Describe yourself professionally in a few lines.

I am an ITIA professional member and Certified Italian-English translator with a CIOL Dip. Trans. I am also a member of the CIOL and The Translators Association of the Society of Authors.

I have worked as a full-time translator and interpreter for approximately 25 years. I mostly translate books/articles on architecture, art and design. At the other end of my spectrum are business/legal documents and advertising.

I have been a business/court/police interpreter since the 1980s.

When and why did you decide on a career in translating/interpreting?

Anecdotally, at infant school. I used to tell other children’s mothers at the school gate that when my (Belfast-born) mother said “wee” she actually meant small.

Languages have always fascinated me and I wanted to live abroad. By sheer coincidence, I ended up in Italy, teaching English, for three months and stayed 25 years, gradually moving into translating and interpreting.

Name the most important thing you did that helped you launch your career.

Going to live in Italy. It is hard to have a thorough grasp of a language without spending a great deal of time where it is spoken. I became a partner in a translation agency which was like doing an apprenticeship. I learnt much of what I know the hard way from a more experienced Italian colleague. We worked for a local publisher of travel guides, which is how I came to specialise in architecture, art and design – all of Italy is an open-air museum – and we gradually added more publishers to our list of clients. My court interpreting career had a colourful start. Nigerian prostitutes were frequently being arrested and the court needed an interpreter so they asked me. It was quite heart-breaking at times as the girls believe they are going to work as maids but are forced into prostitution on arrival. They all have children back home and have no means of escape. Acid was thrown in one girl’s face when she informed so the police stopped pressing the girls for the names of gang-leaders.

How important are training and qualifications for a career in translating?

Hugely important but so is working with more experienced colleagues. It is a never-ending learning process. An ability to write well in your target language is just as important as your grasp of the source language.

It can be a lonely profession for freelancers so I recommend joining professional associations and doing CPDs to meet colleagues. You must be extremely disciplined when working from home and sit down at the computer at the designated time. I do mainly rough drafts in the afternoons and keep the mornings for final revisions when I really need to be fresh and focused.

How do you find clients?

I have had many of my clients for 20+ years and most have come to me via word of mouth. Publishers do not look in the Yellow Pages or online, they ask around in the business for someone with a reputation for being good, fast and reliable – all hugely important qualities. One thing leads to another in this profession if you make sure you always do a really good job. It may seem time-consuming and unprofitable but it’s an investment for the future. It does all come together eventually. I know a good English copy editor in Italy and we recommend each other for jobs. I also translate papers for upcoming court cases in the UK.

Do you think it is necessary to specialise?

Every translation requires specialist knowledge – even a business letter – so my answer is yes – but the main specialisation is learning the translation technique. Specialising in certain areas means you become faster and there may be more demand for your skill. For interpreting, you either specialise or do a lot of homework before certain assignments.

What is your favourite type of text/assignment?

One that teaches me something! Apart from architecture etc., I have translated books on Ancient Egypt, Archimedes, fine-art restoration and a whole host of subjects. In these cases, I avail of expert consultancy. I am the translation expert and they are experts on a particular subject. Yes, it is time consuming but you learn so much, it’s like doing an accelerated course in that field. I also find it helps enormously to read texts on a subject while doing a translation as you develop an ear for it. Architectural texts are particularly difficult to translate because architects think in pictures and often struggle to put their ideas into words. You have to really delve deep into their heads. I am also always aware that Italian is an abstract language and English is very concrete, and I am translating for the reader.

What is the best/worst thing about being a translator/ interpreter?

For me, the best thing about both is that jobs are always varied and never tedious. I also find them extremely satisfying – I remember translating a testing theological book years ago and, after endless revisions, thinking that the result was like a miracle because on first reading I thought it was an impossible task. On the downside, that job paid the same as a book my Italian colleague was translating called “Sex, Ask me Anything…” and she flew through it.

The worst thing is working to deadlines although they do focus the mind. Without one, it is hard to reach a cut-off point – you are constantly rereading and changing things.

Interpreting takes me into all worlds – from business meetings to court and custody suites. I have been sent out on a helicopter to a stricken sea vessel with an Italian engineer and boarded ships going in search of really stormy weather to certify inflatable lifeboats…

The “worst” part of business interpreting is accompanying clients to expensive restaurants, especially in Italy. You never manage to eat anything as someone is always talking and the interpreter is either listening or speaking and all the while mouth-watering dishes are being served…

Is it possible to have a good standard of living?

Absolutely, although for freelancers it helps initially to combine translating with another occupation. Translating isn’t really profitable for the first few years as it takes time to become good and fast enough to make it pay.

What advice would you give someone thinking of embarking on a career as a translator/interpreter?

You have to love it and be in it for the long haul. Aim for quality and, in time, you will become good, fast and in demand. If you aim immediately for quantity to make money, you will become fast but not good – which is no use in this profession.

Forge a relationship with your clients, trying to meet them at least once in person rather than just being a name in their email box. Ask them questions about the job and go the extra mile if they are in trouble (without becoming their slave!). If they feel you are on their side, working with them for the best results, they will return.

On a technical note, sift every single word of the source text. Mistakes occur when we don’t question our immediate understanding. Luckily, Google Translate can’t get inside a writer’s head yet…. Secondly, double check everything. You’d be surprised how many writers make fact.