Most of the translators at transeuro have been translating for over 10 years.

They have been studying law and patents since the time when transeuro was still part of a law and patent office and became translation experts in this field.

However, even though they have a similar background and history the way how every translator works on their tasks is quite different. Everyone has their own preferred utensils they use to work, like certain dictionaries or glossaries, glasses, air humidifiers, drinks, sweets, and other snacks. Everyone has their own items that are necessary for them to work properly.

In this new article series “The Three Sacred Treasures of a transeuro Translator” we want to present 3 essential items of a few of our translators to give the readers of our blog an insight in the work of a translator that you rarely get.

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Hello, I am a patent translator at transeuro. My name is Kawai. I am introducing the following three items.

（1）FlexScan EV2456 24.1 inch display monitor (EIZO)

（2）Zoff PC blue light cut PC glasses

（3）German-English-Japanese Dictionary; compact edition (Hirokawa bookstore) 

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（1）FlexScan EV2456 24.1-inch display monitor (EIZO) – perfect for vertically long texts like patent applications

 I bought this 24.1-inch display monitor for use at home. The reason I decided for this monitor is that it has a display resolution of 1920×1200. There are a lot of wide displays with a 1920 horizontal resolution on the market but when it comes to a vertical resolution of 1200 the options get quite limited. A full HD monitor with a vertical resolution of 1080 is suited for game consoles and video viewing but when you use the monitor for working with a PC a small vertical resolution can lead to inconveniences when using word or web browsers. (https://www.eizo.co.jp/eizolibrary/other/itmedia02_03/)

I used a 23.8-inch monitor earlier but when you are working with vertically long texts like patent applications I found that it is not fit for practical usage. Therefore I bought the 24.1-inch monitor. The difference between 1200 and 1080 does not look big in the numbers but it felt really different.

In our office, there are two square type 19-inch monitors (1280*1024) provided at each desk. It is also possible to increase work efficiency by using two monitors. As a translator, you will look at the monitor every day, so it is important to choose a monitor that fits your needs.

（2）Zoff PC blue light cut PC glasses – a must-have item for translators that look at monitors all day

I have been using PC glasses for a few years now. The annual health check made me realize that my eyesight was getting worse every year. So I bought the glasses to prevent further damage. A motive was also that you can customize the glasses with the power you need. I am not sure how much effect they have but I feel that my eyes are less tired. It might be partly because of a placebo effect though.

On the other hand, your vision will become yellowish when you use them so you need to get used to that at first. If you do not like wearing glasses there are also protective films that you can attach to your monitor.

Of course, besides PC glasses and films, you can also use eye drops to take care of eye strain.

（3）German English Japanese Dictionary; compact edition (Hirokawa bookstore) – my most used dictionary

The final item is a dictionary. This dictionary is specialized on medical, pharmaceutical and chemical terms. I own the 4th edition (1992). It is a little old but still usable. Unlike English dictionaries there only very little German dictionaries for specialized terms. When researching technical terms most of the time at first I look up the corresponding English term to a German term.

Then I look up the Japanese translation of the English term. But with this dictionary, I can look up Japanese translation of German terms right away so I always have it by my side. You cannot trust everything that is written in the dictionary but in the 15 years I have been working as a patent translator I used this dictionary the most.

That where my 3 essential items I use for my profession of translator.

How did you like the presentation? Are there any items you use yourself or would like to use from now on? Let us know in the comments.

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