Translation

If I were consistent enough to have a core business instead of dabbling in too many things, it would be translation – at least, it is my steadiest source of income. If you happen to be looking for a Spanish-English translator, I hope you don’t need a detailed CV as I haven’t updated it in a long while, but here is a kind of mini-profile:

Languages: Spanish to English. Accepted good practice is to translate only into your native tongue, so under normal circumstances, I only translate from Spanish to English. I occasionally translate into Spanish, but there needs to be a good reason. I have varying degrees of proficiency in other languages – French, Portuguese, even Latin – but don’t work with them.
Specialities: air traffic control; civil engineering tenders; radar systems; presence and access control, etc. The full list is very long, as I have been translating professionally since 1991, approximately. Inevitably, I have worked with most language areas, though the bulk of the work that comes my way is technical.
Availability/Output: I am usually available for translation work. I turn out around 3,500-4,500 words a day comfortably and can accept up to 2,000-2,500 words a day from a single client, more when a relationship of trust has been established.
Rates and Payment: normal Spanish rates, by which I mean rates in Spain, that being where I live and have to buy my groceries. I rarely haggle, but the better the rate you offer, the more likely I am to be available. Payment on delivery would be nice, but the truth is most people pay me at 45-60 days.
Contact: send queries to jgross52 AT gmail.com, please.

And now, for your edification and amusement (if you are interested in language at least), the following are feeds from some of the sites I browse regularly to keep up to date or put myself in a translation frame of mind (this page is about the translation business – you’ll find more general, usually lighter articles about linguistics and language on the Language Stuff page). If you know a site related with translation or the translation business that would be in good company on this page, do drop me an e-mail or, better still, a comment.

Translation Guy » Language Secrets Detected with Ultra-Sound

Wednesday 1 February 20:11:12 UTC 2012

Linguists are using the latest medical equipment to save languages. By using the kind of portable ultrasound device used to monitor the health of unborn children, researchers are able to see and record the shape of people’s throats as they speak. This new field technology has allowed scientists like Amanda Miller of Ohio State to [...] [Link]

Beyond Words – Language Blog » ALTA Language Services Becomes An Employee-Owned Company

Wednesday 1 February 17:50:51 UTC 2012

ALTA Language Services | An Employee-Owned Company I’m happy to announce that ALTA Language Services has been sold to its employees through a leveraged ESOP. In December, the company closed the transaction that acquired 100% of the company’s stock from the departing owners, Abe Revitch and Rosine Sauvage. In discussing the decision with Abe and Rosine, both felt strongly about preserving the culture and team atmosphere that … [Link]