Life & Language: Learning to Say “No”

It can be hard to admit a shortcoming. Some folks simply don’t like to say, “I can’t.”

Even though writers, editors, linguists and other grammarians or wordsmiths are artists, they also deal in details.

Sure, translation is an art. But it’s probably fair to say that we’ve all had to approach a task—be it translation-related or otherwise—that requires us to access the detail-oriented aspects of our brain.

And for a freelance writer or linguist, work opportunities ebb and flow, as you know.

Consequently, saying “no” to a large scale (and potentially lucrative) project due to lack of subject knowledge can present a conflict.

Translators who take leaps out of their areas of expertise—especially on those large projects—can do harm both to themselves and their clients. That’s why we want to encourage all of you to use that short, scary word: “No.”

It is perfectly fine to admit that you are not comfortable with a job’s content; in fact, we would rather you turn down a job than tackle one that is completely unfamiliar to you.

Here are some things to consider before venturing out to new subject matter:

• Feel free to pursue a job outside of your comfort zone, but maybe start with a smaller one—700 to 1,000 words, let’s say.
• If a project manager describes a job opportunity to you and you immediately feel uncomfortable with the subject matter, maybe ask to view the file before saying “yes.”
• If you do decide to translate something that is out of your typical realm of knowledge, allow yourself plenty of time. If a project manager suggest a three day turnaround, maybe say, “I’m sorry, but I’m still acclimating myself to this content matter. Could I return the translation in five days instead?”
• Project managers can often negotiate deadlines with clients (this is not usually the norm, but it never hurts to ask). As a linguist, you have the right to know when the final product is due and; therefore, you can ask a PM to extend a deadline (although, since we’re in this together, please try to do this sparingly).
• If and when you stretch yourself, please use the tools made available to you. For example, say you’re delving into legal translation for the first time. Please be sure to use a term base to establish a consistent “legalese” (MemSource has a built-in term base feature. It even highlights specific terms so you can’t miss them).
• Lastly, even though you are all professionals with experience and formal education in translation or linguistics, always be sure to use the free (and quality) resources: Linguee (linguee.com), each respective language’s standards resources (Real Academia Española, rae.es, is the Spanish version, for example) and, of course, the freelancer’s best friend, PROZ.

Translate on, friends. We appreciate you all.