Translator Community Spotlight: Meet Hiromi Katsumoto

Here at Lilt, we’re focused on providing the highest quality translations possible, and that requires a large professional network of translators.

We've spent years building a community of experienced and quality translators, and we're excited to showcase the incredible individuals helping to lead the charge in building successful global experiences. Much like our Liltonian Spotlight series, we're sharing the backgrounds of the talented professionals in our community in our newest series, the Translator Spotlight Series. 

This week, we’re happy to introduce Hiromi Katsumoto, a mother, a yoga lover, and a talented translator. We sat down with Hiromi to learn more about her background, how she started her translation journey, and her thoughts on the ever-changing translation industry.

What does your day to day look like?

My day starts with waking up early and making lunch boxes for my teen children. Then, I feed my two cats and let them go outside. Only then do I finally have my breakfast (at least my husband can look after himself)! While my family is out, it's my time to start working. When my children come back, I go back to Mum mode and become an Uber driver, taking them wherever they need to be... After some evening family time, I do some work again, and finish the night with some stretches/yoga and go to bed. I would say I typically spend around 6 hours a day for translation work.

What languages do you speak or have you studied?

How and why did you become a translator?

After I took a 1 year maternity leave from my job — which I really loved at that time — I made the big decision to quit my full-time job. My son was growing so fast that I didn't want to miss anything. But I knew I couldn't be a stay-home mum since I'm a very career-oriented person. So I began searching for stay-home work.

Luckily, with my previous job, I was already doing a bit of translation. So, some translation companies offered me jobs after their trial tests. It was the perfect job when I had very small children to look after. Since then, job offers have become more stable, so I decided to do this as my full-time job.

Do you like to listen to music while you work? If so, what kind?

No. I tried. But I couldn't concentrate, even with just background music.

What is your favorite non-English word and what does it mean?

なんとかなる means "whatever it is, it'll become OK eventually". I get stressed easily, so I use this word to relax my nerves.

When you have an hour of free-time, what do you like to do to pass the time?

I love to knit and crochet! I also enjoy having a chat with my friends, and practicing yoga and stretching. 

What's one fact or skill that you've learned recently?

Recently, I learned that body flexibility and the mind has a very strong connection. This is one of the many reasons why I love yoga and stretching!

Has the translation industry changed in the last 10 years? Do you think it will change in the next 10 years?

Yes. A lot! Machine translation is definitely becoming the norm. I also noticed many translation companies are choosing to use online tools rather than stand-alone tools. With the clever use of machine translation, more words can be translated faster with higher accuracy. I believe reviewing work will be dominant in the future.

Keep an eye out for our upcoming posts in both our Translator and Liltonian Spotlight posts! We'll continue to highlight people from across the company and our wonderful translator community.

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