книги / Организационно-управленческая деятельность в индустрии перевода =Organizational and managerial activities in translation industry. Ч. 1

TRANSLATOR’S PERSONALITY

Soft and hard skills

There may be a reasonable question if translators possess certain traits that matter in their job and that these characteristics trigger definite behavioral patterns that are decisive in translation performance. Let us try to answer the question.

From a general perspective, the translation process varies due to the individual differences of the translators. In other words, each translator has individual traits that uniquely affect their behavior in the act of translating, causing the final success or failure of the translation process [6, p. 268]. There are such personality characteristics that might be called soft skills, and they are unlike professional or hard skills are flexible and situation-dependent. Interestingly, there are such traits that are on the interfaces between individual and general professional ones. And they are:

Linguistic expertise. No matter what educational background translators have, they need to be passionate about the languages they work with. Linguistic excellence stems from constant mastery of new vocabulary including specialized terminology and idiomatic expressions, among other things, jargon and slang words, regional differences and dialects, grammar and even phonetics. To translate, or interpret one should always research some things, and to do it efficiently and promptly, it is reasonable to find and mark the most useful reference sources, to apply to translator forums, and never feel confused to consult other professionals. Collaboration with a colleague is an ideal situation when it is possible to criticize each other’s work but also learn from each other. At the initial stage of the career, it is worth seeking out a mentor, an experienced translator who is eager to give feedback and help develop translation skills.

Linguistic expertise also presumes to be adaptable, i.e., to be able to make non-standard and unusual translation decisions, to play by client’s rules maintaining confidentiality, and observing professional ethics.

Appreciation for foreign cultures. There is always an interaction between culture and language. Translators who can use this relationship favourably produce translations with much nuance and accuracy. Respect for other cultures means that translators should know history, customs, politics, pop culture, even details of daily life, which are typical for people whose languages they work with. These things will help to reveal meanings in the fullest sense, not just words but ideas and context. Knowing what distinguishes cultures, translators can break down the misconceptions, stigmas, and other barriers that prevent various cultural groups from understanding and embracing one another [7].

The next group of traits are exactly individual ones and here first comes

Passion for language and translation. Apart from a deep interest in language, the best translators are always interested in the translation itself, it even inspires them. Thus, instead of being stressed or under pressure they take pride in their job and are motivated to continuously improve and optimize their work.

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Attention to detail. When it comes to professional translation, attention must be paid to even the smallest of details. Sometimes the text a translator deals with may be quite long or complicated, but they still must work with every word, detail, or concept to formulate them properly in the target language. It may mean a severalminute search for the best word replacement or even deep research to get an equivalent or explanation for a fixed expression or a cultural phenomenon. A single word or even a letter can change the entire meaning. The translation of specific technical terms needs to be consistent with previously translated materials, i.e., the same glossaries, to avoid discrepancies should be used. There is nothing unprofessional if some slight alterations are made as they help to achieve the most accurate translation possible. So skilled translators check, double-check, and if necessary, triple-check to ensure each detail is correct.

Time management. Tight deadlines are usual for professional translators, and to avoid stressful situations, their motto should be “Every minute can make a difference”. Even when it looks like being no rush, customers may unexpectedly ask translators to complete the major projects in record time. And here, the inability to manage time and be disciplined leads to mistakes which can cause even more lost time. Realizing that translating is hard and tiring, professionals know how to get the perfect balance between speed and accuracy and thus turn in their work by the deadline.

Ability to accept criticism. Although translators’ work is initially supposed to be perfect, even those whose accomplishment record is high, hold room for improvement. It is not always possible to feel confident in the quality of work, and a real professional should be ready to accept and even encourage criticism to further perfect their skills. Be self-critical, consider colleagues’ improvements or suggestions with an open mind. It is worth reconsidering earlier translations plus, in case of necessity improving them. One should not be ashamed of doing it! It only adds expertise.

There are some additional requirements for interpreters compared to translator’s ones. “Speed with accuracy, grace and calm under pressure, intense powers of concentration, the ability to internalize large amounts of unfamiliar material quickly, and analytical talent (just to name a few) have been projected into the arena of personality” [3, 8]. Due to its stressful nature, interpretation can be a frustrating job for some. Apart from the traits necessary for translators, there is one crucial ability for interpreters to subjugate their personality to that of the speaker, which means they cannot express their thoughts and views and sometimes even suppress personal opinions contradicting original ones. Not everyone can easily do it as we all have our personal feelings or ideas regarding various subjects. But being an interpreter, you are not allowed to interfere in the context of the interpretation. This practice of constant expression of others’ thoughts but not one’s own may one day become a personal hinder on the way of professional or personal development.

So, many characteristics constitute a compendium of numerous requirements, the presence of which prove translator’s/interpreter’s professional competence and aptitude [8, 9].

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Readiness to Start Career

There is hardly any certainty in the question of how to assess the readiness and adaptability of individuals to translation and interpreting. One can define a professional translator as somebody “who is paid for the work and who adheres to professional standards with regard to service delivery and ethics” [10].

Moreover, professional translators have degrees and formal translation training or accreditation. So, the professional suitability of a translator is determined, first of all, by the presence of the necessary professional translation skills acquired during training at a university and then tested and consolidated in the course of practical translation activities. There is even a pragmatic definition of professionalism which suggests that “translators are considered professionals if they earn at least part of their living from translating. It means that they see themselves as translators and are accepted as such by their employers and/or clients on the translation market” [10].

Here comes the question of what criteria can be used to assess professionalism. As in other professions, professional qualities or, rather, abilities are given to the translator by nature, but they can also develop and improve them in the course of a professional lifetime. Thus, to become a professional in any sphere of business we need time and experience, but there is that moment when we have to start the career and by this time it is great if we feel confident of having developed all those necessary skills and personal qualities, and obtained some expertise trying different types of translation activity. The adaptability means that a graduate with a degree of the linguisttranslator can switch from translating a technical text to a business report, from the native language into a target language and vice versa, or to serve with consecutive or simultaneous interpreting. For every type of activity, there is a definite set of personal traits as well as professional skills, like to be a simultaneous interpreter, for example, a specialist needs a high level of active knowledge of the source and the target language, speed of reaction, clear diction, ability to concentrate, noise resistance, mental stability, good physical form. If you are a consecutive interpreter, in addition to mental stability and good physical form, tranquility, sociability, the ability not to be lost in public, and, of course, good skills of oral phrasing or consecutive translation are essential.

Among other most common translation activities, there is work with technical, economic, or legal materials. To claim the readiness for this type of job a translator should have knowledge of the basic terminology of modern science and technology in the original language and in the language of translation, professional knowledge of the written language, basic literacy, and proficiency in computer and computer programs at a level sufficient to work with translated texts, ability to work with dictionaries and directories, diligence, attention, focus, high efficiency.

When translating fiction, the ability to thoughtful and slow work with the text comes first, it helps to accomplish the most crucial goal – to convey the content and all stylistic subtleties in translation. It is also important to be able to plan the time

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correctly to meet the deadlines without compromising the quality of the translation. It is the most contemplative, where speed is not required, but self-discipline is.

The brief review of features required to characterize readiness and adaptability of a person to start translation activity shows how numerous and various they are, but there are such which are integral and irreplaceable – speech reactivity, good memory, attention shifting or switchability, mental stability, sociability, intelligence, high working capacity, and good physical form. Speech reactivity is not just the ability to speak quickly, but first of all, the ability to perceive someone’s speech and quickly generate your own. Even if this ability is given to a person by nature, it is necessary to develop it further. Some people are characterized by excessive, nervous speech reactivity. If they plan to become an interpreter, this ability should be under control. In rare cases, a person is not able to develop the speed of speech. Then they probably should not become an interpreter.

Translators do not need a phenomenal memory, although there are quite a few people with phenomenal memory. They need a professionally organized flexible memory that allows, on the one hand, to select a large amount of information and, on the other hand, to quickly forget unnecessary information. The translator’s long-term memory should accommodate a much larger volume of vocabulary in the active stock, both in the native and in a foreign language, compared to the memory of an ordinary person who only speaks a foreign language. RAM (random memory) is characterized by the ability to memorize for a short time a significantly larger number of language units than the memory of an ordinary person. It means that the translator will have to train the memory during all career time.

Switchability is more or less characteristic of all people. Women are believed that have a faster switchability than men. However, when translating, a specific type of switchability is needed from one language to another, from digital coding to verbal coding. Therefore, the initial ability to rapidly switch should be developed into a stable skill during training and become one of the criteria of professional suitability.

Mental stability is sometimes considered to be the most crucial for professional suitability, and this is not accidental. The fact that interpreters are involved in speaking for a long time, and this is increased speech speed inevitably with frequent switching, and the need to follow only other people's thoughts for the whole day, not allowing your thoughts – all this contributes to mental overload. Mental stability also implies self-control, strong will, the ability to win, to find a way out from difficult situations.

Sociability is for the majority of us an inborn desire to communicate with other people. During the life course, the necessity for a wide range of contacts becomes limited. Due to life experience, personal attitudes, or the professional sphere, people turn to be introverted. However, for some jobs, including the interpreter, a high level of contact is obvious. It is not about extroversion or personality openness but a conscious psychological attitude to contact. The translator should be prepared to be

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an expert, not only in the language but also in the cultures of different peoples and countries, and thus contribute to establishing contact between them.

Apart from the personality suitability, there are definitely some criteria to assess the professional mastery of the translator. And here the question of quality comes first. But what can be called quality translation and how to define it? “A high-quality translation is one that captures the meaning of the original text and is appropriately worded, free from error and internally consistent” [11]. So according to the definition, there are 4 criteria:

-Equivalence of meaning

-Appropriate wording/expression

-No mistakes

-Full consistency.

So, to assess translation quality, one should answer “yes” to the following questions:

-Does the translation catch the meaning of the original?

-Do the words correspond to the topic?

-Is the translator accurate with grammar and spelling?

-Is translation text logical and consistent?

Although there are quite many definitions of translation quality, the final result will be subjective to some extent. We can have different opinions, and this is because the concept of “quality” is controversial. “To determine whether someone has attained translation quality, one must be able to measure it. To measure translation quality, one must be able to define it. And to define translation quality, one must be able to define both translation and quality” [12].

So, to claim that a person is ready and adaptable to the job of a translator is a risky and responsible task, but if the translator has character traits and neuro-mental qualities corresponding to the chosen line of translation activity, developed necessary practical skills, it is quite likely that the job will be more successful, less emotional and psychologically stressful [13].

LICENSING OF TRANSLATION ACTIVITIES

According to the Federal Law of the Russian Federation of August 8, 2001, №128-FZ "On Licensing of Certain Types of Activities" and the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of February 11, 2002, № 135 translation activities are not subject to certification and licensing. If the requirements for the documents indicate a “certified translation”, then this is sometimes called translation, certified by the seal of the translation agency. When a notarized translation is required, it is performed by a translator who has the right to do so under the diploma and is entered in the register.

It means that almost everyone can start a business in this area. But the fact that a license is not required for a translation bureau does not mean that they do not

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monitor quality. This is possible to be done, getting certificates of the GOST (AllUnion State Standard) quality management system, confirming that the services of translation and interpretation, editing, translation of audio and video materials, layout, apostille, and legalization of documents provided by the bureau meet the requirements of these standards.

Notariate in the System of Language Services

Unlike the previous situation, there are quite many cases today when large and not very large companies apply to translation agencies and other firms that provide such services to get a notarized translation of documents. It is the situation when notaries certify the signatures of translators below written translations of documents. From the point of view of the law, this is an ordinary notarial action to confirm a signature. But in real life, notaries want to be sure that the signatory belongs to a translator. In this case, it is necessary to provide the notary with proof of the translator's competence, i.e., the verification of the translator’s powers.

When performing a notarial act related to the attestation of the translator's signature, the translator is present not as a representative of the profession; but as a person who speaks the language and can translate the document contents from one language to another. When certifying the authenticity of the translator's signature, the notary may check whether there is a document confirming their knowledge of the relevant language, excluding Russian, in case the translator is a citizen of Russia. A translator who is a citizen of a foreign state confirms their knowledge of the Russian language but may not confirm the fact of the official state language mastery of the country he is a citizen of. The documents confirming the language mastery may be:

Diploma of higher philological education in the relevant language specialization;

Diploma of graduation by a Russian citizen from a foreign higher educational establishment with teaching in a foreign language;

Diploma of graduation by a foreign state citizen from a higher educational institution of the Russian Federation with the right to teach in Russian;

Proof of employment testifying that the person works as an interpreter/translator; Certificate of translator’s further qualification;

Certificate of an official state body or institution, including an agency or institution of a foreign state, confirming the qualification of a translator, or maybe another equivalent document.

There may be a situation when a document must be translated from English into French (or another foreign language). Then the notary is obliged to offer to translate the document into the language of office work (Russian), after that from Russian into the target language. In this case, two separate notarial actions are performed, in the second case, the document to be translated will be its notarized translation into Russian.

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The translator is explained the requirements of the current legislation on the secrecy of information that has become known when being involved in a notarial action, responsibility for deliberately incorrect translation, and deliberate deception of the consumer with translator's services.

Translators who are professionally engaged in documents translation, both as entrepreneurs and free of charge, are registered by a notary in a special register book of translators.

The book records:

–the translator's personal data: name, place of registration, passport data;

–contact information: phone, address of living;

–instrument's particulars on the basis of which the notary verifies the fact of the relevant language (s) proficiency;

–the list of languages in which the translator is proficient.

A notary may recommend a translator registered in their office to those who apply for the document translation. But at the same time, a notary has no right to advertise such activities. The notary does not check the legality of the translator's business activity and the validity of the service tariffs.

When a translator comes to a notary office to certify the signature on the translated documents, there must be both variants – original and translated, which come after the first. At the end of the translation, there has to be the inscription: “The translation was made by the translator Ivanov Ivan Ivanovich”. Then there is the translator’s signature which is made in two languages, or only in Russian if Russian is the language of the translation. The notary certifies the authenticity of the translator's signature hereunder. It is not allowed to place the translation directly on the sheets of the original document.

The passport translation is made and signed by the translator on a separate sheet without attaching it to the original.

There are specific cases when the notary can have foreign language proficiency, or on the contrary, when a customer who applied for a notarial act does not want the translation made by the translator to be attached to the original document (for example, to the document on education or the certificate of the civil registry office), and or the notary has no command of the target language to verify the translation. In such situations, there are other certain procedural acts.

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RECORD MANAGEMENT IN TRANSLATION ACTIVITIES

Regulatory Documents

Translation activities are regulated by certain documents, some of which will be presented in this section. The initial one is the Order of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation No. 134 n of 18.03.2021 “On approval of the professional standard “Specialist in the field of translation” which was registered on 21.04.2021 No. 63195. The Standard consists of 4 parts:

–General information with a major goal of translation activity type;

–Description of the labor functions included in the professional standard (functional map of the professional activity type). Here one can identify levels of qualifications, which are usually 6 for two generalized functions: plain translation and professionally-oriented translation, and 7 for translation quality management function. The list of labour functions includes 13 items, among which escorting interpreting services, translation of standard official and business documents, consecutive interpreting, simultaneous interpreting, translation, literary translation, translation of audiovisual works, editorial and technical control of translation, consulting in the field of translation quality, management of the translation production process and some others.

–Characteristics of generalized labor functions including possible names of positions, professions like “the Translator of the II category”. When presenting labour functions the Standard describes labour actions, e.g., supporting the customer following a pre-agreed program to ensure cross-cultural communication or interpreting at the level of a short phrase or sentence in the household sphere. Then come necessary skills like “quickly switch from one language to another” or “recognize non-verbal means of communication (facial expressions, gestures) adopted in foreign cultures”. Finally, there is a section with the necessary knowledge translators are supposed to have. For example, to know historical, cultural, and geographical attractions of the region, to be aware of the general theory and practice of translation fundamentals.

Each generalized function consists of just labour functions.

Example:

3.2. Generalized Labour Function

Name: Professionally-oriented translation Code B

Qualification level 6

3.2.1 Labour Function

Name: Consecutive interpreting

Code B/01.6 Qualification level (sublevel) 6

3.2.2. Labour function

Name: Simultaneous interpreting

Code B/02.6 Qualification level (sublevel) 6

And so, the final labour function in the Standard is 3.3.5.

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– At the end, there is the section “Information about the organizations that have developed the Professional Standard including responsible organizationdeveloper and other organizations such as The Union of Translators of Russia, National League of Translators and others [14, 15].

Document-Forming Features

The translator’s job is connected with documents. Not every paper, official or not, may be considered a document. So, by what signs do we distinguish it from the whole variety of the material world around us?

First of all, a document is an object created by a person in the course of their activity. It is an object made of any material that has, like all material objects, an external physical spatial shape and other external features. The main purpose of creating a document is to record information that can only be recorded on some material basis. Documented information always has its author, who is an individual or an entity. Authorship is the most important feature of a document. Since the 19th century, institutions, organizations, enterprises have been considered the authors of official documents since officials who sign official documents act only as representatives of these institutions. These days authorship can be collective or individual, it can correspond to a signature if the author declares himself/herself; may be anonymous (if the author hides the name) or pseudonymous.

An important document-forming feature is the name of the document type (order, certificate, application, etc.). It allows to get the first most general idea of the document, its legal significance.

Another significant feature of documented information is its dating. The date is the time when the document was created. However, information about this can be recorded in different ways. Thus, dates are classified into:

-accurate (the time of the document creation is exactly specified);

-approximate (the time is determined on the analysis of its content, authorship, events mentioned, etc.;

-probable (the time is determined by comparing individual documents or even their complexes, analyzing the external features of the document.

The date of the document creation is necessary for the legal assessment of the information contained in it, as well as for the assessment of relations that arise, change, or terminate in connection with the will of the management body expressed in the document. If the date in the document is shifted by at least one day, the actual relations formed on the basis of legally formed information may be regarded as illegal.

Taken together, the features reviewed give the necessary legal force to the document. In other words, failure to comply with the terms and conditions of documentation can have legal consequences. However, it should be noted that document authenticity also depends on some other conditions. First of all, it is based on the current legislation, which gives the indisputability, the binding nature of the document for

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those who will base their actions on it. In addition, the legal force of the document depends on the functions, rights, obligations, i.e., on the competence of the management body or official. A document issued by an incompetent, unauthorized person or issued without prior consent will not be considered legal. So, according to the GOST R51141-98 [16], the legal force of a document is a property of an official document given to it by the current legislation, by the competence of the body that issued it and the established procedure for registration. The reliability of the documented information is confirmed by the document certificate, i.e., signature, seal, approval stamp.

Apart from internal features of the document, there are also external ones that reflect the shape and size of the document, the information medium, and information elements. They are signs that characterize the document as a material object: shape, size, type of material medium. The document has a material (external) form that ensures its safety, long-term use, movement in time and space.

There are also some other specific properties inherent only in a document, namely: a stable material form, a complex compositional and information structure, immutability, the legal force of the document, authenticity, causality, and unification. They distinguish a document from information in general and will be discussed further.

Information Properties of the Document

The notions “information” and “document” are not synonyms, document properties are not similar to information properties. The document, undoubtedly, represents the unity of the carrier and the information that determines the purpose of creation, purpose, and functioning of the document [17, p. 109–114]. But since information is directly connected with a document, it is possible to identify information properties of the document and also properties that actually distinguish information from a document. However, for translators and interpreters, common properties are more substantial and they are called information properties of the document. They include:

-objectivity;

-credibility;

-semantics;

-value;

-accuracy;

-accessibility;

-relevance;

-completeness.

Objectivity means that a document contains objective information not depending on who created the document. The credibility of a document is the verification of its content by public practice [18, 74]. The semantics property of a document means that

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