蒙特雷国际研究院(Monterey Institute of International Studies,MIIS)作为美国在语言和国际政策研究方面最有学术声誉的专业研究院而得到广泛认可和赞誉,目前是世界上最好的三所翻译学院之一。《翻译、口译和本地化管理方向的学习者应如何为未来做准备》一文是蒙特雷给翻译、口译和本地化管理学习者的十条建议,让我们一起来学习下。
1. Read extensively, especially in your non-native language(s).
广泛阅读,尤其是非母语内容。
- Read high quality newspapers (e.g. the New York Times, Wall Street Journal) EVERY DAY for at least a year.
每天阅读高质量报纸(例如:《纽约时报》、《华尔街日报》)且至少坚持一年。 - Read high quality news magazines (e.g. the Economist), cover to cover.
逐页阅读高质量新闻杂志(例如:《经济学人》) - Read your favorite topics in your non-native language(s).
阅读感兴趣的非母语内容 - Read other well-written material that will help broaden your general knowledge.
阅读能够扩展视野的优秀作品
2. Watch the TV news and listen to radio news and podcasts on current events in all working languages.
观看多语时事新闻、收听多语新闻广播和音频节目。
- Don't just listen to news stories; analyze them.
光听新闻故事是不够的,要学会分析。 - Keep abreast of current events and issues.
跟上当前形势,及时了解信息。 - Record news programs and interviews so you can listen to them later.
录制新闻节目和访谈内容以便重复收听。
3. Strengthen your general knowledge of economics, history, the law, international politics, and scientific concepts and principles (in that order).
依次强化自己在经济、历史、法律、国际政治、科学概念和原理方面的知识。
- Take college-level courses, review high school texts, etc.
学习大学阶段课程,回顾中学课本等。 - Strengthen your knowledge in a specialized field (preferably in a technical field, such as computers).
强化某个领域的专业知识(最好选择技术领域,如计算机方面)。
4. Live in a country where your non-native language is spoken.
在非母语国家生活。
- A stay of at least six months to a year is recommended.
建议至少生活半年到一年时间。 - Live with and/or frequently interact with native speakers of your non-native language.
与当地人生活在一起或者经常与当地人交流。 - Take content-related courses (e.g. macroeconomics, political science) in your non-native language (not just pure language courses).
学习用当地语言讲授的课程(例如宏观经济、政治科学),不要只学习语言类课程。 - Work in a setting that requires high level use of your non-native language.
在一家对当地语言能力水平要求很高的单位工作。
5. Fine-tune your writing and research skills.
提高写作技能和研究水平。
- Take challenging composition courses (not just creative writing courses, but classes in journalism, technical writing, etc.) so you can “speak” journalese, UNese, legalese, etc.
学习有挑战的写作课程(如新闻写作、技术写作课程,而非创意写作课程),从而学会新闻用语、法律用语,甚至说官话等。 - Copy (by hand) sections of textbooks and periodicals in your non-native language(s).
手抄非母语课本和期刊中的内容。 - Make a note of unfamiliar or troublesome grammatical points and work towards mastering them.
遇到不熟悉的或有难度的语法点要做笔记,并且要努力掌握。 - Practice proofreading.
进行校对练习。
6. Improve your public speaking skills.
提高公开演讲的能力。
- Take rigorous speech courses and/or join Toastmasters (www.toastmasters.org).
学习严谨的演讲课程,加入一个名为“Toastmasters” (www.toastmasters.org)的网站。 - Practice writing and making presentations in front of other people in both your native and foreign language(s). (Have native speakers of your non-native language edit your speeches.)
在他人面前使用母语和非母语进行写作练习并现场展示,吸取母语人士的修改意见。
7. Hone your analytical skills.
磨炼分析能力。
- Practice listening to speeches and orally summarizing the main points.
尝试聆听演讲并口头归纳重点。 - Practice writing summaries of news articles.
尝试撰写新闻文章的概要。 - Practice deciphering difficult texts (e.g. philosophy, law, etc.).
尝试解读复杂文本(例如哲学、法律文本等)。 - Practice explaining complicated concepts understandably.
尝试将复杂概念解释得通俗易懂。 - Identify resources for background research (e.g. library, Internet, etc.).
识别背景研究所需的各种资源(例如图书馆、互联网等)。
8. Become computer savvy.
精通计算机操作。
- Familiarize yourself with navigation and file management under current Windows operating systems (most of the software tools used in the localization industry today are not compatible with the Apple operating system).
在Windows操作系统下熟练浏览和管理文档(目前在本地化行业中使用的大部分软件工具与苹果操作系统不兼容)。 - Develop an understanding of the features Windows offers for multilingual processing, such as language-specific keyboard layouts, regional settings for units of measurement.
了解Windows操作系统所包含的与多语言处理相关的功能,比如针对特定语言的键盘布局、计量单位的区域设置等。 - Learn to use advanced functions of Word, Excel, and other Microsoft Office applications in both your native and non-native languages.
学习使用Word、Excel以及其它微软Office应用的高级功能,熟悉这些应用的双语界面。 - Become an expert in search engines and online research by using these tools on a daily basis.
每天使用搜索引擎和在线检索工具,成为这方面的专家。
9. Learn how to take care of yourself.
学习如何照顾自己
- Eat sensibly, exercise regularly, and get sufficient sleep. These are all habits required of a good translator/interpreter.
合理膳食、坚持锻炼,并保证充足的睡眠。这些都是一位优秀笔译员或口译员应该具备的良好习惯。
10. Be prepared for lifelong learning.
为终身学习最好准备
- Be patient. Bringing your language skills and analytical skills up to the level required of a professional translator or interpreter is not a task that can be accomplished in a few short years. Only with a lot of sustained hard work can anyone truly succeed in these challenging and exciting fields.
要“Hold”住自我。要练就一身扎实的语言技能和分析能力并成为一名专业的笔译员或口译员并不是短短几年就做成的事。在这个充满挑战、令人振奋的行业里,唯有锲而不舍方能大展宏图、一显身手。