If I have a degree in liberal arts, can I still work in translation?
Why not? If one posits that one of the most important skills a translator needs to have is the ability to read and write (more on this in a moment),
then a liberal arts degree makes you uniquely qualified to work in the translation profession. And when I say read and write, isn’t that a bit insulting to the profession? Not at all. A good translator is a good writer in their native language, which should be the target language for any translation they do. And a good translator is also a good reader in their source or original language, i.e., they understand the language well enough to understand the nuances of expression and interpretation in what they are reading. Both of these abilities, minus any linguistic aspects, are at the core of a good liberal arts education, particularly if you add in the ability to think about texts—another skill that can only help you in translation.-By Adriana Tassini
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