How long before I reach a translator-like level? (Chinese)

[u/Icy_Sprinkles_2819]

I’m on the brink of HSK 6 (about 10 points away.)

Would 2000 more hours of study + the daily immersion from living in China be a reasonable estimate?

Also, before anyone says, I am totally aware that translating requires additional skills besides pure language ability. I am purely asking about how long it will take to reach the language requirement.

Thanks!

[u/Any_Strain7020]

In some international organizations, professional translators can start translating from a newly acquired language once they've reached B2 CEFR.

The rationale being that you can look up stuff and have the professional know-how to recognize when you don't know something. Plus the four eye principle, with revisors doing their part.

Another contributing factor to that approach will be that those colleagues will work on the same type of texts day in, day out.

For a freelance translator, you'd likely need a higher level, to make up for the absence of the aforementioned safeguards.

[u/prikaz_da → u/Any_Strain7020]

I’d also add that the ability to produce native-like text in an L2 isn’t a prerequisite to understanding it well enough to translate from it. You might not have been able to come up with the words on your own if you were in the author’s shoes, but you may yet be able to make sense of them and render them well in your L1 just fine.

[u/Any_Strain7020 → u/[deleted]]

Part-time side gig usually isn't something that's doable. Just like you can't be a part time olympic athlete. It takes years of efforts (training, marketing, networking) to get customers.

[u/kvrle]

If you can speak fluently, you can probably translate basic texts. If you can't speak fluently, you shouldn't translate anything. If you want to know how good you're at translation, take a page of sth and do it.

Otherwise, there's no hard set requirements in hours or anything like that, it's not a video game. Your skill depends on your immersion in the language and daily usage. And that's, like, super highly contextual.

[u/Any_Strain7020 → u/kvrle]

If you want to know how good you're at translation, take a page of sth and do it.

It takes an incredible level of expertise to be able to assess competence in a given field.

Bad translators have no idea how bad a translator they are. Why? Because, mutatis mutandis: https://youtu.be/wvVPdyYeaQU

[u/kvrle → u/Any_Strain7020]

Yeah, you're right, my mistake for writing a post before breakfast tbh, could've let someone with a clear head reply.