METM18 presentation 

A translator’s decalogue


David Cullen, Barcelona, Spain 

If you had to sum up in a 10-point bullet list the best practices that every translator needs to bear in mind, what would make your list?
 
As a project manager, over time I’ve gradually built up a shortlist of key questions that I think translators should take into account when working on their translations. This talk is based on that shortlist and identifies around 10 key factors that can help ensure that translators do their best work. The list arose from the need to outsource the translation of texts, ranging from research papers to press releases, for a Catalan university. It focuses on practical aspects of the translation process: what jobs should we take on and what should we take into account once we do. It is a work in progress and designed to spark debate, rather than lay down any laws. The talk aims to be light in tone while looking at serious issues that can negatively affect our work. The underlying question is: what makes a good translator?
 
This session will allow both seasoned pros and those starting out to reflect on their practice, on what is important to them, and why.

About the presenter

David Cullen is a translator and project manager. He was born in Northern Ireland and raised in Leeds, and has been living in Barcelona for the last 20 years. After stints in hospitality, language teaching and freelance translation, David is now taking care of the translations into English at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC).