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Reliable Translations, Inc.
4th Quarter 2014 Translator Spotlight

Reliable Translations, Inc. is  certified by the City of Glendale, CA.  


Reliable Translations, Inc. acknowledges Kathy for making it to our 
4th Quarter Translator Spotlight.  She was Translator of the Month for 
October 2014.  Great job, Kathy!

(The following feature was originally issued as part of the October issue of our monthly newsletter, LanguageConnect , and is being re-issued here).

 

TRANSLATOR SPOTLIGHT
Kathy:  A prolific linguist, artist and athlete

Kathy was born in Hong Kong and moved to the U.S. when she 
was 17.  She learned to speak English at an early age by learning the words to The Beatles songs.

"Although I grew up in a Chinese-speaking family, my father was a big Beatles fan, and I remember him teaching me the words to many of their songs before I even learned my ABC's," she says. 

Her early education in British schools and her upbringing in British-influenced Hong Kong signified what would turn out to be a life-long relationship with the English language, though the British accent did not last long.  

She says, "Having been in the habit of watching American movies almost daily as a way to improve my English, it didn't take me long to lose my British accent after coming to the US."

Kathy has since graduated from UCLA with a double major in History and Political Science and has come a long way to become one of Reliable Translations' top linguists.    Here's an interview with Kathy and her valuable tips on producing impeccable, quality translations.

Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Hong Kong, moved to the U.S. when I was 17, and graduated from UCLA at 20.

 

I went to a British school (K-12) until I attended university. However, having been in the habit of watching American movies almost daily as a way to improve my English, it didn't take me long to lose my British accent after coming to the U.S.


I used to be terrified of public speaking, so in high school I joined the debate team to help overcome that fear. The team I was on never lost a debate, and I also went on to receive 1st place in a Public Story Telling contest held by the Hong Kong Schools Music and Speech Association. (I wouldn't say that I've "overcome" my fear of public speaking, but at least I've learned to manage it.)


I practice Chinese brush calligraphy, and am in the line of a family that can write an obscure Chinese script dating back to AD 321.

 

I started playing piano at age 8, and by 16 earned a Diploma from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.


 
What activities do you enjoy?

I love the outdoors, and spend a lot of time hiking in the mountains/forest with my husband and our dog. Recently I've begun running, and am training for a half marathon in April.   I'm also an avid reader, and some of my favorite books are: A Tale of Two Cities, The Great Gatsby, Narcissus and Goldmund, On the Road, 1984, Life and Death are Wearing Me Out, Ishmael, The Omnivore's Dilemma, Eat to Live - among many others.


 

      


_____________________________________________________________________ 

Kathy practices Chinese brush calligraphy.  She comes from a family 

lineage that can write an obscure Chinese script dating back to AD 321.

________________________________________________________________________________
 

 

How long have you been translating? What got you started/motivated you to become a professional translator?

My father speaks 5 languages, and apparently some of his interest in languages rubbed off on me. I began giving free Chinese lessons at a community center in San Francisco when I was 18, and that evolved into offering my services as a translator. Shortly after graduating from UCLA, I was hired by a publisher to translate a 6-volume bestselling science fiction novel called The Grave Robbers Chronicles (somewhat of a Chinese "Harry Potter").


 
What is your favorite subject/field to translate?

Novels, biographies, and nutrition related material. Translating something that I find interesting is great, but learning about something new is always good as well.


 
In your 3+ years translating for Reliable Translations, we have NEVER found any mistakes in your translations. This is about as likely as running a unicorn over!What would be your top three suggestions for other translators so that they too can have perfect translations?

There's a process that I go through when translating:

 

One, if time permits, I always read through the entire document before I start translating. This gives me an overview of the material, and helps define the correct context for vocabulary consistency.

 

Two, if the topic isn't one I'm familiar with, I try to do some research and read up on the subject that I'm translating. This is usually a simple matter of going online and reviewing news articles. That also helps with selecting appropriate vocabulary.

 

Three, first draft is the bulk of the translation work. Second draft, I go through and check for typos. Third time around, I read it aloud to make sure everything flows naturally.

 

Any other translation or interpreting tips you can share with us?

Another tip I would have is that all translators should have at least one very good dictionary. For interpretation, I highly recommend keeping a journal of new vocabulary that you notice your client(s) using. If specialized terms are used once, they're very likely to come up again.

 


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