Help creating translator portfolio

[buzon_henrique]

Greetings.
Since I have no experiences yet, I'm thinking about doing some translations just to show on my portfolio. My doubt is if I can use educational youtube videos for this.

Also, when translating an article, do i need to keep the formatting text and images from the original? If so, which is the simplest way to do that?
Thanks.

[petra_r]

Henrique, you are a loooong way from needing to worry about your portfolio, you need to complete the rest of your profile first.

In general, you can only put things in your portfolio you have the right to use. You can not just "borrow" an article someone else wrote and translate it, let alone take any pictures and republish them (even in a portfolio.)

I am also very concerned that you say you have no experience yet you offer legal and medical translation which is never, ever, under any circumstances something a newbie should attempt. Do you even begin to comprehend the potential consequences of even a small error in a medical translation? Or a legal one?

Are you actually a translator? (Rather than someone who speaks two languages, which is by no means even remotely the same?)

[boshoffirene]

Although I do not offer translation services on Upwork (there is no point, as the other language I am 100% proficient in has a very ... very...small client base here) I DO so happen to do translation work for one or two clients outside of Upwork (and no, I did not find them ON Upwork, I have been doing translations for them for YEARS)......but...and this is a pretty big but...The translations just so happen to be in a field in which I am very experienced. Just jumping in and offering translations in every field under the sun is not a very good idea. General translation work is fine, I suppose. But when it comes to specific areas implying a certain amount of expertise...nah. I would not dream of translating something relating to IT, for instance. It would be a right royal &^^%$ up.

[buzon_henrique]

Thanks for the tip, Irene, i will be sure to look for general translations only.

If upwork is not the right place to start and find clients, could you recommend something else?

[versailles]

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@Henrique B wrote:

If upwork is not the right place to start and find clients, could you recommend something else?

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Charities. They don't pay, but they give you the opportunity to build some skills and to help others who are in need.

And a library. You'll find books about translation that you need to read. Then, in a year or two, when you have actual skills to sell, you come back.

[buzon_henrique]

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@Rene K wrote:

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@Henrique B wrote:

If upwork is not the right place to start and find clients, could you recommend something else?

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Charities. They don't pay, but they give you the opportunity to build some skills and to help others who are in need.

And a library. You'll find books about translation that you need to read. Then, in a year or two, when you have actual skills to sell, you come back.

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Two years to learn how to do general translation? Come on, it can't be that complicated, **edited for Community Guidelines**

[petra_r]

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@Henrique B wrote:

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And a library. You'll find books about translation that you need to read. Then, in a year or two, when you have actual skills to sell, you come back.

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Two years to learn how to do general translation? Come on, it can't be that complicated, **edited for Community Guidelines**

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 You sound like the kind of person who owns a scalpel and thinks that makes them a surgeon...

[jr-translation]

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@Henrique B wrote:

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@Rene K wrote:

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@Henrique B wrote:

If upwork is not the right place to start and find clients, could you recommend something else?

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Charities. They don't pay, but they give you the opportunity to build some skills and to help others who are in need.

And a library. You'll find books about translation that you need to read. Then, in a year or two, when you have actual skills to sell, you come back.

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Two years to learn how to do general translation? Come on, it can't be that complicated, **edited for Community Guidelines**

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No, when studying translation the first two years focus on how to use a dictionary and learn the languages you want to translate. Speaking a language does not mean you really know it and understand how it works. The translation itself starts in the third year.

[AveryO]

Hi Henrique, 

When creating your profile, it has to represent your work, skills, and experience on a specific job category. Your portfolio section should also be projects that you have personally worked on, are related to any or all of your skills, and should adhere to all of Upwork’s Terms of Service. 

Here's a great guide on how you can setup your profile.

[buzon_henrique]

 Petra, if I were already a translator, I think I'd have something to show, would not I? Why would I be translating something just for the portfolio?

I know that my profile is not even 1% complete, I created the account just so i could post the questions here. Of course i am not going to go out there sending proposals like this, it would be a waste of time.

About the medical and legal translations, thank you, i will be sure to remove that from my profile.

But like i said, my questions are about the portfolio, what should i translate?

[buzon_henrique]

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@Avery O wrote:

Hi Henrique, 

When creating your profile, it has to represent your work, skills, and experience on a specific job category. Your portfolio section should also be projects that you have personally worked on, are related to any or all of your skills, and should adhere to all of Upwork’s Terms of Service. 

Here's a great guide on how you can setup your profile.

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 Hi Avery,

I understand, I've already found a lot of information in the guide and I believe I already know basically everything I need to start filling out my profile.

My only doubt is in relation to the portfolio, I would like to know if I can translate an educational youtube video and display. Also, where could I find an article to translate and display without infringing copyright?
The people here seem to answer everything except my questions 

[AveryO]

Hi Henrique, 

Unfortunately, I don't have enough background in translation to be able to give you any concrete tip about this job category. I would suggest that you read up as much information on the job category as you can to be able to start your freelancing business. 

Please also know that we have Community Guidelines in place, and I would request that the guidelines be followed when posting in the Community. Thank you!

[reinierb · Accepted solution]

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@Henrique B wrote:

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@Avery O wrote:

Hi Henrique, 

When creating your profile, it has to represent your work, skills, and experience on a specific job category. Your portfolio section should also be projects that you have personally worked on, are related to any or all of your skills, and should adhere to all of Upwork’s Terms of Service. 

Here's a great guide on how you can setup your profile.

---

 Hi Avery,

I understand, I've already found a lot of information in the guide and I believe I already know basically everything I need to start filling out my profile.

My only doubt is in relation to the portfolio, I would like to know if I can translate an educational youtube video and display. Also, where could I find an article to translate and display without infringing copyright?
The people here seem to answer everything except my questions 

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Here's an answer for you; go to Gutenberg.org, download any book that takes your fancy and translate a couple of pages from it. These books are all free of copyright and you can basically do anything you want with them, including selling them. 

However, when you do anything with a book from this site, such as translating them and posting the translation anywhere, you have to include the very lengthy and complicated licence terms that came with the download, so be sure to also translate and post the licence terms in your portfolio. This will give you experience translating legal texts as well, so for you, it's like killing two birds with one stone.  

[buzon_henrique]

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@Reinier B wrote:

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@Henrique B wrote:

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@Avery O wrote:

Hi Henrique, 

When creating your profile, it has to represent your work, skills, and experience on a specific job category. Your portfolio section should also be projects that you have personally worked on, are related to any or all of your skills, and should adhere to all of Upwork’s Terms of Service. 

Here's a great guide on how you can setup your profile.

---

 Hi Avery,

I understand, I've already found a lot of information in the guide and I believe I already know basically everything I need to start filling out my profile.

My only doubt is in relation to the portfolio, I would like to know if I can translate an educational youtube video and display. Also, where could I find an article to translate and display without infringing copyright?
The people here seem to answer everything except my questions 

---

Here's an answer for you; go to Gutenberg.org, download any book that takes your fancy and translate a couple of pages from it. These books are all free of copyright and you can basically do anything you want with them, including selling them. 

However, when you do anything with a book from this site, such as translating them and posting the translation anywhere, you have to include the very lengthy and complicated licence terms that came with the download, so be sure to also translate and post the licence terms in your portfolio. This will give you experience translating legal texts as well, so for you, it's like killing two birds with one stone.  

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 Finally, someone who has something usefull to say. Thank you so much. I appreciate

[jr-translation]

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@Henrique B wrote:

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@Avery O wrote:

Hi Henrique, 

When creating your profile, it has to represent your work, skills, and experience on a specific job category. Your portfolio section should also be projects that you have personally worked on, are related to any or all of your skills, and should adhere to all of Upwork’s Terms of Service. 

Here's a great guide on how you can setup your profile.

---

 Hi Avery,

I understand, I've already found a lot of information in the guide and I believe I already know basically everything I need to start filling out my profile.

My only doubt is in relation to the portfolio, I would like to know if I can translate an educational youtube video and display. Also, where could I find an article to translate and display without infringing copyright?
The people here seem to answer everything except my questions 

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No, as a general rule everything (books, music, videos, games) is protected by copyright until 70 years after the death of the creator. But there are exception as well.

[kochubei_valeria]

All,

This thread has been closed from further replies. Please, be mindful of the Community Guidelines and respectful toward other members of the Community when posting on these boards.

Thanks you.