Chinese translators work with Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and require a high degree of expertise in writing and cultural context. They are in high demand in fields such as literary, legal, technical, and medical translation. A broad education and specialist knowledge are important for success in the field.
Translation is the art and practice of taking documents written in one language and recreating them in another language, reflecting the original writing intent and not just the literal words. Unlike the Chinese interpreter who deals with various spoken dialects, the Chinese translator works with two main written forms – Simplified and Traditional Chinese. Translators have a high degree of expertise in writing in the target language. Chinese translator can be found in many fields. Literary, legal, technical, commercial, and medical fields offer productive avenues for Chinese translator skill.
A typical university-educated Chinese individual recognizes 4,000 to 5,000 characters and about 40,000 to 60,000 words. Due to the booming Chinese economy, there is a high demand for Chinese translators. Simplified Chinese was developed to make writing faster and characters easier to remember. It is standard for the People’s Republic of China, Singapore and Malaysia. Traditional Chinese is standard in communities in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao and abroad. There is significant overlap between traditional and simplified, as some traditional words are minimally simplified.
Translators must be very familiar with the cultural context and references of the target audience. As they work with the written word, they have the opportunity to carefully craft their documents to accurately reflect the nuances of writing. Literary translators work with books, novels, textbooks, and more. They are in high demand with publishing houses and universities. Their expertise translates their heart and knowledge from one culture to another, whether in Chinese or from Chinese to another language.
Chinese legal translators are found in government and private sector positions. The increasingly global nature of business interactions requires legal documents to be accurately translated to and from Chinese. Both parties need a document to read and sign in their own language.
Medical translation requires extreme accuracy. Chinese translation services are highly valued by hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and more. Medical books and research documents can be translated, expanding the scope of medical knowledge.
Technical translation is a niche for those familiar with computers, the airline industry, engineering, and more. The Chinese technical translator might be dealing with the translation of websites, manuals or other field-specific documents. These jobs can be found in both the public and private sectors. A translator often works as a freelancer and accepts jobs without being employed by a company or government.
The best preparation for a Chinese translator is a broad education and specialist knowledge. A translation agency will look for someone who has a general understanding of the topic in both languages. Fields with specialized vocabulary that are difficult to understand in the source language will require a translator to have a sense of specialized vocabulary in both languages. With a solid understanding of written Chinese, a good education and writing skills, a Chinese translator will be able to find many productive avenues for their skills.
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