“To excel in translation, ‘industry experience’ is absolutely crucial.“
– Interview with HY Cho, a translator with 30 years of experience across various majors and industries –
Today, we’re sharing the story of HY Cho, a translator who has studied abroad in the USA and the UK, and explored majors such as Business Administration, Law, Physics, and Humanities. With 30 years of real-world industrial experience, HY Cho’s insights promise to be invaluable. Let’s delve into the insights of HY Cho from BeringLab. 😊
Q. Before you became a professional translator, what was your academic and professional background?
A. Before I became a translator, I worked in various industries, which provided me with a wealth of ‘industry’ experience. Aside from actual work experience, I have a keen interest in various fields and studied majors like Business Administration, Law, Physics, and Humanities. My first job was at a ‘building materials production company’, followed by roles in the ‘B2B’ sector and ‘consumer goods’ industry. My diverse industry background has greatly influenced my work in translating commercial documents.
Q. How did you start your career as a professional translator?
A. I have been in professional translation for 30 years now. Considering my diverse educational background, industry experience, as well as international living and language skills, I felt well-prepared to embark on a career in translation. Initially working on translation projects as a side gig while employed, I moved to the countryside 15 years ago and began living life as a full-time translator.
Q. It seems you’ve had extensive foreign living experiences. Do you think these experiences significantly impact your translation work?
A. Yes, I studied abroad in the USA and the UK from my teens into my thirties and completed degrees in Law and Business Administration. This international exposure is crucial because knowing a field of study does not necessarily equip you to translate languages perfectly. The subtle nuances and language barriers can be a challenge. Many colleagues studied Law in Korea and pursued postgraduate degrees abroad, and they too have experienced the ‘language barrier.’ Especially in translating legal and business documents, clarity in language is key to producing accurate results.
Q. Given your diverse academic background and work experience, you must handle a wide spectrum of document categories. What types of documents do you generally work on?
A. Besides translating business-related documents, I work on translations in the fields of machinery, IT, and legal documents, covering a broad spectrum of subjects
Q. What is your typical process for carrying out a translation task?
A. Personally, I start translating right from the beginning (laughs). The concept of ‘first draft’ seems vague to me because I prefer to begin the translation process outright. After completing the initial translation, I check for any spelling or grammatical errors, then read through the document several times, revising and proofreading as necessary.
Q. One of the distinguishing features of BeringLab’s premium translation service is the ‘review by professional translators.’ What do you consider most important in the review process?
A. Capturing the ‘nuance’ and ‘intent’ of the original author is crucial. In BeringLab, where we often handle legal documents like ‘witness statements,’ these are primarily written in informal language. If not translated considering this style, the translated document can end up misrepresenting the original intentions. Especially with witness-related documents, which are typically processed by lawyers from oral testimony, understanding the intentions of both the ‘witness’ and the ‘lawyer’ is essential for the translator.
Q. BeringLab also operates the Bering AI translation service to save resources for translators. How has your experience been using this service in your work?
A. For documents containing standardized words or sentences, machine translation can provide clear translations, helping to cut down on resources. However, for official document requests, most originals are poorly structured, making it challenging to rely solely on machine translation. These documents absolutely require a professional translator’s touch.
BeringLab offers a variety of business and legal document translations through its BeringAI and BeringAI+ services, which combine high-performance AI with expert reviews to save resources and provide services that are three times faster and 40% cheaper than competitors.
Currently, over 130 law firms both domestically and internationally, along with various global corporations, actively use our services.
Experience the high-quality professional translation of BeringLab, trusted by the nation’s top law firms, with documents directly reviewed by attorneys. Contact BeringLab for more information.
