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Translation and the Internet
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Name: Helena
El Masri
Occupation: Freelance Portuguese
Translator/Interpreter
Based in: Shoreham by Sea,
UK smarterwork Expert in: Translation
Freelance since: February
1999
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smarterwork: Could you tell us a bit about your work and where you are based?
Helena El Masri: I am a freelance based in the south of England, in a town called Shoreham by Sea, near Brighton. I work as a telephone interpreter for Language Line, UK, interpreting for public service providers and private companies. I also do some court and community interpretation.
I translate from and to English/Portuguese/English, and work for agencies, companies and subcontracted by other translators, mainly for proofreading and editing. My areas of specialization are: legal, business and technology (incl. IT). Although I consider other subjects I only accept those I feel confident I can deliver a good and accurate translation.
I am a tutor by distance learning with the South Tyneside College, I teach the DPSI (Diploma in Public Service Interpreting) - Law option.
smarterwork: How did you get started?
Helena: Firstly I got the qualifications to become an interpreter by doing the DPSI Law option and then the Diploma in Translation English into Portuguese (subjects chosen General, Business and Technology). I have been doing translations into English as well, and as they are in demand recently I decided to apply to do the IOL exam this November. It's always better when you have the proper qualifications behind you. I am also doing the ATA accreditation exam because I feel that it can make a difference when working with American companies.
smarterwork: Do you think the Internet is changing the translators' working habits?
Helena: Yes, by making our work easier and providing a quicker response to the demands of the clients. A small translation that used to take 5 days to get to the client can now be achieved and delivered in one day. The information provided by companies on the Internet comes to our aid in provide better work. What used to take a day trip to the library for research on a subject now takes two hours surfing on the Net.
smarterwork: Do you enjoy working at home? Or do you sometimes miss the more 'structured' environment of a regular office job?
Helena: I love working from home. Although I must say I have to be very disciplined to be able to decide when it's time to stop, and when it's necessary to stay an extra 4 hours. The freedom of controlling one's day work doesn't come naturally it has to be planned, it has to be structured. Today there is a project of 11,000 words with a tight deadline then of course I must ensure that the client has the work done by then. Will the children need to be sacrificed for it? Not at all. Will they eat TV dinners all week? Not at all. I plan my 8 hours day work and instead of choosing a sumptuous meal every day, which takes 2 hours to prepare, I have to think that those extra hours this week, with this tight deadline, are precious. But the weeks when I have less work I have to let go and profit of those moments to be with the children. I don't miss working out of the house because now I learnt how to combine both worlds, and I find it much more rewarding.
smarterwork: Do you have any advice for people wishing to set up as freelance translators?
Helena: This is not a standard advice, what works for one person may not work for another. Depends on various factors, language combinations, location, demand for those languages and for translations in the whole. The way I see it, go for it when you are certain that you can make a living on it. At first I had to resort to do other work as well, writing articles for Newsletters, temping work to bring in some more money, but at the same time I was always researching the market and advertising my services on the Internet, sending CV's to agencies and it paid off in the end. If translating is your vocation and you have the qualifications don't give up. I was lucky to get work almost straight away after getting my qualifications, mainly because I didn't missed one opportunity to expose myself, but many translators I've met said it took them a while to get established, so in few words: Decide, be determined and patient and go for it without looking back.
smarterwork: How does smarterwork compare to the more traditional ways of finding clients?
Helena: You tell me, I haven't got a job from you yet… when I do I will tell you if it's easier, better for the translator and client or just too much hassle. Sorry to be blunt.
smarterwork: What have been some of your most memorable projects?
Helena: A Beer Flavour Manual. I had to do some research because first I don't like beer and therefore I don't drink beer and secondly being able to understand the concept in order to be able to translate it.
smarterwork: What are your plans for the future?
Helena: Being self-employed is a very rewarding position to be at, I can decide which projects to work on, which jobs to take and which hours suit me best. I can have three different jobs in one day, one job the next and 4 the day after. Variety is precious and not available to everyone, and I'm enjoying being able to do so many different jobs at once and able to combine them all without one interfering with the other.
I have one other job in view, applied for but not yet certain, as a Bilingual Support Officer (Portuguese/English). Again, a very different job to those already in hand but because it's flexible it can be adjusted to complement the others. It's also a different area altogether, education, and the job consists of being a liaison between pupils and parents who speak Portuguese and the teachers, doing assessments of the children's linguistic knowledge and help shorten the existing gap formed by the language barrier.
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