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.
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?
回覆刪除你好。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。
刪除開始譯書，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
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。
刪除另外，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。
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。
刪除