That's what Billy Crystal used to say. And you really are. I don't mean that as a compliment; it's certainly not flattery, as I have no reason to flatter you. It is simply the plain and simple truth. You are a work of nature just by being you, just by having your native language and having learned a second language or even a third or fourth allowing you to translate. That is a tremendous feat in itself.
Getting back to your native language: it is something that you learned effortlessly in a way that you won't be able to learn any other language the same way or with the same proficiency. Yes, there are people who claim to have two native languages, but one has to be stronger than the other, because you can't be in two places at the same time.
In addition to this, I suppose or assume that if you have found this blog, you probably have secondary education at minimum and also a university degree, which is commonplace for we who translate. This means that you can read and write at a level that allows you to translate and enjoy the boundless cache of resources that language lovers thrive on.
The third, and perhaps most challenging component is being able to find the link between both languages — crack the code, go beyond the literal meaning, quash cognates, get down to the nitty-gritty and engage in the alchemy that necessarily transforms text in one language into that of another.
I can't give you an explanation of how I do what I do. I just do it. Translating can be pulling words out of a hat and joining them like you would puzzle pieces. This cannot be pulled off by just any bilingual person.
So, my hat goes off to you (If you prefer, not the same hat out of which the words were pulled.), whether you are just making your first baby steps into the world of translation or you are a seasoned hand, like some of the ranch hands on City Slickers featuring Billy Crystal.
So I guess what I want to say, beside the fact that you are marvelous, you are AMAZING. Keep up the good work!
Comentários