As a translator there are many things you have to be aware of. These are a few that I encounter.


1)Fluency: As a translator, you should be fluent or close to fluent when taking on the job. Otherwise your product will suck. Being fluent doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to have a degree in the given language, though it helps, but rather whether you are able to comprehend the given language to the fullest. What I mean by this is, understanding everything being said, suggested, and written in the given language.

2)Culture awareness: Grasping the whole picture is a must, and knowing the culture is a major point in being a translator other than just comprehending what’s being presented. Since every culture is different, there are times where you just can’t translate it into the target language. When this happens, it’s best to give a translator’s note to clarify the point or word. This will help the viewer understand the cultural difference much better.

3)Yodalingo: For those who have translated before probably would agree with me on this. Whenever one translates, it usually is never perfect the first time around. It’s in what I call, “yodalingo” form. Basically it’s almost a literal translation of the given language. Now, in the editing stage, this is where you need to make this “yodalingo” into a more “native lingo”. This could be the hardest part of the job of the editor if he/she doesn’t have an understanding of the given language.

4)Cross over: Double checking the translations is a must. After the script has gone through the editing stage, the next step is to check to see if the main content has been lost in editing. Everybody knows what happens when a language is lost in translation, right? So the translator should go back and check the newly edited script and make sure what has been changed is feasible.

5)Approval: After everything is checked and okay to release, it is then encoded and uploaded to the internet.

6)Fans: After the product is circulated through the internet, fans will drop a line or two to give feed back. This is where you find out if your hardwork had paid off or not. If you did a good job, you are then rewarded with showers of many thanks. (You never know how rewarding a simple thanks is until you actually experience it yourself) On the other hand, if you did a sucky job, then you need to figure out what went wrong and try better the next time. Try not to stress over it too much though, since this is fansubbing after all. If you don't enjoy what you do, then there's no sense in doing it at all. Right?