By Lavanya Joshi

Translation since long has been an act of connecting the world and bringing together two different cultures together in order to understand the differences and familiarizing oneself with the similarities. However, in the wake of ever increasing globalization, the world indeed itself has become an inter-connected, complex system where co-operation and co-ordination are the underlying criteria for working successfully. Because of these arising complexities it has become extremely important for the translators to communicate amongst each other to grasp the changing nuances of the world and to further strengthen their interaction and mutual dependency which is the core characteristic of the translation field.

There are two aspect of importance of networking in the field of translation and for the translator. I will be going through both of them further in the article. The first aspect closely links to building up of one’s trusted profile as a translator. You can be an expert of the languages you work in and have an amazing skill set, but working as a translator and to gain employment is much more than that. To be recognized in the field of translation, you have to be well connected. This is where networking plays a very important role and in today’s world where social media has become one of the most affluent platforms, it has not only become easy for someone to advertise themselves but it has also become a necessity not wait for opportunities to arise but to create them for oneself.

The other aspect of networking is closely linked to the changing relationship between the client and a translator. Previously, where the client and the translator mostly were in direct contact, therefore there was a higher trust between the two. However, in the current scenario where there are many other actors in between, there could be a loss of trust for the clients. In this case, if a translator has a better visible networking (this includes being a part of a big organization, being a member of big translation agencies etc.) there is a factor of reliability for the client (as only a good competent translator can be a part of big agencies, or have positive reviews in the social media).

However, what about the security and the reliability of the translator? This is one of the most important question that, we as translators. have to ask. What about our working conditions, what about our laws and demands. Here, team work and working together as one unit plays an important role. Translation, as a profession, has always been undermined; we have always worked behind the curtains and therefore have been subjected to being invisible. But, working together as a single unit, we can make our voices heard and work for ourselves and our rights.  

Modlingua, being the one of the biggest translation agencies of India, in context of all the points that have been discussed in this article, cater to the needs of not only its elite clientele but also helps to build a strong translator’ community. Modlingua, is inclined in serving to not only the needs of the present but also a visionary platform for training the new generation of translators for the future by providing an ever-growing network within this field and even outside. If we look at Modlingua, and the internship it offers, their intense work towards building up of a solid network of translators and of a network within and outside this community more clearly visible.

Explaining the importance of networking and teamwork in the field of translation, the strong networking method and the capability  that the ants show in working together as one unit amongst themselves, can be an extremely relevant demonstration through which we, as a community of translators, could and should learn from. 

Writer Lavanya Joshi is German and English Language and Translation Intern at Modlingua, India's No1. certified translation and Language service providers based in New Delhi