So I've been working as a Chinese-to-English translator for nearly 2 years now. And things are going fine, I guess. But since I have the intention to continue working as a translator for the next decade or so, I can't help but want to do everything I can to ensure my longevity in this industry. So I was wondering if I should start studying a third language (Korean or Japanese for example)? And what language should I consider?
I'm not a translator, but I think learning a third language wouldn't hurt, and it can be useful in other situations. For what language...hmm...I think you should look at the type of novels you like to translate and see which language's novels to be more on that side. If you are into Kpop vs Jpop, or Vtubers, or mukbangers; things like that can also help on deciding. For my personal preference, I would say Japanese just because I want to visit Japan but don't have the time (or money) for it.
I think learning a third language is a good thing if u have time and energy to do so. It’s definitely an asset. I would say Korean tho cuz korean novels and manhwas are emerging and i think it will continue to grow so maybe it could help if u want to branch out in the industry? But i would say just choose the language u most incline to because learning with motivation will help you more than just wanting to learn it to trade for stability as you may feel tired overtime. Anyway, good luck to you and may your translating career prosper in long term
If you have the time, then you might as well learn a third language. It'll be useful. As for which one, just choose which one you like more. If you don't have a preference, just use a random number generator or put up a poll.
yeah, well korean is a good language to pick up and very easy learning curve. since it only has so many characters unlike japanese or chinese where there's a lot. with the korean wave still going strong there would be a lot of korean translation for you to do then... like drama? webtoons, and korean light novels which are quite well written. japanese is great too still many things to translate about but I don't know how fast you'd pick it up but since you seem to be a person that knows chinese well already it would quite quick.
Only if you have the time, energy and motivation to do so, because you need to be invested into the country and culture to really learn a language. Maybe Russian? Since Russia's economy is only going to grow larger and China and Russia have a pretty good relationship. You could translate for Russians trying to invest in China and stuff like that.
Since you already know Chinese, it'll generally be easier for you to read Japanese kanji, i think, so there's an edge there if you'd like to learn Japanese. but as the others have said, if you have a particular interest, then Korean is a good consideration as well, if you like doing media like novels and dramas and stuff. Another thing could be to have a, how shall we say, higher certification for Chinese/English? for example, getting accredited to be able to translate more complicated Chinese documents, maybe like legal stuff or literature. That is something I've gained from a friend of mine who works as a Japanese translator (he also knows English and Chinese). So you might want to also see what area of translating you want to focus on. Novels, games, subtitling, etc.
Knowing multiple languages is always a good thing! Not only it looks good on your resume but you also feel good about yourself. But which one would really depend on what you want to translate. Personally, I would choose a language with a not too obscure alphabet. Chinese is my fifth language; I am learning as I translate and... well it's hard. I guess that once you've mastered this one, others would come way easier. Not taking into account whatever you do with your translating skills, I agree Japanese could be a good option. Otherwise I'd probably go with French or Spanish; with the number of novels published each year, it seems more attainable?
Unless you are magically gifted at learning a language, I'd say it'd be better to double down being a great CTL rather than be a jack of all trades. And china is starting to produce more and more stuff that are actually worth a read/watch, so it'd be better for you to specialize than diversify.