Who wouldn’t want a job like this?

“Why not try translation? I think you might really like that.”

A friend of mine uttered these words when we were both working as English teaching assistants in schools in Rostock, Germany, back in the 2002/2003 school year. I don’t think she fully understood what being a translator was, and neither did I, but I wanted to continue living in Germany and didn’t see any other viable options.

I’ve now been a professional translator for over 14 years. If I had to identify the main themes of my career, they would probably be the advancement of technology and the preponderance of English. The best way to illustrate these is to simply tell the tale of my time in translation.

My translation journey began in 2005, when I entered the master’s in translation program at what was then the Monterey Institute of International Studies (now the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey). The program made it clear that translators need to truly understand what the text is seeking to convey, and to whom; but that they also need to turn it into a well-written product. Emphasis was on thinking about and understanding the source text, as well as readability and register in the target language. Computer tools were seen as peripheral; I had only one class on computer-assisted translation, or CAT tools, and to be honest it didn’t leave much of an impression. We didn’t use any special software in our other classes. The professors usually printed out our translations and made changes and comments directly on the paper—a practice that seems downright quaint today!

After completing my degree, in 2007 I found a position translating in-house at a consultancy in Munich. We still worked mainly by printing out our translations so a colleague could look them over, correction pen in hand. In 2014 I joined a smaller company that made greater use of digital tools: a partially automated task sheet, rudimentary translation memory, an online chat tool for discussing questions with multiple people at the same time. Printouts were now a thing of the past—colleagues marked their changes and suggestions using the track changes function instead of a red pen.

By this point, what had begun merely as an attempt to stay in Germany had become a true passion. Each stage along my career journey has only served to deepen that passion, and this current stage is no exception. I joined Klein Wolf Peters right when it was founded in 2017. From day one, we were using tools like memoQ or Trados on all our translations and checks with very few exceptions and chatting on Microsoft Teams to stay in touch with people working remotely. Over the past four and a half years (gulp!), we’ve become ever more proficient in various software tools, including some AI options. Computers are now an integral part of our work, a far cry from the side role they had during my studies. In many ways, they make language work easier so we can spend more time on the fun aspects that stoke our enthusiasm.

The second theme that runs through my career is one aspect I wish my Monterey program had focused on more: working with texts that are already in English. Although the end goal is the same—a flowing, readable text—the method is slightly different. In addition to translation questions such as who will be reading the text, what level of formality is appropriate, is that word too obscure, an editor also has to ask: Will this change or alter the author’s meaning? Is this change worth making, or does it offer no significant benefit? The task of editing and polishing English texts means keeping all these considerations in mind for every word, phrase, sentence, and paragraph.

The scope of the translator’s profession keeps expanding: social media (especially Twitter and LinkedIn), gaming and visual media, plus a plethora of computer applications to be conversant with. We also provide more and more services in related fields such as copywriting, subtitling, and speechwriting. These might not be the first things one thinks of when defining what a “translator” does, but our multiyear relationships with our customers put us in an excellent position for these tasks: we already have in-depth knowledge of their business and their communication preferences. Such expansion means our works stays dynamic and challenging—and never boring.

Now Klein Wolf Peters is looking for another all-around translation talent for its English team. Ideally we will find someone who is familiar with the various digital tools, but also has not neglected the process that underpins our work; in other words, how to take (foreign language) content and render it into smooth, flowing, natural-sounding English. It will be exciting to meet new people and hear about their own translation journeys. I’m looking forward to it!