A Work in Progress

My guest post today is from Anne Goff , writer and translator who has some great points to make about translation and why we need to think about it when writing. Enjoy! We're Not So Different, You and I When I got my degree in translation and when I started working as a translator, I had to deal with a lot of confusion and misunderstanding from my friends and family. I still do. Topping the list of questions I face: - Just what does a translator do anyway ? And - Why on earth would you want to be one? Today, I want to answer question number one. A translator takes a text that is written for one audience and rewrites it for a different audience. In essence - a translator is a writer. All writing is translation and translators are writers who work in two different languages. “But,” you say, “I’m a writer! I don’t translate!” Are you sure? Really? As a writer you are always thinking of your target audience. (And if you’re not, you should be.) This awareness will impact e

There is a time and place to write for free. I think we all understand that. And there's a time to acquire your skill, be a lowly intern -- basking in the bottom-dwelling ranks of the work place -- and we're generally okay with it because we know that's how it works; that's how  we get to be paid one day -- and of course, how we hope to move up to a slightly higher rung of the ladder. However, there comes a time, when we get past that; where we are at the higher rung, and now looking down at those below us with a smile. When and if we work pro-bono, it's because we're helping someone else, or we feel the cause is so worthy, we just have to donate our time or risk feeling like a loser. I have a writer-friend, who also happens to be a snazzy French-to-English translator, who has her own business  AEG Translations -- in other words, she's a PROFESSIONAL. Also meaning, she gets paid to do the job; the one she studied and worked hard for. Yet, to her dismay