Many people studying at high school in linguistics, they wonder about the profession of translator. This is the third most popular humanitarian profession after lawyer and journalist. But few people know where there are faculties for the specialty “Translator” and where to go to work after receiving a diploma.().

So, as for educational institutions that have the specialty “translator”, these are only universities. If you are studying in college, then you can transfer to a university or institute from the third year, but only this option is 100% paid.

Where to go to study to be a translator

It is possible, of course, to enroll on a budget, but only after finishing 11th grade and passing the Unified State Exam.

The most famous higher education educational institution, which trains translators, is MGIMO. The competition there is very high and it is almost impossible to enroll on a budget, but the cost of training is from 200 to 350 thousand rubles.

At MSLU the competition is simpler. Having scored 85 points on the Unified State Exam, you can count on the budget.

You can also try to enroll at Moscow State University. Lomonosov, but for this you need a rich portfolio and the most highest mark on exams.

And of course, almost every major city has an institute of foreign languages. Each competition is different, but it will be easier to get into it than into the leading universities in the country.

More chances of successful employment

If your decision to become a translator is already clear, then decide WHAT kind of translator you want to be.

Advice: if you choose a language and prefer English, then think 10 times, because the rarer the language you learn, the greater your chances of successful employment.

So: interpreter or translator? Interpreters are the most rare, as they require verbal skills, quick response and communication skills. But because the profession is highly paid. There are consecutive interpreters here - these are those who interpret at international negotiations. And there are synchronous ones - these are those who translate films, etc., but here knowledge of the language must be at the highest level, and speaking skills are the same as speaking skills in their native language.

As for translators, you can choose any direction, be it literary translation or legal translation. Having chosen a direction, you can start looking at a place of work.

You might be interested.

What do translators study and where do they work?

Competitions for foreign language departments sometimes consist of 10 or more people per place, many strive to become translators. In 2007, the competition for the translation department of the Russian State University for the Humanities was 11 people per place, at Moscow State University - 10 people, at the Moscow Institute of Foreign Languages ​​and Moscow Linguistic University - a little less.

Interesting and not the most intense years of study await those admitted and good company- a cheerful contingent gathers at the linguistic faculties. But what awaits them after graduation? Most likely, students will even learn a foreign language quite well, but no matter how fluently a person speaks a foreign language, no matter how long he has lived in a language environment, this does not mean at all that he can be translator. Just as not everyone who can write is a writer. It is not enough just to correctly understand information in a foreign language - you need to be able to process it and present it in another language.

"English translator I dreamed of working back in school,” says Tatyana, a second-year student at Moscow Linguistic University. “I haven’t decided on future profession, but I think that knowledge of foreign languages ​​(and most importantly - English) will make me in demand on the labor market,” says Alena, a student at the Dubna University near Moscow. Both Tatyana and Alena chose English language, since that is what they studied at school. However, if the girls talked to experienced recruiters, they might be disappointed.

"Demand translators from European languages in Moscow it is falling, but in the provinces it has always been low,” explains the general director recruitment agency Brightmen Recruiters Mikhail Levshin. - Rare languages ​​are in demand, and young professionals with knowledge English or French in the labor market there are many times more than there are vacancies." "We have orders for translators, but usually companies are looking for specialists with work experience,” adds Olga Chervyakova, territorial director of the recruiting company Kelly Services.

Difficulties translators

It is clear that different types translation require different abilities and temperament. Interpreter must be able to collect himself: his task is to convey information as completely and immediately as possible. It is unlikely that he has the opportunity to rummage through dictionaries or consult with specialists. Qualities required interpreter, - resourcefulness, the ability to overcome gaps in one’s knowledge with the help of common sense and general erudition. Plus artistry, the ability to transform into a speaker, without which it is difficult to convey all the information to listeners.

If simultaneous interpreters abilities are often affected consecutive interpreters to store in memory a five-minute fragment from a speaker’s speech in order to later present this fragment in another language, then the ability simultaneous interpreters speaking at the same time as the speaker obviously leaves everyone else in awe.

Still considered the highest caste simultaneous interpreters- people who are able to translate on the go. In Moscow, such specialists are paid 100 thousand rubles a month or more. Their services are required for international conferences and government events. This is the pinnacle of my career translator, which only a few can climb.

On the other hand, one should not expect a miracle translator will translate oral negotiations with equal quality, and then carry out written negotiations in one breath translation. It is also not easy to be a master in written translations. But it's equally good to do translations of literary texts And technical instructions- an almost impossible task. Qualified technical translators most often specialize in one fairly narrow area. Advertisements like "I'm doing technical, legal, economic, medical translations, as well as any other texts" cause distrust among professionals: it is extremely doubtful that such translator can really do a good job.

Good technical translators V best case scenario can count on a salary of 50 thousand rubles per month. Oil and gas companies create some demand for these specialists, but such vacancies are few and far between. Besides technical translators must have an excellent knowledge of industry vocabulary - moving to work for a company in another industry is very difficult. Even if a layman, at the expense of common sense and good knowledge grammar will understand a completely new situation for himself, then without knowing the necessary terminology, he will not be able to convey his understanding to a specialist reader. And the consequences can be the most dire. After all, if the "hard disk" translated from English calling “hard disk” instead of “hard” will just make you smile, but if you translate in an algebraic article from English"prime ring" with the words "primary ring" - and not "primary", then this will make the statement of the theorem incorrect, since the "primary ring" also exists, but corresponds English"primary ring".

Legal translators required legal companies and legal departments of large companies. Kelly Services recently had a vacancy for such a specialist. The requirements for knowledge of terms here are even higher; lawyers always need one hundred percent accurate translation. The salary is the same 50,000 per month, vacancies appear rarely, and they would rather hire an experienced worker than a graduate.

Most often, graduates have to do written translations- as a rule, these are one-time orders. Similar work is available in publishing houses and in any companies with foreign partners. The starting salary of such specialists in Moscow, if there is a permanent place in the state is 15 thousand rubles - not a lot by capital standards.

Where should I transfer?

There are two professions in which a graduate can retrain translator has the greatest chances. An opportunity for girls is to become an assistant to the head of an enterprise if he has to deal with foreigners. An option for young people is to get a job as a sales representative.

Igor, a graduate of the Moscow Institute of Foreign Languages, knowledge languages(English, French, Spanish) allowed me to work as a sales representative in Russia for foreign clothing brands. Igor is looking for buyers in our country, concluding contracts and organizing deliveries.

Although in modern business, a university specialty often does not play a big role in employment. If you have a head on your shoulders and energy, you can make a career in almost any field. For example, the co-owner of the Promsvyazkapital holding, billionaire Alexey Ananyev, and the managing director of the Kit Finance company, Leonid Bershidsky, once graduated from the Moscow Linguistic Institute. And the leader of the LDPR party, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, is a graduate of the Institute of Oriental Languages ​​at Moscow State University.

In the parable of the Tower of Babel, God, wanting to punish people for their pride, forced them to speak in different languages. And this parable is not only about the fact that pride is a bad quality, but also about how important it is to understand each other. The issue of mutual understanding has arisen especially acutely recently. And here translators come to our aid - people who know foreign languages ​​and work so that peoples begin to understand and respect each other.

In the parable of the Tower of Babel, God, wanting to punish people for their pride, forced them to speak different languages. And this parable is not only about the fact that pride is a bad quality, but also about how important it is to understand each other. The issue of mutual understanding has arisen especially acutely recently, when we began to acutely feel that people speaking different languages ​​are becoming closer and closer to each other every day. And here they come to our aid translators– people who know foreign languages ​​and work so that peoples begin to understand and respect each other.

Of course, in order to understand the meaning of what was said or written by a foreign colleague or friend, you can use the appropriate dictionary or electronic translator. But with its help it is impossible to capture all the nuances and details of a text or story, which ultimately can contain very valuable information. After all, a professional “live” translator conveys not just a literal translation of a set of phrases, but also the specifics of the translated text, taking into account the peculiarities foreign language.

It seems to you that there is nothing complicated in translator's work no, and is it enough to just learn one or two foreign languages? You are wrong! In the professional activity of a translator there is a huge amount of specific features, because of which this profession is available only to a limited number of people who demonstrate curiosity, linguistic abilities and the desire to constantly work on the “purity” of speech. Want to know more about these features? Then read this article carefully.

Who is a translator?

A translator is a highly qualified specialist whose main task is high-quality and the most complete written or oral translation of speech from one language to another.

The name of the profession is a tracing paper (literal translation) of the Latin translatio - to carry something, to convey something. In other words, representatives profession translator conveys the meaning of what is said in a foreign language. In Rus', translators were called interpreters (tolmach is a Slavic word, related to the word “interpret”, “interpreter”). This profession arose at a time when people realized that they spoke different languages, but they needed to communicate. Most likely, this was the period of the early states, when it became obvious that contacts without an interpreter were impossible.

Today there are three main types of profession: technical translator, translator of fiction and simultaneous interpreter. Please note that a technical translator does not deal exclusively with texts of a technical nature. This title rather reflects the essence of the work rather than its content. Most often, this is an employee of a translation agency who deals with texts of various types.

A translator of fiction has higher qualifications. Conveying the style and figurative structure of the author of literary texts is not an easy task, and such translators themselves must have artistic talent. Among these people there are great translators, for example, Tatyana Shchepkina-Kupernik or Mikhail Lozinsky, who discovered Shakespeare and Hugo, Dumas and Schiller for the Russian reader.

Finally, simultaneous interpreter is a person who translates online oral speech. It is generally accepted that only a highly qualified translator can become a simultaneous interpreter. Why? Yes, because a synchronized interpreter must not only know a foreign language perfectly, but also have a good reaction, speak his native language at a very high level, and also have the makings of a diplomat. After all, he has to very quickly carry out not only an accurate, but also the most diplomatic translation. That is why there are quite a few simultaneous interpreters, and their work is paid very highly.

But if we discard the lyrics and formulate a generalized list of professional translator's duties, then it will look like this: written translation of documents and literature, oral translation (including numbers and simultaneous), support for foreign citizens, unification of terms, improvement of definitions and concepts according to the topic, etc.

What personal qualities should a translator have?

The professional qualities of a translator are determined by his activities. And above all, the translator must have an excellent memory, constantly expanding his stock of foreign words and knowledge of the language. For example, in a rich and beautiful Chinese about 84 thousand hieroglyphs, commonly used 30 thousand, and the most necessary ones - 10 thousand. It is quite natural that a person who does not have a good memory will simply not be able to remember such a volume of information. Besides, professional translator must have the following personal qualities:

• Analytical mind;
• patience;
• accuracy;
• responsibility;
• communication skills;
• stress resistance;
• attentiveness;
• competent and clear speech (both written and oral);
• neatness and visual attractiveness (not required, but encouraged).

The translator's specialization also places certain demands on the specialist. For example, translating fiction is unthinkable without a “feeling for the word,” an understanding that the word is the same tool for a writer as paint is for an artist or notes for a musician. It is also necessary to have an excellent sense of style, an impeccable command of the Russian language and an understanding of art. In turn, reaction, diplomacy, and the ability to quickly respond to emergency situations are important for a synchronized interpreter. Knowledge of the basics of psychology is also important for such a translator.

Advantages of being a translator

Translators have a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the whole world, with the most different cultures, with the traditions and customs of states through language. This opportunity endlessly expands a person’s cognitive capabilities and can be called one of the main advantages of the translator profession. One of the main ones, but not the only one.

Since the translator’s profession is an intellectual one, developing a person’s mind, memory and attention, specialists in this field are almost always distinguished by their erudition, which allows them to feel some superiority over other people.

The specificity of the interpreter's work is such that the interpreters can be people with disabilities. Moreover, the latest achievements of science and technology make it possible to carry out interpretation (including simultaneous) without leaving home (for example, through free software Skype).

And most importantly, the work of a translator, as a rule, is highly paid (according to statistics, the average monthly salary of a translator in Russia is about 50-60 thousand rubles). Moreover, good translator protected and cherished, because the success of negotiations, speeches and communication at various levels depends on his efforts and knowledge of the language.

Of course, the salary level largely depends on the qualifications of the specialist and the language he speaks. In particular, on more high level salaries can be calculated by translators of rare or complex languages(for example, Japanese or Chinese), as well as specialists who studied the language not only according to the university curriculum, but also lived among native speakers (that is, they are familiar with the features and nuances of the language first-hand).

Disadvantages of the translator profession

Disadvantages of the translator profession connected with high degree employment and irregular work schedule. This is especially true for simultaneous interpreters, whose working day entirely depends on the working hours of the parties requiring the services of such a specialist. And the services of a synchronizer may be needed late at night and on weekends/holidays.

Despite the high level of payment, a translator is not always able to immediately receive the money earned by his honest work. Quite often the client makes payment after a few days. It is also necessary to take into account that on the professional path of translators, sometimes there are unscrupulous clients who may not pay at all for the services provided to them (mostly freelance translators face similar situations).

High psychological stress from the consciousness of one’s own responsibility (after all, multimillion-dollar contracts and good neighborly relations of states sometimes depend on the quality of translation), as well as the constant need to respond quickly during simultaneous translation can cause enormous fatigue and stress. That is why the professional disease of translators is considered to be “chronic fatigue”.

Where can I get a job as a translator?

If you have demonstrated strong linguistic abilities since childhood, or for a long time lived in another country, then you can start working in the profession even after completing language courses. However become a translator high class with great prospects career growth possible only after graduating from a prestigious university. At the same time, it is advisable not just to get a diploma Russian university, but also to provide for the possibility of postgraduate practice abroad.

To the best linguistic universities Russia, whose graduates are in demand for modern market labor not only among domestic companies, but also enterprises with foreign news, include:

• Moscow State University them. M.V. Lomonosov;
• Peoples' Friendship University of Russia;
• Russian State Humanitarian University:
• Moscow state institute international relations;
• Moscow State Linguistic University.

IN modern world It is impossible to live without communication. This is why translators do not lose their popularity; on the contrary, this profession is gaining new facets and sides and is becoming more and more in demand. Now you can find such specialists in the field of IT technologies, software, in the entertainment industry and many other places, in addition to traditional areas.

The work of a translator directly depends on his focus and experience. Exists whole line qualifications that are different from each other:

1. Linguist. Often, a specialist of this profile can boast of in-depth knowledge of the structure of a language, while mastering two or more at once. Many universities produce such professionals.
2. Technical translator. This is a specialist who independently (or forcedly) chose a very narrow specialized area. For example, pharmacology, mechanical engineering. In his path, his knowledge is in demand, but he is not always good in general topics.
3. Business, business sphere. Legal, competent speech in foreign languages ​​is highly valued today.
4. Often, the document translation industry is taken separately from the previous paragraph.
5. Literary translation. Such specialists work with literature, magazines, and personal correspondence.
6. Oral translation. Such specialists are in demand, as they are very high requirements. Not every person can perceive speech by ear or even translate it simultaneously.

Where to apply to become a translator

It would seem that in order to become such a professional, you need to go where there will be at least something related to foreign languages. This is not entirely true, although there are indeed many options for applicants in Russia. You can gain knowledge of the translator profession in the following specialties:

• translation and translation studies;
• linguistics of foreign languages;
• philology;
• international relationships;
• foreign language pedagogy;
• oriental studies.

But if you want to be a translator and quickly find a job, then it is better to choose from the first three points.

What exams and in what form do you need to take to become an English translator?

Experts say that it is best if you want to get a profession in demand, to strive to get into the department in English. This is due to the fact that it is the most common and universal in the world. But if you feel that your soul is drawn to other languages, the algorithm is not much different.

To become a linguist or translator, you need to pass the following Unified State Exam subjects:

• Russian language;
• English language;
• literature and history (optional);
• mathematics.

Please note that today the Unified State Examination is conducted only in four foreign languages:

• English;
• French;
• German;
• Spanish.

Therefore, if your dream is to translate from Danish or Arabic, it is better to immediately check with the university what exams they offer. It is likely that you will still have to take General English instead. For Scandinavian languages ​​this is often German.

In addition, it is the foreign language that makes the main decision on enrollment. It is logical that the requirements for mathematics or history here are not too strict. But if you translate the grade into the usual five-point scale, then in many universities even a “4” is not always a guarantee that you will pass the budget.

Experts say that you need to prepare for admission at least a year before the exams. Knowledge of a foreign language must be impeccable, first of all this concerns grammar and vocabulary. The Unified State Exam tests speech perception, understanding, writing, and reading.

Additional requirements and personal qualities

You should not become a translator simply because this is now one of the most in-demand professions. Knowledge here is not easy; during the learning process you will have to read a huge amount of literature, not in your native language, learn or at least at a basic level master many languages ​​and dialects that will not be useful in the future. In addition, a real translator, of course, must love his profession, because this is the only way to sit and work on one text for hours and days. A future specialist must have the following qualities:

• predisposition to languages. Not every mind is capable of being flexible and receptive to other people's speech;
• good memory and the desire to develop it. In linguistics and philology, a lot depends on the ability to quickly remember large areas information;
• excellent diction. Particularly important for interpreters. The slightest inaccuracy and you will be misunderstood;
• communication skills. When working with languages, you have to communicate a lot with people, voluntarily and involuntarily;
• perseverance. A huge part of the time the translator sits and works on the text;
• self-discipline - directly related to the previous point, because organizing your time and forcing yourself to concentrate on the text can be difficult.