Tuesday 11 July 2017

Translation and minimalism: On learning and growing

The minimalist lifestyle is not an end point: it is a process.

It is a learning experience: you learn what you value the most, how to reduce clutter, and consequently how to be much happier! It isn’t always easy, but it’s definitely fun and worthwhile.

Minimalism sets you off on a journey. You identify what is truly essential to your life and what you can live without. It is about constantly challenging yourself. And in the course of this journey, you become more individual and flexible. Minimalism enriches your life and gives you a chance to grow.

Minimalism sets you off on a journey


The same applies to translation: translation is not an end point, it is a process.

From the day you venture out into the world of translation, it is a learning experience: you constantly pick up new, fascinating aspects of translation and language as you go along. A colleague of mine once remarked that she loves translation so much because she learns something new every day.

Translation sets you off on a journey. You constantly have to challenge yourself: by digging deep into grammar technicalities; by absorbing feedback from revisers; by having a go at new types of text. And on this journey, with time, you become more flexible. Translation gives you a chance to grow.

All this isn’t easy, but it’s definitely fun and worthwhile.