Freelance translation work can be a very lonely pursuit, as many Spanish-English translators can attest. But the Internet is rich with resources for translators that include community and assistance with translations. This week the Transpanish blog will highlight three forums for translators that offer both help with translations as well as camaraderie and discussions about larger translation issues.
ProZ.com’s KudoZ Forum and General Forum
ProZ is an authoritative forum and job search board for translators working in hundreds of different language pairs. On their KudoZ forum, registered users are able to ask questions about tough translation terms and receive answers from other ProZ users. The person who asks the question is then able to rate the answers based on how helpful they were.
At the entry page to the KudoZ forum, a user is able to refine the questions posted by language pair, and Spanish-English appears as a “major pair” on the right-hand side of the screen. The site breaks down the questions into two categories: non-Pro (meaning any bilingual person could answer) and Pro (a question requiring specialized translation knowledge). For Pro questions, you must log on to post.
ProZ also has an extensive community forum where users can discuss the finer points of linguistics, issues with translation memory software, and the ins and outs of being a freelance translator, along with many more topics.
To resister on ProZ.com, start here. Members can use many site features, but to have full access to everything they offer, you must upgrade to a paid membership.
Word Reference’s Dictionary and Forums
In addition to an excellent online dictionary, Word Reference also has a forum for questions about Spanish-English translation terms. In fact, when you search Word Reference for a word or phrase, the search engine also pulls up anything similar that’s been discussed on the forum.
The site is easy to navigate and you don’t need to register to browse the forums. You will need to register to post. The Spanish-English forums are at the top of the community page, and the sub-forums include General Vocabulary, Grammar, Specialized Terminology (further broken down into subcategories), and Resources.
The interface between the online dictionary and the translation forums is extremely helpful. Many knowledgeable bilingual Spanish-English speakers post, though the forums are less geared towards professional translators than ProZ’s.
Translator’s Café Terminology and Discussion Forums
The Translator’s Café site is also geared specifically toward freelance translators, and has many of the same features that ProZ boasts. You can post questions about difficult terminology at their TCTerms portal. You may search for language pair and further refine your results by specialization.
The Café has an extensive menu of sub-forums for freelance translators to discuss many topics related to the freelancer’s life and career.
To start using many of the free features, click here to register. As a Master Member who can access all features, you will have to pay to upgrade.
I have to second your thoughts on the forums at wordreference.org. This is a great website for both beginning and seasoned translators and I recommend that anyone doing translating should bookmark it right away because you’ll use it all the time.
Focusing on Proz.com is still the best option for Spanish translators