Further Notes on Translation

So, most people who grow up speaking two languages tend to feel that they are experts in both. In fact, they are experts neither in their 'native' tongue nor in their 'acquired' one. But as translation tends to be an individualistic enterprise, there is nothing which really checks people or stops them from making outlandish claims. Also, there is nothing that stops people from practicing as translators. So, they bite the dust only when they enter the professional sphere, where the grain is separated from the chaff. This is a problem which is acute in countries such as India, which are also plagued by the problem of cheap labor and where people out to make a fast buck look at translation as a lucrative alternative.

Undoubtedly, translation is a lucrative alternative but then so are many other employment opportunities pretty lucrative. One might as well become a movie star, which is a lot more lucrative than being a translator but people don't try their luck there because there is too much competition, whereas, anyone could claim to be a translator.