Translator’s OCD

I have a confession: I have a serious form of OCD – Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Before I leave my house I check that the iron is switched off three times, despite knowing fully well I haven’t used it in a fortnight. I also feel the desperate need to triple-check that the water heater is off. I have good reason to do so, considering it has exploded twice in the past five years, flooding the entire corridor and damaging everything from expensive shoes to valuable books.

Unfortunately my obsessive behaviour doesn’t end there. You guessed it, my OCD shows its ugly head in my little office corner as well, forcing me to strategically place my mug twenty centimetres from my Mac, on the right side of my desk, never on the left. But there’s more… Translator’s OCD is also:

1.     Checking a translation not twice, but three to four times to make sure you haven’t forgotten any paragraphs. Or commas. Commas are always a struggle.

2.     Opening your text just one more time after you’ve attached it to your e-mail only to realise you didn’t like that word in the title after all. Time to start all over again!

3.     Going back to the original e-mail from the client five minutes before the deadline to make sure you’ve translated the text into the right language. Usually a waste of time. Usually, not always.

4.     Fretting over capital letters in titles. I don’t like them. But sometimes I do like them. No, no, I really dislike them. You get the picture.

5.     Worrying about having typed gibberish. That Lady Gaga song is so addictive. Help, did I accidentally include any of the lyrics in my text?!

The list goes on and on. The OCD messes with your head. You feel you need a break. So you decide to go for a walk to clear your mind, only to find yourself hurrying upstairs after two minutes to stare at your iron. It’s a vicious circle.