Without wishing to obsess constantly about the same problem, indeed, precisely to try to move past it and gradually leave it behind, we wanted to take a brief look back at what happened in the world of translation in 2020 and during this first half of 2021.
The first few months of 2020 were a real shock but, unexpectedly, with the reopening in May, work began to flow again, with steady though limited quantities. The previous year’s numbers were just a distant memory, but we still considered ourselves fortunate, because compared to other badly affected sectors, ours seemed to be able to survive.
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New clients
In some cases we acquired new clients, whose activities differed from the usual ones we dealt with, and who were operating in sectors emerging specifically during the period of the pandemic.
All in all, our lives have been easier because the profession of the translator is adaptable; it can be carried out anywhere, in just a room, provided you have a computer and a good Internet connection. In addition, translators are known for being extremely flexible, so after the initial sudden impact we all reorganised ourselves to cope with the new circumstances.
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Interpreting services and language courses
Interpreting services and language courses, on the other hand, did not fare so well, as they remained on hold for a longer time.
We then discovered that, despite all the difficulties at times encountered with the connections, here also we could use platforms that enable us to communicate remotely to offer the working arrangements that we were used to, albeit in a less personal form.
Human contact was severely impaired, but never mind, we had to make the best of a bad job – we were in an emergency!
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To sum up
During this difficult past year we never stopped, always trying to make our professional expertise available and offering our support in innovative ways. We hope we have succeeded, although the outside world hasnât always made it easy for us. Take the public administration sector for example – but thatâs another story. Weâll tell you about it next time!Â
For now, letâs be mildly optimistic; and letâs be forward looking, as is our wont, in the hope that the worst is truly over.
