Earlier this year a friend said something along the lines of; “I’m too busy to take this translation job, but I don’t want to say “no” in case they never want to hire me again.” Obviously this friend is amazing
How To Turn Down a Translation Job
Never Assume – The Importance of Research in Translation
One of the best pieces of advice I received as a beginner translator was “never assume”. Never assume a kanji reading or a word meaning. Never assume you know what someone said.Basically, never assume the Japanese and never assume that’s how
Articles for Localizers – Translation Link Roundup [Winter 2019 Part 2]
![Articles for Localizers – Translation Link Roundup [Winter 2019 Part 2]](http://j-entranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/working-from-home-630x350.jpeg "Articles for Localizers – Translation Link Roundup [Winter 2019 Part 2]")
The following is a collection of interesting articles I found. These are not necessarily recent articles, some are a few years old. But they’re ones I’ve read recently. It’s been a little while since I’ve gathered my bookmarks of interesting
8 Exercises To Teach Yourself Japanese-English Translation
Novice and aspiring translators are often hit with this seemingly impassable wall when they start. You may think Japanese-English translation is doable as long as you know Japanese, but it’s not that simple… Translation is a skill separate from Japanese
Japanese – English Translation Competitions 2019
Japanese – English translation competitions are a great way to improve your translation skills and get your name out there. They can be particularly great for people new to the industry for putting on resumes. If you win one you’re
What Qualifications Do I Need to Become a Translator?
Spoiler Alert: NONE! But read on if you’re interested in why… Do I Need a Degree? A Brief History in Translation Studies Translation as a field of academic study seemed to emerge in colleges and universities around the 1950s. Initially
An Exercise in Research – The Extremely Hard Take Home Anime Quiz
The Extreme Hard Take Home Anime Quiz is a fun fan-made quiz. It is held twice a year at a few anime conventions in the US, and has been for about 10 years. It’s an open-book quiz that you have
TED Talks On Translation
TED Talks are always great resources for various information and new insights. But sometimes it can be hard to find subjects that interest you. I love watching TED Talks about science, computing, new ideas, learning and, of course, translating. Here
What a Course in Translation Should Include
In September 2015 I finished my Translation MA at SOAS University in London and was… disappointed to say the least. I felt it had been sorely lacking and wrote What an MA in Translation Doesn’t Teach You. It’s been a
Translation Link Roundup [December 2017]
![Translation Link Roundup [December 2017]](http://j-entranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Can-google-translate-shakespear-750x350.png "Translation Link Roundup [December 2017]")
Translation Books on Translation and Interpreting – A list of pretty much any major book about translating and interpreting out there. How to Be a Better Translator – Some book recommendations for improving quality control in localization. “How Long Will It
New Video Game Translator – Beware the Jabberwocks
Are you a new video game translator? Many beginner Japanese to English game translators struggle to find work. It’s the ever frustrating catch 22 of “you need experience to get the job, but need the job to get experience”. It’s
Education for Literary Translators
I attended a round table discussion on education for literary translators organized by NOTIS last night, and it was fantastic! I wanted to write my own thoughts regarding education for literary translators with resources and points that were discussed. A
Game Translation Scams
So the other day I got a message from a friend saying he might have a game translation for me. But he also mentioned that something wasn’t quite right about this ‘job’. He was messaging me to check it out
Translating Japanese for Beginners
Are you studying Japanese and interested in translation? But you have no idea how to translate something from Japanese into English? This article on translating Japanese for beginners is for you! A few years ago I completed an MA in
User Experience for Freelance Translators
Have you ever had an experience with a company that has stuck with you forever? Have you made a simple inquiry only to get a non-professional, badly written, or rude response? Or no response at all? How did that experience leave
How Much Does Translation Cost?
With global communication becoming more and more essential for many businesses, translation services are becoming even more important. Yet the range of pricing can vary so much depending on so many factors, it’s often hard to find the right price
What an MA in Translation Doesn’t Teach You
I completed my MA in the Theory and Practice of Translation at SOAS last September 2015. I was eager to learn a subject that would be useful to my career, yet by the end of the year was disheartened by
Working With Translation Agencies
Towards the end of my MA in Theory and Practice of Translation I attended a Q&A session held by a translation agency in London. Their Q&A sessions was a way to improve the quality of the relationship between translators and