Poll: Which aspect of your work as a translator or interpreter do you value the most?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Oct 19, 2025

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Which aspect of your work as a translator or interpreter do you value the most?".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 18:45
Member (2007)
Ingiriisi to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Oct 19, 2025

Being paid for doing all that...

Ines Radionovas-Lagoutte, PhD
CasaPhil
Tom in London
Maria Laura Curzi
 
Zea_Mays
Zea_Mays  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 19:45
Ingiriisi to German
+ ...
freedom and flexibility Oct 19, 2025

I'm my own boss.
If I had to opt for a different branch, I'd still do freelancing.


Susanna Martoni
WolfgangS
 
Ricardo Aries
Ricardo Aries  Identity Verified
Indonesia
Local time: 00:45
Member (2020)
Ingiriisi to Indonesian
+ ...
Transforming the Lives of Countless People Oct 19, 2025

I sincerely appreciate my role as a translator, as it allows me to play a significant part in enhancing people's lives. Whether it's facilitating communication in a bustling international business meeting or helping someone navigate the challenges of settling in a new country, my work serves as a bridge between diverse cultures and experiences. Witnessing the positive impact I have on individuals—watching a professional secure a career opportunity or seeing a family adjust to their new environ... See more
I sincerely appreciate my role as a translator, as it allows me to play a significant part in enhancing people's lives. Whether it's facilitating communication in a bustling international business meeting or helping someone navigate the challenges of settling in a new country, my work serves as a bridge between diverse cultures and experiences. Witnessing the positive impact I have on individuals—watching a professional secure a career opportunity or seeing a family adjust to their new environment—fills me with a profound sense of purpose. In a world that is constantly evolving, knowing that I contribute to making connections and enriching lives is incredibly rewarding. ▲ Collapse


Cecília Alves
 
Gregor Trebec
Gregor Trebec
Slovenia
Local time: 19:45
Ingiriisi to Slovenian
+ ...
Connecting people... Oct 20, 2025

Speaking a language is a must and a knowleadge. Working with different languages is a cherry on the top...

 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:45
Talyaani to Ingiriisi
Why do you need to ask? Oct 20, 2025

Q. "Which aspect of your work as a translator or interpreter do you value the most?".
A. Getting paid.


Gregor Trebec
IrinaN (X)
Gerard Barry
 
Gregor Trebec
Gregor Trebec
Slovenia
Local time: 19:45
Ingiriisi to Slovenian
+ ...
sure Oct 20, 2025


A. Getting paid.


That sums it up.


 
expressisverbis
expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 18:45
Ingiriisi to Portuguese
+ ...
Today? Oct 20, 2025

Dignity, something we’re not being granted enough of these days.
I believe I'm not alone here... Today, many of us share this concern: the sense that professional dignity, respect for our expertise, fair pay, and recognition of our intellectual contribution has eroded in an industry increasingly driven by speed, automation, and cost-cutting.


WolfgangS
Maria Laura Curzi
 
Adalberto Penna
Adalberto Penna
Brazil
Local time: 14:45
Ingiriisi to Portuguese
Making knowledge more accessible Oct 23, 2025

I don't want to sound like an alien, but every human being should seek knowledge. Our lives become much more meaningful once we look past the daily struggles and start learning how and why things work they way they do.

And translating is a big part of it. By making texts more accessible, we, as translators are easing the burden of learning things that come from other countries, cultures and languages. It is nice to sleep knowing that you are making the world a better place.
... See more
I don't want to sound like an alien, but every human being should seek knowledge. Our lives become much more meaningful once we look past the daily struggles and start learning how and why things work they way they do.

And translating is a big part of it. By making texts more accessible, we, as translators are easing the burden of learning things that come from other countries, cultures and languages. It is nice to sleep knowing that you are making the world a better place.

The second best thing is getting paid, haha.
▲ Collapse


 
Gerard Barry
Gerard Barry
Germany
Local time: 19:45
German to Ingiriisi
. Oct 23, 2025

expressisverbis wrote:

Dignity, something we’re not being granted enough of these days.
I believe I'm not alone here... Today, many of us share this concern: the sense that professional dignity, respect for our expertise, fair pay, and recognition of our intellectual contribution has eroded in an industry increasingly driven by speed, automation, and cost-cutting.


At the end of the day, employers and consumers are always looking for value for money. When AI can do an often decent job of more or less instantaneously translating a text at a fraction of the cost (if it costs anything) compared to a human translator, it's to be expected that they'll pick the faster, less expensive but still - at least much of the time - qualitatively good option. It's tough for us translators of course but as consumers ourselves (of food, clothes, transport, etc.) we do the same ourselves every day.


 


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Poll: Which aspect of your work as a translator or interpreter do you value the most?






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