Five reasons why I love my job…

Reason 1: I love enabling communication
When I was doing my MA in translation and interpreting, I found that I enjoyed mediating between people who spoke different languages. There was something immensely satisfying about enabling communication between two people, or between writer and reader, that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. I’ve never lost that sense of satisfaction.

Reason 2: I love words
Words fascinate me. As well as being a translator, I write in my spare time and I get immense pleasure from reading. Whether it’s a popular science book or a well written opinion piece, I love seeing language being used to full effect. I’m fascinated by the power, possibilities and poetry of words.

Reason 3: I love being involved
Quite a bit of my translation work relates to the world of scientific research. Science has a huge contribution to make to the wellbeing of humanity and the planet as a whole, and I like the idea of playing a part, however small, in the support mechanism that enables science to happen.

Reason 4: I love broadening my horizons
As a translator, you are obviously exposed to different cultures and ways of thinking. This broadens your mind and teaches you to think about things from different perspectives. For me, this is an enriching aspect of the job that I appreciate a lot.

Reason 5: I love learning
As any translator will tell you, this job involves constantly learning and keeping your knowledge up to date. Translators generally specialise in a particular field – for example engineering, medicine, law or tourism – and they need to be knowledgeable about their chosen field and aware of the latest developments. Being a good translator also means having a good level of general knowledge. It’s the perfect profession to indulge a love of learning.

Fellow translators: why did you choose your profession? What is it that you love about translating? Share your thoughts!