual translator. No professional is knowledgeable about everything. In translation, the difference in speed and quality between a translator with knowledge and experience and one without them is quite significant. An expert can do the work quickly and proficiently while even the most diligent translators working outside their comfort zone struggle to produce an ideal text. Therefore, a customer wishing to control costs needs to hire a relevant translator and provide the required terminology.

Finally, there is a correlation between the tightness of a deadline and the quality of the result. There is the expression “There is no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting”. To a large degree, in translation, there is no such thing as good translation, only good QA. Same day service is a recipe for disaster, often leading to dissatisfaction, poor results and higher ultimate costs. Professional translators have a financial interest in delivering as soon as possible but are also aware of how long the proper translation will take. I strongly suggest planning ahead, listening to the translator and being realistic. Also, keep in mind that Friday afternoon and Monday morning are identical to the customer in terms of assessing and using the translation but, for the translator, what difference a day (or two) makes, as the song goes. If the customer has no choice but to receive it truly urgently, the result will frequently be a higher price due to the rush status and lesser quality. A bit of planning by the customers can avoid those issues.

Consumers do not control inflation and unpleasant surprises. However, at least in translation, they can eliminate the factors that add cost to the service. When they do so, translators are often willing to compromise on price, knowing that the job will be less time consuming. Personally, I will deliver the translation with the feeling that not only the customer and agency receive good value but I also will be properly paid. That is the basis for a long-term business relationship.

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