Can non-English majors become professional translators?

This is the most frequently asked question since I started to talk about translation.

In fact, the level of a translator does not depend on his education or his background. Whether he can become a qualified professional translator depends on his ability and attitude.

Ten years ago, I didn't expect to do conference interpretation today. Even six years ago, I naively said that I would die if I didn't consider simultaneous interpretation.

20 13 after the first translation was put on the shelves, I once wrote a passage, "grinding a sword in ten years-my dream of literary translation", which began like this:

I chose translation as my career because of my love of language and writing. My parents are Chinese teachers and are influenced by their families. I memorized more than 100 Tang poems before going to school, and I began to read big books at the age of nine. I read too many books, have my own ideas, and hate to follow others. I'm too lazy to learn other people's Olympics and Cambridge children's English. I just learned a little ABC from school. When I first entered junior high school, I couldn't even spell hello correctly. Fortunately, I met a very good English teacher. He is our head teacher, so I learned English well.

Looking back on her teaching methods, I think the most useful are three points: listening to tapes, following, reciting texts and doing Chinese-English translation. Under her strict requirements, I laid a good foundation. After class, I learned about traveling all over the United States and increased my vocabulary, so I can talk to foreigners after graduating from junior high school.

/kloc-When I was 0/6 years old, I fell in love with American writer anne rice's vampire novels. At that time, Chinese mainland had not officially published the Chinese translation of this set of books except Interview with Vampires at Night, so I just looked at the original version in a daze and forgot to eat and sleep, and decided to do translation. At that time, I was studying in Zhengzhou No.1 Middle School, which was full of mathematical maniacs. But I'm not good at science and I don't like doing problems. I'm just addicted to literature and art. When I'm free, I like to visit the library of the video store or go to the wholesale market next to the school to buy some comics. I also worked as secretary of the League branch and president of the poetry club for half a semester. Many people in the dormitory know me, because I especially like singing, washing clothes and singing in the water room, washing my hair and singing. At that time, I was like an unrestrained bird, flying around the campus.

By the time I found that all the students around me were studying hard, my grades had dropped to more than 30, so I buried myself in studying hard and even became a little dull. After the division of arts and sciences, my grades improved, and I got the first place in my class in English, but I was still not good at math. The most frustrating time, I asked the math teacher a lesson in the self-study class, but I still couldn't help crying.

For students in Henan, the pressure of the college entrance examination is not generally great. Of the 800,000 candidates in our class, 100 only one liberal arts student can go to a key university. It happened that a son of my mother's friend was admitted to the English Department of Nankai University in Zhengzhou Foreign Languages School, and my parents asked me if you also wanted to transfer to a foreign language.

Zhengzhou Foreign Language School should have been my first choice for the senior high school entrance examination. But at that time, Zhengzhou ranked second in foreign languages and first in No.1 Middle School. With the encouragement of the head teacher and the headmaster, I also followed the crowd into No.1 Middle School (I didn't insist on my personality in this matter, maybe it was vanity). Before that, just in case, I even went to the art special class of experimental middle school (ranked third) and received the admission notice. After all, the teacher who taught me sketch encouraged me to go to the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Finally, because I was admitted to No.1 Middle School, I didn't learn to draw.

Talking about it a few years later, I can't help thinking, what will happen if I study art?

"Don't think too well of another possibility." I am a person who has taken many detours, so I usually comfort myself like this.

After transferring to a foreign language school, the number of English textbooks increased from one to three. In addition to the textbooks compiled by People's Education Society, there is also the original English version of New Concept III and Outlook for the Future. At first, I was very uncomfortable and couldn't keep up with the speed of the teacher's lecture. So I worked hard to recite the text and pestered foreign teachers to speak English every day. After the end of the semester, I got the first place in my class, 140.

But math is still not good. Finally, I took a shortcut by mistake-I didn't take the college entrance examination, but took the small language exam of Beijing Foreign Studies University and was admitted to Bulgaria in advance.

When I arrived in Beiwai, I found that learning Bulgarian was not fun at all. This language is difficult to learn and has a narrow prospect. Many people think that the smaller the language, the better the job. Actually, it is not. The target country is in recession, its connection with China is not very close, and the prospect of natural employment is not optimistic. So I spent a lot of time learning English. Originally from a foreign language school, I have a good vocabulary and like learning languages, so I don't feel hard. Others go to play on weekends, I study IELTS, others study double degrees, I study Spanish, others apply for jobs, others Taobao and I practice listening. ...

My university has become an "unorganized free activity". I don't like textual research, self-study, mixed clubs and internships in enterprises. I just like watching plays, movies, books, exhibitions, writing, meeting people from other departments, and attending some writers' lectures and poetry parties. I have a wide range of interests, but most of them are not lasting. The only thing I insist on is probably writing and learning English. Because of these two advantages, I got a lot of opportunities, such as being a reporter for the college newspaper, the director of the network department of the Beijing International Student News Center, and some bilingual hosts of the party.

These hobbies I cultivated during my college years, especially the friends I made, helped me a lot later.

During my college years, my thoughts also changed several times. Freshman wants to drop out of school, sophomore wants to study overseas sinology, and junior wants to study in Bulgaria for one year. I want to take the postgraduate exam of Chinese as a foreign language. Later, when I saw that the postgraduate entrance examination was so troublesome, I didn't want to take the exam, and I was going to the UK to study translation. Going abroad went well. Studying abroad for two years is an eye-opener. Rather, the biggest improvement is self-confidence.

I remember when I first transferred to a foreign language school in high school, I had lunch with American foreign teachers every day to practice my oral English. Although I may not be his favorite student, I must be the most active. Foreign teachers often have no one to interact with them in their oral classes. I can ask him a question about a class. Now I often wonder, what is the fundamental reason why China students still can't learn a foreign language after spending so much money and time?

20 15-20 16 I edited simulated college English (CET-4, TEFL IELTS) at Beijing Foreign Studies University, and many manuscripts handed in by university teachers were Chinglish. Judging from the questions they edited, I feel that some university teachers are not really interested in the culture behind English. If a foreign language learner doesn't like reading original works, newspapers and magazines, or even watching foreign film and television dramas, it shows that he/she has a rejection of foreign culture in his/her bones. How can he/she learn authentic English?

I can't help thinking that someone in Zhihu left a message under my translation column today: I don't understand what are the benefits of studying for a master's degree in translation abroad? It's better to save money and make yourself better. It is good for girls to find a city with moderate housing prices and save a down payment.

If this person is learning a foreign language, then I just want to say that you have learned it for nothing for so many years. If a person's language doesn't change his cognitive level at all, and he doesn't even know the meaning of broadening his horizons to people, then he is still a frog in the well. What is the significance of learning a foreign language? How can he learn it well?

You may not be an adult after suffering, but you don't want to suffer at all, so it is impossible to live a stable life easily. After the Bulgaria major in Beijing Foreign Studies University was recommended, I went to the English corner to chat with people until ten o'clock every Friday. When I was a junior in Bulgaria, I lost my love, twisted my foot and burned my abdomen. I was isolated because of a dispute of interest. I experienced five months of winter in a dilemma. It often snows a foot deep in winter in Sofia, and it also catches up with the natural gas crisis and strikes. But I also took the bus to class for an hour at the most difficult time, because I think people should stick to something when they are alive.

In Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, China students live in the suburban university town. The dormitory is very old and there are many cockroaches. My roommate watches TV plays every day. In order not to affect her, I often recite the fourth book of "New Concept" in the toilet. In those days, I tried my best not to be depressed or decadent. After listening to more than a dozen English audiobooks, reading Lawrence and Wilde, I applied to attend classes in the English Department and met Ivan, a senior student in the English Department. I told Ivan that I wanted to study translation in England after graduation, but he said it was not easy. You should work hard. That year, I collected information for my graduation thesis and successfully completed my studies.

In my senior year, I applied for the major of Chinese-English Interpretation and Translation in Newcastle University, and Eric accepted me on the spot. I was the first to finish my undergraduate thesis in Bulgarian class, and I was the first to finish the first draft of my master's thesis in England two years later.

During my two years in Britain, I deeply felt the gap between domestic university education and British higher education. I didn't know how to write a thesis until I graduated with merit. I dare not say that I am the best student, but I tried my best. I check every translation assignment at least three times, and I will ask my classmates who are good at English writing or English people for advice on every paper.

I returned to China in 20 12, completed the first simultaneous interpretation in my life and participated in the translation of two books. Up to now, I have translated seven books, almost all of which are works after full-time work. Looking back on the past, those feelings of running to vomit, those loneliness, frustration, pain and tears, wandering alone in a foreign country, not knowing where to go tomorrow, but full of confidence, and those days when I still had a cold and fever.

I started writing the script in June this year, resigned in September and returned to freedom again, and the translation team was formally established. I can proudly say that although I still make mistakes, my partners recognize me and are willing to help me. They are much better than me.

Sharpen a sword every ten years. By 20 17, I have been a translator for ten years. I took many detours and didn't get any amazing results, but I have realized my childhood dream.