Translating Without Computers is a Thing of the Past

Thirty years ago, one of the most prominent newspapers in Brazil published a story in which I described how "Everything that I achieved in my profession was because of the computer." I explained how I enhanced my computers to increase performance and that my clients wanted their jobs printed in color.

What has changed from 1993 to 2023?

Very little when it comes to attitude and a lot when it comes to technology.

In the article, I mention top-of-the-line computers that today would be less potent than a Fitbit. I talk about cassette tapes and a library of 600 dictionaries (that would eventually reach 3,000). None of that is part of any professional translator's toolkit today.

The journalist points out that I decided to use computers in 1984, "to prove to the Brazilian Translators' Union members that it is possible to be well-paid in the field of translation." Plus ?a change, plus c'est la même chose.

I have seen much change in almost 40 years of using computers for translation, but the industry professionals' reactions always seem to be the same. We are always on the verge of extinction; we are always underpaid; we are always exploited by the big guys. And this time, the threat is real!

As it was with the fax machine, the computer, the internet, the translation memory, and machine translation.

And now it is Generative AI.

I may be na?ve, and I may be wrong, but as an early adopter (yes, I spent over one thousand dollars on Google Glass), I know that some professionals who are curious and entrepreneurial will come out of this cycle of accelerated innovation and change with more money than the majority.

Just as we don't use typewriters, dictionaries, cassette tapes, fax machines, Palm Pilots, Dictaphones, Walkmans, the work of the translator or the LSP will change dramatically. Just like thirty years ago some translators made more money than others, and today some translators make more money than others, tomorrow will be the same. As Communism is dead, we need to deal with the reality of living in Capitalist societies, where inequality is du jour. (If you are interested in an interesting discussion that I had in 2012 with the late Miguel Llorens on this topic, read it here ).

We need to keep in mind that our industry has always been dynamic and diverse, because it permeates every single type of human and economic activity. Not every type of content needs quality, not every translator needs to be the best, not every subject requires extraordinary talent or training, and there is always going to be professionals that are better positioned to sell themselves and others who struggle to make ends meet (just like in every other profession).

Earlier this month I was part of a panel at a conference in Bologna, Italy, and one of the attendees asked what kind of advice would I give to an 18-year-old coming into the market today. My answer was: "Learn to learn, because by the time you finish studying something, it is already obsolete!"

During the same conference, someone mentioned my earlier article about the MT Sommelier and asked me to propose some other titles for people in the near future of our industry, and these are some of the ones that I came up with:

• Translation Memory Masseuse
• Prompt Consultant
• Bias Editor
• Transcreation Producer
• International Privacy Guardian
• Algorithmic Justice Manager
• Digital Nudging Specialist
• Accessibility Adapter

Hey, in 1993 I would have not imagined that titles like Multilingual SEO Specialist, LocLunch Ambassador or Multimedia Localization Producer could exist some day. So don't judge me!

Below is a Google Translate English version of the original article in Portuguese. It is somehow funny, but it is impressive that it was done on an image and in just a few seconds.