yeni's thought

TRANSLATION PROJECT REFLECTION

Translation is not just about we translate one language into another language. As a translator, there are many things that we should consider such as culture, unfamiliar words, grammar, etc. In Translation and Interpreting class I got new knowledge and experience because this semester we do a project to translate the client’s journal. Our lecturer divided us into ten groups. Each group consist of three members. There are Indri, Novia, and Me. Our lecturer also required us to fill a weekly translation log, in which we will describe and reflect on our activities based on questions provided during our project. Before we start the project, Indri and I agreed to choose Novia as our leader because of her ability and then I volunteer my self to fill the log. 

            Personally, I feel satisfied with our teamwork because my teammate is easy going. We have so much fun during this project. Even though Novia is a leader, all of us always discuss everything together from start until we finish the project. For your information, to communicate with the client we also discuss it because we were afraid if our words being impolite when we contact him. When we do this project I think I kinda failed when there are lots of tables and formulas in that article because I have no idea about that. I don’t know how to translate that. Lucky me, that’s not my part. 

            As a translator I realized my strength and weakness, I hate when I meet unfamiliar words, I have to find the meaning and then I forgot easily. Meanwhile, when I familiar with the words it’s easy for me to translate it and check the word appropriate or not. My most challenging part when I do this project is the client paid us so it makes me afraid if our translation not as good as his expectation but we do our best because we have responsibility on it. Thanks to our lecturer, in the last week of the deadline she read and check our project. I realized I think I have to improve my writing skills because when I recheck my part, I found some typing mistakes. 

            I do like working in a team but there are also strengths and weaknesses as a team member. The strengths are because all of us have the same age, it’s easier to tell other members if there’s a mistake in their part without making them upset. We can also ask questions about our parts without hesitation with others. The weaknesses sometimes we have a different perspective about the words that we will use so we need to find the closest meaning of the words which is relevant to the language resource and sometimes when we want to meet up to discuss the project we have different schedule. 

            Since I study Translation and Interpreting, I am interested in doing translation as my future job. I have some simple reasons for it. First, I like it. Second, I can do it everywhere. Third, I love the feelings when I got paid because of something I like. Last, it makes me happy. I love quotes from Roy T. Bennett when he said: “Do what you love, love what you do, and with all your heart give yourself to it.”

            To be someone who wants to do an entrepreneur’s career, the most important characters we should never give up and be confident. People will judge you through up and down when you build your career. You should never give up even you are in your hard situation, there will be a way to out from it as long as you keep trying. Don’t forget to be confident about what you do. You should prove to them that you can. 

            In conclusion, the meaning of translating depends on us. For me as someone who wants to be a professional translator, being a translator is not that easy. There are many things we should consider, such as culture, unfamiliar words, grammar, etc. After finish this project, I have new experience being a translator and learn so many things from my lecturer and my teammate. I am so grateful to have a chance to do this project.