双语 | 从翻译小白到资深译员的武功秘籍

对于刚刚步入大学开始外语或翻译专业学习，又或者是希望跨专业跨领域从事翻译的小伙伴来说，很多人都会面临这样的问题：如何提高翻译技能？如何开启翻译职业生涯？如何找准自己的定位？如何找到更好的工作？今天Yee君就来为你指点迷津~

Becoming a translator of written texts takes practice, skill, and patience with yourself. It is a fast-growing field that offers many opportunities to learn new things and work with many different types of people. You are the bridge between communication and how people can learn, grow, and talk to one another.

要想成为一名译员，翻译实践、技巧和耐心都是必不可少的。翻译是一个正在迅速成长的领域，从业者可以有很多学习新知的机会，还能够与不同类型的人共事。译员是沟通的桥梁，也是人们在学习、成长和彼此交流过程中的桥梁。

Part1. Starting on the Right Path

一．步入正轨

1. Become fluent in another language. “Fluent” is sort of an understatement. You need to know another language inside and out, from formal dialogue to casual conversations, to esoteric terms about a variety of topics.

外语流利。“流利”算是基本要求。你需要将这门语言吃透，无论是正式对话、闲谈，还是关于各种话题的晦涩术语，都得门儿清。

It's not a bad idea to study your own language, too. Most people only have an intrinsic understanding of their mother tongue; they can't verbally explain to you how it works. Get an extrinsic knowledge of your language to better understand how it works and how foreigners approach it.

加强母语学习也是很好的办法。很多人对母语的理解仅仅是出于固定思维，而无法解释为什么要这样用。试着了解母语的外在知识，以更好地了解这门语言的特点以及外国人是如何理解这门语言的。

2. If you’re in college, choose a major that will give you an area of expertise. While you can specifically go to a translation school and get a Bachelor’s of Translation, plenty of people go a completely different route entirely. See yourself translating at a bank? Get a degree in finance. See yourself working at a hospital? Get a biology degree. You need to understand what it is you’ll be translating to be able to do it well – the right knowledge base can do just that.

如果你是在校生，选择一个专业方向去培养。你可以去翻译学校进修，也可以拿翻译专业本科文凭，很多人选择的路线完全不同。想在银行做翻译？那就去拿个金融学学位。想在医院做翻译？那就去拿个生物学学位。你要明白，想做好翻译，就要有扎实的知识基础。

Work on your writing skills as well. Many people think that being a translator just means you know two languages. In reality, to be a successful translator, you’ve got to be a good writer, too. In addition to studying your language of choice and your topic of choice, study up on your writing. Just because you can speak the language does not mean you can write it well.

写作技巧也要加强。很多人认为，做一名翻译就意味着懂两门语言即可。实际上，要想成为一名成功的翻译，你首先得擅长写作。除了学习你选择的语言和话题以外，还要精进写作。因为会讲这门语言并不代表着写作水平就会高。

3. Take translation and interpreting classes. Translating is a true skill – a good translator makes tiny modifications to the text they’re working with to make it as good as it can be, taking into consideration audience, culture, and context. If you’re currently a student or even just live near a college, take classes in translation or interpreting. Having this educational background will help sell your skills to future employers.

学习笔译和口译课程。翻译是一种真正的技能，一名好的译员会根据受众、文化和语境，对手中的文章精雕细琢，以便更好地呈现出作品。如果你现在还是在校生，或是刚好住在大学附近，可以去学习笔译或口译课程。对未来上司而言，具有这种教育背景会更有吸引力。

While in school, look for opportunities to perform translation or interpreting work on campus for whomever you can. It is crucial to start early so you can get experience and get recommendations for when you need them later on.

在校期间，寻找一切可以在校内做口笔译的实践机会。重点就是要尽早开始，这样你就可以积累经验，获得推荐信，这些会在你以后的工作中用得到。

4. If you can, go to that country of your second language. The best way to get an appreciation for a language, a true understanding of it, and to see its nuances and idiosyncrasies is to go to a country where it is an official language. You’ll see how the people actually talk, learn regionalized terms, and get a true feel for how the language naturally works.

如果条件允许的话，你学习的是哪门外语，就去哪个国家。想要鉴赏语言，真正了解一门语言，体会语言微妙之处的最佳途径，就是到访一个以这门语言为官方语言的国家。你将会看到人们真实的交流场景，学习当地的表达，真实地感受到语言是如何在生活中运用的。

The longer you stay in that country for, the better and better your second language will get. Just make sure you spending your time with locals and not other expats!

在那个国家待得越久，你的外语就会越好。但是要确保跟当地人待在一起，而不是其他国家的人！

Part 2. Meeting the Qualifications

二．满足任职资格

1. Take volunteer opportunities. When you’re just starting out, you’ll likely have to do work for free to beef up your resume and make connections. Turn to community organizations, hospitals, and sporting events, like marathons, that have international participants and see if you can just help out on the translating side. It's a necessary part of starting out in this career.

利用好志愿服务机会。为了充实简历、扩大人脉，初出茅庐的你可能不得不充当免费劳动力。多关注社区组织、医院以有国际人士参与的体育赛事，如马拉松，看你是否可以凭借翻译的本领帮上忙。这是步入译员生涯的必经之路。

Odds are you probably know someone who works in an industry that deals with many different types of people with many different linguistic backgrounds. Ask everyone you know if they could use some free help. Why would they turn you down?

或许你认识的某个人所从事的行业需要跟不同语种和类型的人打交道，问问你认识的人是否需要免费翻译，他们一定不会拒绝你！

2.  Get certified. Though certification isn’t 100% necessary, it will make it much easier to get jobs. Employers look at your background and see this certification and trust you have the skills to do the job. You’ll also be listed on the website of the organization you go through, where potential clients can find you. There are several varieties to consider:

考取证书。虽然翻译证书并非必备条件，但会让你更容易找到工作。雇主会关注你的背景经历，查看证书，这样才能相信你拥有可以胜任工作的技能。录取后，你的信息还会被放在他们的网站上，供潜在客户浏览。以下几个翻译协会可供大家参考：

The American Translator’s Association offers generalized certification programs for translators.

美国译者协会可为译员提供一般性翻译证书项目。

If you want to be a judicial or medical translator, organizations such as the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators and the International Medical Interpreters Association offer specialized certifications in this area.

如果你想成为司法译员或医学译员，全美司法翻译工作协会和国际医学口译员协会可以提供该领域的专业证书。

Check if your state or area has an accreditation programs for translators and interpreters.

查看自己所在州或地区是否具有针对笔译和口译员的认证项目。

3. Get tested. Take a language proficiency test such as the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) to show potential clients that you are indeed fluent in your specific language. Similar to an accreditation or certification, showing your test results to prospective employers is a quick way for them to assess your skills and see that you'll be good for the job.

参加考试。参加诸如“国防语言水平测试”的语言水平测验，向潜在客户证明你的确可以熟练运用某种语言。和水平认证或证书类似，向未来雇主出示你的考试结果同样可以帮助他们快速评估你的水平，判断你是否可以胜任工作。

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages offers many proficiency tests, too. You can find plenty of tests online offered by other countries, as well.

美国外语教学理事会也有很多语言水平测试。此外，在网上也可查到其他国家的各种测试。

Part3. Finding the Jobs

三．求职

1. Sign up for job forums. Websites like Proz and Translators cafe have job postings for freelance work that could be just what you need to jumpstart your career. Some are free and some require a fee – for the record, generally the ones that cost money are a bit more lucrative in the end.

注册求职论坛。像Proz和Translators cafe这样的网站都会发布自由职业的招聘职位，也许你正好需要这样的职位来展开职业生涯。有些职位是免费的，有些则为了保险起见收取一定的费用，一般来说，到最后那些需要收取费用的职位福利会更好。

There are also websites like Verbalizeit and Gengo where you take a test, they assess your skills, and you’re put into a pool of translators that clients come to for work. Once you’re fluent enough and have your resume set, try these sites to supplement your income.

还有一些网站，比如Verbalizeit和Gengo，需要进行测试，然后他们会评估你的个人技能，再将你的资料放入译员的人才库中，届时会有客户在这里寻找工作人选。只要你本身英语够流利，并且简历已完善，不妨尝试到这些网站来赚些外快。

2. Get an internship. Paid or unpaid internships are very common ways that most interpreters and translators get their experience (no different than many other careers, really). At the end of the internship, you may be taken on as a full-time employee.

找份实习工作。通过有偿或无偿的实习来获得经验（其实这与其他工作一样），是大多数译员最常用的方法。实习结束后，你还有可能会转为全职员工。

Escort interpreting is an opportunity for inexperienced soon-to-be interpreters to work alongside a more experienced interpreter. Ask any potential employer if they have a shadowing program if you're interested in speaking, not just writing.

对于缺乏经验的准译员而言，陪同口译是非常好的机会，这样可以与经验更为丰富的译员一起工作。如果除了写以外，你还对说感兴趣，可以询问下你的未来上司，了解下公司是否设有影子练习项目。

3. Market yourself. Most translators are contractors, not employees usually. You'll work on a project here, a project there, taking work as it comes and goes. Because of that, you need to market yourself everywhere and everywhere. Who knows where the next job could be, even if it's just a few hours?

毛遂自荐。大多数译员更像是承包商，而非寻常意义上的员工。你可能会在这儿接一个项目，在那儿接一个项目，来了就接，做完就结。这样，你就得到处推荐自己。谁知道下一份工作会在哪儿呢？即使这个工作可能只是几个小时的事儿。

Law firms, police stations, hospitals, government agencies, and language agencies are great places to start. Especially if you're just beginning, charge decent rates, or if you have some recommendations under your belt will this be easy.

律师事务所、警察局、医院、政府机关和语言机构都是开始工作的好地方。尤其是如果你刚开始工作，收费较为合理，或者是手里有几份推荐信，那就很容易在这些地方找到工作。

4. Have a niche. Concentrate on one niche (maybe two) where you know the language and the topic matter. For example, if you know all the hospital terminology you need to know already, you'll be that much more up to the challenge. You'll also be able to spot content mistakes when they appear, checking for accuracy.

找准定位。专注于一个（或两个）你既熟悉语言又熟悉专业内容的工作领域。比如，如果你已经掌握了所有需要了解的医学术语，那么在应对挑战时就会更加得心应手。并且在内容上出现错误时，你也能很快察觉，调整语言使其更为准确。

Translators often have an easier time finding work in industries with a particularly high demand for language services, such as court or medical interpreting. It's wise to have your niche be in one of these areas.

在对语言服务需求特别高的行业中（如法院或医学口译），译员通常更容易找到工作。将自己定位于这些领域会是个明智之举。

Consider direct mailing. Translation agencies are always looking for good translators. Briefly list your name and contact details, languages and rates and ask for a test translation. As with everything, the longer your letter, the less likely it is that people will read to the end.

尝试直接发邮件。翻译机构长期都会寻找优秀译员。在邮件中可以请求测试翻译，并将你的姓名、联系方式、掌握的语言和收费标准简明扼要地列举出来。因为道理都一样，你的信越长，人们读到最后的可能性就越小。

Part 4. Succeeding in This Career

四．功成名就

1. Keep your rates competitive. As you gain more and more experience, you can charge more and more – whether it’s per word, per piece, per hour, etc. Keep your rates competitive and similar to those that match your experience.

保持个人报价的竞争力。你的经验越丰富，报价就可以越高，无论是按字数、按篇还是按小时计费。始终要让你的报价具有竞争力，并且与自身经验相符。

Make sure you’re charging a reasonable price for the times, too. Back in 2008, when the economy wasn’t doing so well, many translators saw a dip in the prices they could charge that people were willing to pay. Make sure your rates match the times, the industry, and your experience.

还要确保你的报价与时俱进。2008年经济不景气的时候，很多译员给出的人们愿意接受的报价都所有降低。所以要确定你的报价与所处时代、行业和自身经验都是相称的。

2. Get the right software. Computer Aided Translation (CAT) tools are a must for every translator or interpreter – and no, Google Translate doesn’t count.

获取合适的软件。计算机辅助翻译工具是口笔译员人手必备的，谷歌翻译不靠谱。

Unfortunately, many out sources much prefer to work with the TMs produced by Trados, which is quite expensive. If and when you are able, consider upgrading your software to make work that much easier.

遗憾的是很多外部资源倾向于融入Trados的翻译记忆，成本过高。如果条件允许，还是考虑升级一下你的软件吧，让翻译任务更轻松。

3. Translate only "to" your native language. You’re going to find that translating to your native language is a whole lot easier than translating to your second language. That’s because each work is going to require some topical vocabulary that you likely don’t have in your second language or that you’re going to have to do a bit of research about – which is generally quicker to do in your native tongue.

只做译入语为母语的翻译工作。你会发现译成母语比译成第二语言要容易得多，这是因为每项任务都会出现一些特色词汇，你的第二语言中可能没有这样的词，或者你需要稍微研究一番，相比之下母语处理起来通常会快一些。

You can see here why it's doubly important to know the ins and outs of your own language, too. Successful translating is easiest when you're doing to your native language about a topic you know like the back of your hand.

说到这你就会明白为什么详细了解母语也是十分重要的了。当翻译母语中某个你了如指掌的话题时，得到成功的译文简直小菜一碟。

4. Stick to what you know. Let's say a company contacts you and wants you to translate a piece on farming machinery used in the American Midwest in the late 1800s or work on a piece devoted to the freezing of human oocytes. Odds are that work is going to be the one you keep putting off and the one that takes forever to complete because you've got to make sure every word is correct. Instead, stick to your niche. You'll be better at it in addition to feeling better about your work.

专注你擅长的领域。假设一家公司联系你，想让你翻译一篇有关19世纪末美国中西部使用的农机的文章，或者翻译与冷冻卵子相关的文章。可能你会推迟交稿时间，花很久去完成，因为你需要确保每个词语都使用正确。与其这样，不如坚守适合你的领域，不仅工作起来更得心应手，还可以在这一领域做得更加出色。

Always try to expand your field of expertise, but don't expand it too far. Do you specialize in medical reports on pregnancy, labor, and delivery? Start learning and working on articles devoted to pediatric care. Slowly widen your expanse of knowledge to accompany more related endeavors. You can then spread out from there.

不断扩展专业领域，但不要过于宽泛。比如，你是否很擅长翻译关于妊娠、临产和分娩的医学报道？如果不是，那就开始学习并翻译有关儿科保健的文章吧。因此，要逐渐拓展知识面，作出更多相关努力，这样才能在原来的基础上不断丰富自己。

英文来源：wikiHow

编译：Yee君

推荐阅读