Mediocre Translators = High Salaries

You may not like it, but it just goes to show you that all are not created equal in the translation industry. An article from the Shanghai Daily says that

"A big problem is that payment and translation quality don't match," said Lu Gusun, dean of Fudan University's college of foreign languages and literature and vice director of the Translator's Association of Shanghai.

So someone in China has realized that translators are not always treated fairly. Well, I think every translator I know could have told you that.

So why is it that some translators are able to make more than others even when they have the same (or even less) ability than another translator? Well, I think the real reason has to do with the fact that freelance translators do more than just translate. The most important thing they can do is market themselves. Two translators with the same skills will not earn the same amount, but rather the one who is better at marketing will earn more (both in terms of the number of jobs, and what they can charge).

 

Powered By Qumana