Zingterview with a Translator: Nancy Berube Lang
On surviving 2020 as a freelance translator and new mother, rates negotiation, and more.
Zingword interviews are back! ✨ If you’re a freelance translator and would like to be one of our interviewees, ping us at jules@zingword.com. Let’s talk!
In our newest Zingterview we spoke to the wonderful Nancy Berube Lang. She’s a native English translator from southern California who translates from Portuguese to English. Following a short in-house stint at a tourism company in Brazil, she has spent the last 12+ years offering her professional translation services as a freelancer. She’s extremely passionate about environmentalism, sustainability, green initiatives and calls herself an “eco-warrior”- we think that’s badass! Let’s find out more about Nancy in her own words.
I am constantly researching, learning, solving puzzles and communicating with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Let’s begin at the beginning. How did you become multilingual?
Well, the road to me learning Portuguese was sort of a comedy of errors. I was raised in Southern California, speaking only English. My grandparents were French Canadian, which inspired me to study French throughout High School. Then I had the opportunity to study Spanish in Barcelona the summer before I began my undergraduate degree program. The exchange program ran long, and I missed my class enrollment deadline for my freshman year, causing them to plop me into an under-enrolled Intro to Portuguese class. I was hooked. I spent four years studying Portuguese in college, changed my major from *theater* to Language Studies/Linguistics with an emphasis in Brazilian Portuguese, and studied abroad at a University in Rio de Janeiro. After graduation, I moved back to Brazil to work as an in-house translator for a tourism company. Immersing myself in the culture and surrounding myself with native Portuguese speakers was what cemented my multilingualism, without a doubt.
How and/or why did you become a translator? (And do you suck the life out of words for immortality purposes, or to pay the rent?)
It definitely started out as a means to pay the rent. I wanted to fund my wanderlust and saw translation as the means to do so. Now that my life has settled down and I’ve put down steady roots, I can see the many other benefits of this career. I am constantly researching, learning, solving puzzles and communicating with people from different cultures and backgrounds. And I can do all of this remotely, from my tiny little town. It’s incredibly stimulating and dynamic.
As for immortality, I’m teaching my son to speak Portuguese and I think that’s about as close as I’m going to get.
How much of a coincidence is it that you ended up on this path? How much of a choice?
I always say that I fell into this career. That’s not to take away from the hard work that I have had to put into establishing myself as a professional, but there was a fair amount of serendipitous stumbling before I got my feet on the ground. Now it is 100% a choice. I invest in professional development, I network with colleagues, I stay up to date with all things translation, and I do the not so fun stuff (negotiating rates, invoicing, staying up until 2 am drinking coffee in order to meet a deadline).
Is life everything you thought it would be, and more? What did you think it would be?
That’s a heavy question.
Life is wonderful in my bubble. I love my job, my family, my friends. I live in one of the most beautiful towns imaginable, Ojai. Seriously, our mountains are pink, it’s awesome (in both the way a southern California surfer would say it, and in the original sense of the word).
Life outside of my bubble, on a global level, is a bit unsettled to say the least. In the last few years I have been really focusing on strengthening my specialization in all things Environmental and Sustainability related. I strongly believe we all have a role to play in the ethical transformation of our society, and if my role is helping companies better communicate their ethical and environmental initiatives and programs, I want to be as best prepared as possible.
What is it you love about your lifestyle as a translator?
That I can wear my pajamas to work.
That I am always working on a different project, in a different area, so I have interesting things to talk about with my husband and friends. In all honestly, this usually consists of me telling them about the new idioms I learned.
A recent favorite: “A última bolacha do pacote”, which literally translates to “the last cookie in the bag”, but more appropriately “the bee’s knees”. Isn’t language insane?
What was your darkest moment as a translator?
Whew, 2020 was like a tornado, mixed with a hurricane, mixed with a… pandemic?
A few things coincided to create the perfect storm:
1. A law was passed in California (AB-5) that made it illegal for companies to hire freelance translators from California, so I lost all of my clients and my entire career overnight.
2. I had a beautiful baby boy. I’m incredibly blessed. That being said, have you ever tried to type while holding a baby?
3. Well, COVID, and no childcare, and no family. Unfortunately, I know we all can relate to this one.
But an exemption was passed for translators under AB-5 and the baby has grown up a bit, so I’m here, digging my way out and trying to reestablish the career that I’ve built over the last 12 years. Wish me luck!
If you listen to music while working, what’s on your speakers lately? Spotify links or YouTube links are much appreciated 😉
I have an incredibly loud 1.5 year old who never stops talking/singing/screaming, so when I work I want SILENCE. I know, weird.
But in the spirit of not being a Boring Betty, I’ll give you this one. When I’m invoicing or sending emails I like to listen to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou soundtrack where Seu Jorge covers David Bowie’s songs in Portuguese. My favorites are Life on Mars and Changes.
If you had a magic wand and a pointy hat that actually worked, what would you change about the translation industry or your working lifestyle?
Having to negotiate my rates. It makes my skin crawl. I think it’s hard for clients to fully understand the value of a good translation until they have suffered the effects of a bad one.
What are you doing at home or in the office to be more productive?
Coffee. Coffee. Coffee.
Also I have a standing desk and a big ball that I bounce on when I’m sitting. Anything to keep my energy up and blood flowing to my brain.
Tell us about the weirdest thing you ever translated.
Regulations for shipping various dead animals by air. It was very…descriptive.
What’s the best question that we didn’t think to ask?
You had a good assortment of questions. You could maybe ask about our biggest strengths/weaknesses. Or goals for improvement. Or “If you were an animal, what would you be and why?”
Me, I’d be one of those pink Amazon river dolphins. They’re friendly, curious, and playful. And, although you couldn’t pay me to swim in the ocean, I do love a good river.
Want to get Zingterviewed yourself? Get in touch with us at jules@zingword and we will set up your interview!
