Translators in the City (#xl8city) has, sadly, come to an end. The series of articles focused on six of the metropolises that translators live and work in, and sought to find out why translators choose to set up in the cities that they do.
It also juxtaposed the views of eighteen contributors who were born in the featured city where they have built their business and those who chose to move to the city. So what did we discover about each of the cities?
Berlin has a former airport right in the heart of the city that is now a vast green space, perfect to get away from the desk for a quick walk. History is a major selling point for translators, with the legacy of Prussia and Bismarck, the “Cabaret” era, the Third Reich, the Second World War, the division of Berlin, reunification and the creation of a modern, united city all in one place. There's also a monthly literary "translation lab" and an annual translation talent contest called Translation Idol. Thanks to Katy Derbyshire (@KatyDerbyshire), Sarah
Fisher (@SarahWordNerd) and
Susanne Schmidt-Wussow (@frenja).
London offers a good choice of cheap or even free CPD opportunities, seminars and networking events, which are great for translators who are just starting out and don’t have a lot of money to invest in paid-for seminars or conferences. There's the advantage of being in the same location as hundreds of multinational corporations, which can be great for a translator's business. Thanks to Natalie Pearlman (@Nat_translator), Sílvia Slocombe (@LanguageOwl), Ana Sánchez (@astratrans) and Valeria Aliperta (@rainylondon).
Madrid has an array of lush green parks dotted all over the city, which serve as opportunities for translators to relax, and even provide some inspiration for business ideas. Something quite unique to the city is its network of bibliometros: free mini-libraries situated in around a dozen Madrid Metro stations, perfect for the translator on the go. Thanks to Sara Bueno Carrero (@buenocarrero), Herminia Páez Prado(@traducinando), Ana Rubio (@meowTRAD) and Lourdes Yagüe (@LYMtraductora).
Brussels is the “Capital of Europe” and at the same time a village. It retains a cosy town feeling while actually being a cosmopolitan city and capital of a country with three official languages. Traditionally underrepresented in the translation industry, things are on the up with regular Tweet Ups held in Brussels. Not to mention the advantage of being in the same city as the EU's Directorate General for Translation.Thanks to Emeline Jamoul (@EmelineJamoul) and Raphaël Toussaint (@Muelleflupp).
California is technology heaven, and translators in San Diego can benefit from super-fast broadband and superb technical infrastructure. The city's location, right on the Mexican border means makes it a practically bilingual city and opens up a whole different world of CPD events. Thanks to Maryam Abdi (@Maryam_Abdi), Rafa Lombardino (@eWordNews) and Juan Dávila-Santiago (@jdavisan).
BARCELONA
Barcelona is linguistically fascinating city because of its two languages in everyday use: Catalan and Spanish. The city also does well in terms of translation events, with two professional organisations APTIC and MET based there. St. George’s Day in Barcelona is a day when translators as well as authors can be seen on stalls around Barcelona, marking the festival of the patron saint of Catalonia and World Book Day. Thanks to Judit Izcara (@dramacanpatatas), Simon Berrill (FB: SJB Translations) and Maia Figueroa (@maia_figueroa).
And what have people been saying about Translators in the City?
I really hope that you have enjoyed this multilingual journey and that it has provided an insight into how our urban surroundings affect how we work as translators. There have been nominations for host cities should Translators in the City be back for another series. But keep your eyes open because if Translators in the City does return, it could be coming to a city near you!
Barcelona is linguistically fascinating city because of its two languages in everyday use: Catalan and Spanish. The city also does well in terms of translation events, with two professional organisations APTIC and MET based there. St. George’s Day in Barcelona is a day when translators as well as authors can be seen on stalls around Barcelona, marking the festival of the patron saint of Catalonia and World Book Day. Thanks to Judit Izcara (@dramacanpatatas), Simon Berrill (FB: SJB Translations) and Maia Figueroa (@maia_figueroa).And what have people been saying about Translators in the City?
I really hope that you have enjoyed this multilingual journey and that it has provided an insight into how our urban surroundings affect how we work as translators. There have been nominations for host cities should Translators in the City be back for another series. But keep your eyes open because if Translators in the City does return, it could be coming to a city near you!
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