2015年5月5日 星期二

Hi Chelsea

4 May 2015

In my first few months as a freelance translator, I did not have enough work to do. That was quite hard, not because I did not enjoy a leisurely life, but because I need to make a living.

Fortunately, after I started translating my first book, jobs keep coming. Though occasionally I come close to running out of books to translate, during better times, I can enjoy the luxury of committing to jobs that I love to do, like translating books I find meaningful, and declining jobs I like less.

Today, a client with first name Chelsea asked me to translate some urgent documents. I refused since my schedule is already quite tight. I refused politely of course. But I really wish I could write a reply like this:

Hi Chelsea

Congratulations on winning the Premier League.

Unfortunately I am a Man United fan. You see, my team has lost three games in a row. I am really in no mood to translate for you Chelsea. Go park your bus and find another one to do it.

4 則留言:

  1. Hi Vic, I have been translating and copywriting in different organisations for almost 10 years. Recently, I am considering to become a freelance translator like you. The problem is how to get starting. Would you mind sharing how did you get your first freelance job?

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    1. 你好。我成為自由譯者之後,最初的一些工作是前同事介紹的,有一間翻譯社是我自己在網上試譯成功後開始接稿的,有一間投資公司是因為前同事在那裡工作,信得過我,所以找我翻譯。

      開始譯書,並且以譯書為主要工作,也是由前同事介紹我給出版社開始。所以說起來,靠熟人介紹對我很重要。當然我也曾經自己寄CV給出版社,但成功率極低。

      你可以在LinkIn上放自己的CV,有機會因此接到job。我的經驗可以參考這篇文章:http://victranslates.blogspot.tw/2015/01/blog-post_7.html

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    2. 謝謝回覆。閱畢你的"也談翻譯薪事",不由得感嘆:自由譯者不易為啊!自由果真要代價。
      另外,台灣的翻譯薪酬雖較香港低,但工作機會較多,幾乎不見香港有出版社譯書(都是台灣或大陸出版社譯的),新聞稿、會議紀錄一般內部員工都可譯到,只剩下財經法律一類的工作,薪水不錯但乏味。

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    3. 你都說對了。我沒辦法只譯乏味的內容,除非報酬高到我可以空出大量閒暇做其他事。

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