With “Never give up” as her motto, it comes as no surprise that Shweta, a Cardiff-based translator, gained Hall of fame status in less than two years. Throughout her Gengo journey, she has bravely overcome challenges and tests that have helped grow, and now that she’s a qualified Pro level translator, there’s no stopping her from pursuing a successful translation career.

Nationality: Indian
Location: Cardiff, U.K.
Occupation: Student of MA in Translation Studies
Gengo translator since: December 2014
Language pairs: Spanish-English, French-English

What languages do you speak?

English, Spanish, French, Hindi, Tamil

If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be and why?

Tamil. It’s my mother tongue, but unfortunately, I’m much more fluent in English.

Do you have experience living in other countries? If so, where?

Yes. Currently, I’m living in Cardiff, Wales.

View from her home in Wales

On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy being a translator and why?

There is nothing more satisfying than having created a good translation or fulfilling the translation brief, especially if it was an extremely challenging text. Although I have struggled with some specialized and creative translations, I would always rate the experience as a 10 because of what I had learned from them.

How has translating for Gengo impacted your life?

I came across Gengo just when I started seriously considering translation as a career. Inexperienced as I was, I didn’t pass the test the first time, nor the second. Having only one chance left motivated me to spend hours on a 300-word article to be qualified as a Gengo translator. Now, qualifying for the Pro level means that I have the opportunity to translate a wide variety of texts. This job also enabled me to fully fund my Master’s degree in Translation Studies and that’s something I will always be proud of and grateful for.

Shweta’s workspace

When you were growing up, what did you aspire to become?

I’ve always wanted to be an astronomer but I lacked the interest in studying physics. As a book lover, I once thought of pursuing a career in English Literature and Journalism. It was not until I began learning Spanish that I actually considered a career in languages.

What quote do you live by?

What I have learned through my experience as a translator and with Gengo is to never give up every time I feel as though I’m not succeeding with a translation despite the hard work I put into it. With enough patience and determination, I’ve always managed to create something that I’m proud of.

Name three of your favorite translation/language learning tools.

When I was learning Spanish and French, language tools were not as popular, so my main sources were books and movies. However, I have experimented with a few tools, and Duolingo and Livemocha are the most helpful. I’ve also been using Lext Talk and frequently chat with native speakers from around the world.

What advice would you give to new or aspiring translators?

Don’t be afraid to move away from the source text and rephrase. Just always keep the translation brief in mind and convey the meaning and emotion in a manner that best fulfills it.

To unwind, Shweta plays the keyboard at home

What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?
Instead of worrying about how others perceive you and trying to appear smart, spend more time learning and gaining more knowledge.

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