A translator’s personality shining through.

Personality. An intriguing word, isn’t it? Does it refer to an innate set of characteristics and values? Is it the result of education, culture and surroundings? In other words, is it nature or nurture, or maybe a combination of both?

One thing is certain. Personality – regardless of how you see it – shines through in what you do – work, hobbies, family life, they’re all influenced by the way you act and interact. By your natural flair, your attitude, your world view.

I’ve realised something very important, something that you should always keep in mind when copywriting, translating and proofreading. A translator’s personality influences his work. You leave your mark on your texts, whether you like it or not. Many of you will disagree, but I’ve come to this conclusion by experiencing it first-hand. Let me illustrate my opinion with an example…

I worked with several translators for four or five years before meeting them in person. We had no contact other than brief e-mail exchanges – no Facebook, no Twitter, not even a photo of each other. The few e-mails we sent were strictly professional and to the point (as in “Here you go. If you have any questions, shoot!”). There was no mention of personal matters whatsoever. That came at a later stage, after we had met in person. We proofread each other’s texts. That was it. I formed an opinion of these people. I imagined how they would be in real life: some bubbly, others arrogant. After a while, I could instantly determine who had translated a text, without the translation agency telling me. I became familiar with their style, with the words and expressions they used, with those little details that made them stand out. The wording of their texts gave away part of their personality, regardless of the subject matter. I’m often told I’m “over the top” and (too) optimistic. A former university professor once said she’ll never forget my smile. Yes, I’m generally a very happy person and I’m sure my texts reflect that. And naturally my style clashes with that of certain translators and vice versa.

When I first met these translators, I was surprised to see that I was mostly right: the translators who came across as arrogant (maybe through the use of pompous expressions?) turned out to be exactly what I had expected them to be. Not because that was the way I had imagined them to be, but when comparing my opinion with that of others, that was my conclusion. Likewise, those who seemed bubbly truly made me smile in real life.

Maybe these are just tricks of the mind. Maybe my subconscious did influence me to a certain extent. Anyhow, I believe that every one of my translations contains some of my DNA and "bubbliness". Beware!