Musings from an overworked translator

What I’m reading this morning April 26, 2010

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I am taking a page from Corinne’s blog, Thoughts on Translation, and sharing some of the things I read this morning that I think might interest you, my fellow translators.

• Freelancer Road Trip: Essential Supplies is a must-read for any translator who loves the fact that our job allows us to work from anywhere. It is important to balance work and vacation time, but sometimes we need to work during a trip to ensure we make a deadline. Her list of must-haves for working while on a road trip is eye-opening. The blog author was offered the opportunity to take a 15-hour road trip to the beach. She accepted, but with the caveat that she would be working on the trip down and sporadically while at the beach. A very cool idea!
• Erik Hansson has shared 16 safe ways for freelancers to ruin their relationship with a translation agency as a download on his website. This is a good reminder for long-term translators as well as valuable advice for those of you just starting out in the field.
• There is a discussion on ProZ.com about a recent poll on What is the worst that can ever happen to a translator. It might be comforting to know that being sued for a mistranslation hasn’t been mentioned (oops, did I say that? If it makes you feel any better, I have never heard of an actual case of a translator being sued for a mistranslation in my 15 years as a translator…). In any event, it is an interesting read if just for the fact that if you are aware of the worst things that can happen you can be prepared with a solution in case they do.
• Since I am moving at the end of the month I am looking forward to organizing a new office space. I will be moving to a 2-bedroom apartment that will allow me to house guests in the office instead of just having them sleep on a pull-out sofa in the living room (my current office is too small, not to mention unheated). How Things Work featured Five Tips for Multi-Use Office/Guest Rooms yesterday, and I read some very good tips in it. My current desk, which I bought at a garage sale, is being held up by filing cabinets and a hanging folder organizer. My neighbor is giving me his old desk, so I am looking forward to reorganizing my workspace. I also can’t wait to buy a chaise lounge or sleeper couch for my office.