Translation as a Profession (Benjamins Translation Library)

chapter 6The die is cast!Alternatives and optionsIntroductionThere are those who become translators because they have always wanted totranslate, others (probably most) by coincidence, out of necessity, through inertia,by accident, by sheer good luck, by losing their job, by falling in or out of love, orbecause they want to turn over a new leaf, with or without any prior training. Butthere are also those who decide to become translators.For those, the usual stages are as follows:a) Choose a particular domain of activityb) Train to be a translatorc) Choose a professional statusd) Start out in the profession1. Choosing a particular domain (if relevant)Anyone deciding to go into translation will generally have some particular domainof activity in mind.The usual domains mentioned at this juncture are:– literarytranslation,– translation for publishing,– media translation,– specialised translation, with a choice of one or more specific areas in particular,such as localisation, medical translation, scientific translation, legaltranslation, etc.Access to the profession will vary according to the domain chosen and some offeronly very restricted access.