Translation is an incredibly competitive field.
Translation service companies abound on the Internet, freelance translators are a dime a dozen, then there’s machine translation, translation clouds, translation crowdsourcing, and everything else in between.
You’re going to need to be at the top of your game to carve out a commercial space for yourself!
Include this tip in your translation toolbox:
Read The Original Source Document Before Translating
There’s a good reason for this seemingly obvious piece of advice, which to most translators is just another job that needs to be done and, generally, give it no more than a cursory glance.
The simple act of reading the original document before jumping in puts you in the author’s frame of reference. It will enable you to pick up on the author’s style, which you’ll be able to emulate when it comes time to translate. This is important because the resulting Japanese translation will come through as genuine and natural. In other words:
Your translation will become an extension of the author’s work, you’ll be lending your linguistic skill to the author’s style. Is this not the hallmark of professional translation?
Now, this may seem like a lot of work -- Professional translation is a lot of work! But, the pay-off will be many fold, as measured by repeated requests for your translation services and never ending referrals of new clients.
Successful professional Japanese translators all have a toolbox of tricks. Include this tip in your translation toolbox.