A few posts ago I made a declaration that if somebody was ever to ask me to translate one more Footprint guide, I would tear their heart out and eat it.
Well, I didn't.
Circumstances aside, I once again proved to myself that integrity is not a preferable trait of character in this profession. Even though I still consider translating Footprint guides as a premature damnation for the sins of my youth, I realized that a good translator (understood as a translator able to make a living off translation without the need of taking side jobs such as distributing leaflets or robbing liquor stores) cannot afford too much integrity. In other words, the sole principle a translator should abide by is the lack thereof. You are offered a text to translate, you accept it. And any time you feel like making statements about what you will and will not translate in the future, remember this simple truth: there are dozens of people who would love to take over your job. Their quality may be lower, their efficiency not even close to yours... but they don't bitch about the job. So this is my message to myself: shut up and do your work. And stop deluding yourself that you're something more than a muscle (or head) for hire.
Here's a little something to illustrate the point:
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
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