충북대학교신문방송사

How did you start to translate?
I was ready to do translations. Chances are sure to come to everybody at least once. People who are not ready miss a chance or even forgo it, and I grabbed my chance. I have enjoyed
writing, watching movies and learning English since I was young. I have good knowledge of movies because I have often watched movies, and I studied English steadily transcribing English dictionary. Then one day, an acquaintance who was working for a fi lm company, proposed to me
to work as a translator, and I accepted it. As the saying “The law of 10,000 hours” goes, if we are ready at all times, we can grab a chance no matter when the chance comes to us.

The status of translators in Korea
Translators couldn’t receive good treatment in the early days. The pay was so low and
translators had to endure it. However, the conditions, like the pay or social recognition,
have recently improved. The fi lm distribution companies realized that translations greatly
infl uenced commercial success, and translators steadily tried to translate more accurately.
These situations helped cinema audiences have an interest in translators.

Things that translators should possess
Stephen King emphasized reading many books and writing a lot in his book ‘On Writing’.
People who want to be translators should follow what he said. Diverse information and cultural features are involved in movies, and knowledge to understand them is gained by reading and writing steadily. The most important element is Korean language skills. It doesn’t mean English is not important. What I want to say is that we need to put Korean before English. The poorer the Korean skills, the less accurate the translations. Additionally, a translator should be a
copywriter. Translators have to make subtitles as short as possible due to the attributes
of movies. Therefore, translators need an ability to use languages sensibly to convert
original text into Korean style text while they condense it.

Translators are second writers
Some people say I changed the meaning of the original text by translating too liberally. I don’t agree with them. Translators should convey the key points, which are connoted in the text, as well as just translate English into Korean. That is why I translate the movie liberally though literal translation is an easier way. In addition, movies are not only art but also business. Therefore, translators have a duty to make high-quality translations.

Method to be a VIP
We need to be creative to be VIPs. V.I.P. means a ‘Very Imaginative Person.’, not a ‘Very Important Person.’ The humanities are the greatest mentor to develop creativity. Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, and Leonardo da Vinci: these are all maestros of the humanities. Studying humanities makes people think creatively, and fi nding creative solutions makes people imagine. It is a process of enlightenment. In conclusion, I want to recommend students to read diverse
genres of books all the time.

A comment to people who want to be translators
Success depends on yourself as with all other jobs. If we are ready, we will be on the successful
track. If not, we will have diffi culties. In the building named ‘Success’, there are no escalators,
only stairs. I don’t recommend being a translator if you want to be treated as courteously from the beginning.

By Kim Seung-hwan
sh31@cbnu.ac.kr