Novoterm 30 years – Diane on words, people and change
For more than 27 years, Diane has been part of Novoterm’s network of translators. We talked to her about how it all began, the texts she still remembers, untranslatable Swedish words – and a profession that has changed enormously over the years.
A profession that crosses borders
Originally from the UK, Diane is a true globetrotter and has so far lived in six different countries around the world, including Sweden and the US. For her work as a translator, these experiences have proved invaluable.
“It has taught me the importance of getting to know different cultures – how people communicate, interact and express themselves. Also, how important it is to avoid misinterpretation and miscommunication. The importance of transcending language barriers only emphasises the value of translators and this profession,” she says.
From a tiny first assignment to Stockholm 1998, European Capital of Culture
Diane started working as a translator in 1995 with a tiny assignment. “I was asked to translate a Swedish review of a play at the Royal Dramatic Theatre (Dramaten) in Stockholm for the producer, who I happened to know. My payment was a lovely antique tin containing some home-made treats!”
Diane’s career really took off three years later, when she was asked to help translate all of the official information to be published in various formats for Stockholm ’98, Cultural Capital of Europe.
More than 27 years with Novoterm
In 1999, while going through the Yellow Pages looking for translation agencies that might need her services, Diane came across Novoterm Translation. She called, completed a test translation and has been one of the core members of Novoterm’s English translation team ever since. Over the years, she has translated countless texts across a wide range of fields, and some assignments still stand out in her memory:
“I particularly remember translating a coffee table book for Kosta Boda Art Hotel. The photos of all the glass art were spectacular. I enjoyed translating profiles of the artists and also a section at the end of the book containing recipes from the restaurant run by a famous Swedish chef. This appealed to my massive love for everything culinary!”
The appeal of finding exactly the right words
During her 30 plus years as a translator, Diane has never once regretted her career choice. “I enjoy the creativity involved in the craft of being a linguist. I like playing around with words and phrases, and producing a translation that’s optimised for its particular purpose. I consider myself a hopeless perfectionist, which is obviously an asset in this job – really paying attention to detail and not being able to stop until you’ve found the best possible way of expressing something.”
We asked Diane about untranslatable words she has come across over the years. “Orka is a word which I think needs a string of words to fully capture its meaning in English. The word smultronställe is another example. Förutsättningar is a pesky word that I often have to pause over to get a natural translation that’s just right in the context.”
Working with Novoterm has always been a pleasure. “It’s quite incredible that, through all these years, there has never been a time when I thought, ‘Okay, I don’t want to work with this company anymore,’ or ‘This could have gone better.’ None of that. I’ve worked with lots of project managers over the years and they’ve all been super friendly, helpful, respectful and professional to work with.”
From fax machines to AI
During her career as a translator, the way she works has changed enormously. “When I started, assignments were usually sent to me by fax. I would print out reference materials and source texts and type my translation into Word. My dictionaries were all physical dictionaries on my bookshelf. Fairly soon after that, the use of email for receiving and sending Word files in an attachment came into the picture. About 15 years ago I started working with CAT tools. And most recently, obviously, AI is changing everything for all of us.”
According to Diane, AI is something we will all need to embrace. “While we all have to stay vigilant, I’m convinced that AI is the future of translation and of our profession. I think most translators would agree that the human element is very important and will remain so for a long time. I’m hoping that we will always be needed, but I do think our best option is to embrace AI tools, and all the productivity benefits they provide. It’s also important to try to contribute to their improvement in whatever way we can as a profession – and to just go with that flow rather than fight against it.”
Novoterm is a highly regarded translation agency that was established in 1996. We offer language services in more than 40 languages provided by translators and proofreaders who understand your industry – we listen, we understand, we translate.