上个世纪迄今的翻译研究尽管硕果累累，对译者的研究也取得了诸多成果，但这些研究更多地侧重于学术视角(如译者主体性、主体间性等)，而对译者在实际的翻译市场中怎么做，译界的关注程度似乎不足。但本书则针对这一状况，以翻译市场为宏观背景，给译者提供了极其珍贵的指导，填补了这方面的空白。本书自1993年首次出版以来，到2004年5月已是第四版，是作者多年来实践经验的结晶。十多年来，本书受到了读者的普遍欢迎。

本书在前三版的基础上，紧跟时代发展，站在一个全新的角度，旨在给那些没有或很少有商业经验的翻译从业者提供全面指导，例如译者所需具备的资格、如何创办翻译公司、译者的工作环境、怎样索要报酬等等。本书内容充实，注重实用，确实值得一读。

本书以翻译市场为宏观背景，紧跟时代发展，站在一个全新的角度，旨在给那些没有或很少有商业经验的翻译从业者提供全面指导，弥补了以往翻译研究对译者实际操作关注程度的不足。本书实践性强、注重实用，且全面而不失细致，所涉及的内容之广泛，几乎涵盖了译者从事翻译业务所碰到的所有问题，对翻译工作者具有很强的参考价值。

Foreword.

Preface

1 How to become a translator

"Oh, so you're a translator - that's interesting!" A day in the life of a

translator Finding a 'guardian angel' Literary or non-literary

translator? Translation and interpreting Starting life as a translator Work

experience placements as a student Becoming a translator by

circumstance Working as a staff translator Considering a job

application Working as a freelance What's the difference between a translation

company and a translation agency? Working directly with clients Test

translations Recruitment competitions

2 Bilingualism- the myths and the truth

Target language and source language Target language deprivation Retaining a

sharp tongue Localisation Culture shocks Stereotypes

3 The client's viewpoint

Who should you get to translate? The service provider and the uninformed

buyer How to find a translation services provider Is price any guide to

quality? Communication with the translation services provider

4 Running a translation business

Starting a business Is translation a financially-rewarding career? Support

offered to new businesses Counting words Quotations Working from

home Private or business telephone line? Holidays Safety nets Dealing with

salesmen Advertising Financial considerations Marketing and developing

your services OK, where do you go from here?

5 The translator at work and the tools of the trade

Your working environment Arranging your equipment Eye problems Buying

equipment What does it all cost? Purchasing your initial equipment Ways of

working

6 Sources of reference, data retrieval and file management

Dictionaries Standards Research Institutes and Professional/Trade Association

Libraries Past translations Compiling glossaries Product literature Data

retrieval and file management Database applications

7 Quality control and accountability

Source text difficulties Translation quality in relation to purpose, price and

urgency Localisation Translations for legal purposes Production

capacity Be honest with the client Problems faced by the individual

freelance Quality takes time and costs money Pre-emptive measures Quality

control operations Deadlines Splitting a translation between several

translators Translation reports

8 Presentation and delivery of translations

Thou shalt not use the spacebar! Setting up columns Text

expansion Macros Desk top publishing Compatibility between different PC

packages Electronic publishing Getting the translation to the client

9 What to do if things go wrong

Preventive measures Equipment insurance Maintenance Indemnity

insurance Clients who are slow payers or who become insolvent Excuses

offered for late payment Checklist for getting paid on time Procedure for

dealing with client disputes Arbitration

10 Professional organisations for translators

F~d~ration Internationale des Traducteurs (FIT) Professional organisations for

translators in the United Kingdom The Institute of Translation and

Interpreting The Translators Association

11 Glossary of terms

12 Appendix

Translation organisations in the United Kingdom Recruitment

competitions Suggested further reading References Marking up texts when

proof-reading or editing

13 Index