Does Translation Pay the Bills?

Would You Recommend a Career in Translation?

Presenters: George Tokikuni, Masashi Ishikawa

Outline

The long-running economic downturn, globalization of the translation industry and downward push on prices are making it harder than it used to be to make a living from translation. It may be a useful supplementary income, but these are very difficult times in which to support a household by translating alone. The translation industry appears to be going through a major transition period, and we get the feeling that nowadays, even translators with highly specialized knowledge are struggling to make a living.

Topics such as translation tools have all been discussed at length at JAT events and IJET conferences, yet the fundamental question of whether it is even possible to earn a living as a translator in these times, seems to have been given hardly any consideration at all at such gatherings.

Is translation viable as a business from which you can make a living? What should translators do if they are to support themselves or a family by translating? Presenters George Tokikuni and Masashi Ishikawa will use their experience in patent and financial translation as the basis for a discussion of these questions with the audience. They welcome the participation of translators at all levels, from beginner to veteran, who make not just a supplementary income, but who currently earn a living from translation or hope to do so in future.

Presenter Profiles

George Tokikuni

George Tokikuni graduated with a science degree and worked in circuit design for nine years at an electrical manufacturer before turning to technical translation. Currently his main work is English translations of patent applications, specializing in electronic engineering and computing.

Masashi Ishikawa

After working as a translation coordinator at a translation company, Masashi Ishikawa went into financial translation at foreign-affiliated securities and asset management companies. In 2002 he established his own specialist financial translation company.