Nick’s road to translation began in high school when he began studying Japanese. While living in Sapporo after college, he took his love for the language one step further, translating real estate documents for Australian ski lovers. Nick now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and works from nearby Sausalito, with a particular fondness for the challenges of legal translation.

We met up with him for a chat, coffee and translation tips.

Which languages do you speak? Why/how did you learn them? How do you maintain your proficiency?

Japanese and English. I started studying Japanese in high school and just never stopped. I keep up with current events by watching the news and discussing events with my Japanese friends.

How did you become a translator? Do you translate full-time?

While living in Sapporo, I was approached by a friend of mine about translating real estate agreements for Australians wanting to purchase ski chalets. I haven’t stopped translating.

What was your most enjoyable translation experience? Your most challenging?

My favorite translation experience was probably transcribing content into English that would eventually be read by someone really famous. 🙂 My most challenging experience was probably when I was asked to translate into Japanese. Despite my objections about not being a native speaker my client was insistent that I try. The results were understandably disappointing and hopefully led to a learning experience.

What’s your favorite thing about being a translator?

I really love sitting down with a text, pulling it apart and putting it back together. When I was a kid, when people asked what I wanted to be, I said “architect.” I was fascinated by their ability to put things together, and as time went on, I realized that I enjoyed doing that with language.

Of all of the content that there is to translate, I love translating legal agreements, particularly contracts, legal agreements and discovery material, not so much patents. Because of my work at btrax, an Asian branding, consulting and localization company, I do work a lot in marketing and PR as well as copyright and general business translation.

I also like being able to work from anywhere, at any time.

Describe your office setup or workspace. What is the view like? What kind of scenery do you look at everyday?

I work from a laptop and often from cafes. My favorite cafe has a broad view of the entire San Francisco skyline. It’s magnificent.

Based on your specific cultural expertise, what are the best books or movies you would recommend to others?

I really like Lost in Translation but I would recommend Japanese comedies like Ping-Pong so people can get an idea of the Japanese sense of humor. Also, Kenzaburō Ōe, a Nobel-prize writer of really beautiful, somewhat controversial fiction. I enjoy how direct he is.

What is your favorite “translator’s snack” for while you work?

I drink LOTS of coffee. Sometimes up to 10 cups a day. I’m a night owl, so I don’t start translating until about 8 p.m. and don’t finish until 3-4 a.m. I find it very difficult to translate, put that aside and give the work my full attention during the day when there are other issues to tend to.

So far there haven’t been any disastrous side effects from the coffee.

What are your preferred translation tools?

I use WordFast when I’m not using the Gengo platform.

What’s your favorite productivity tool or service?

I use the apps Way of Life and 30/30 to keep tabs on my activities over a span of time. On very busy days in particular I use them to book increments of time around translation, reading and business tasks like organizing invoices. Overall, I don’t track my time, I plan it—I think that you need to focus on one or the other to get the most out of your work.

Finally, if you had to give advice to your fellow Gengo translators, what are the best ways to relax and stay sane as a translator? What is your top tip for those who are just starting out?

Take vacations! It is essential that we take time to recharge our batteries.

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