It’s a sunny day in Araraquara, a not-so-small town in the state of São Paulo. This day got me thinking about the transition I'm going through. Somewhere back in the year 2000, I was in college studying to be a physical therapist, which I then did for about five years. Back then, there wasn't Google Translate or any other tool to help us students translate articles for our final paper, called TCC (course conclusion paper).
At that time, I had just gotten back from doing an English course for international students in Vermont. There had been people from all over the world, and it was an enriching experience. My English was very fresh, and my position back home called for its use. I started translating articles for colleges so they could study them and create their own papers.
The word spread, and when I least expected it, I was getting a lot of work. There were three great things about it. One, I could use the English that I have loved and studied since I was a little girl. Second, I could learn about so many different and interesting themes. Third, the income was awesome! From then on, the work kept coming, and I was learning a lot and making good money. I translated electronic device manuals, books, and all kinds of things. Unfortunately, I didn't create a portfolio as I never thought about making this a professional thing. I have run a pet store for about 19 years now, and translation has become a sporadic thing.
As time passed, an idea came to me: It's time to work on translation again. My English is a little rusty, but it's just like riding a bicycle. The knowledge is always there; you just have to start again, and it comes back.
Learning about CAT tools is amazing. It really helps our daily work. I got my first jobs here and there, in baby steps. Like every new career, you must work hard to get it going. I´m optimistic that the ProZ Pro Bono community is helping me a lot.
My advice to my fellow friends is to keep going. Study and research are our allies.
Translation is an amazing profession. It keeps your mind sharp, and learning is the best way to stay young.
Edited by Kate Linsley
I agree with you, Priscila, studying and researching are our allies. There are always things to learn from our profession, our collegues, technology, cultures, and languages.
What a delightfully positive blog! Well done for taking up English and translation again and I wish you all the best in your endeavours.