Why become a translator?

There is this ubiquitous question! Parents ask it, friends ask it, parent's friends ask it... "It's my dream job!" - that's nowhere near a creative answer. You have to inform yourself about every aspect of this job to give a detailed and honest answer to this very question.

I have made up my mind a few times and came to the conclusion that being or becoming a translator does not mean working solely for money. It is about contributing something to society that is not only paying taxes. The work of translators is the most important aspect of communication between different speaking countries and may even help to unite states. Interpreting and translating between nations is the foundation of working relationships, trade and international economy.

Maybe that is all a bit exaggerated but lets see what may happen if there are no longer translators and interpreters which make sure that translation is not only translating something but also ensure that it is politically correct and cultural adapted.

Otherwise translated countries could be misunderstood or something translated from e.g. English to Arabic does not contain culturally accepted transmission.

Moreover, for me, becoming a translator is earning money for what is my hobby respectively for what I love to do.

When explaining your “dream job” like this your mother’s best friend’s mouth will pop open and won’t close not so fast. 

Why are they moving in such a strange way?

“MATTHEW BARNEY (artist): There was something that attracted me to the pit, this kind of a controlled violent system where there are codes, and where people, in spite of the fact that their taking off each others heads, they’re also looking out for one another, which is true of the football field as well. You were punished a little for being there, which was very exciting.”

Hardcore artist Matthew Barney is trying to explain the attraction that comes from hardcore-concerts. It is the violent dancing.

Violent dancing has its origins in the 80’s.

At the beginning it was called slumdancing and was something like a modification of Pogo, the much softer and less dangerous punk-dance.

In those times it consisted of hustling each other, strutting around in a circle, swinging the arms and hitting everyone within reach. Another important part was the stagediving - first getting as close as possible to the band and then jump into the others. But the audience was often split in two parts, those who wanted to have fun and the "hooligans", those who were looking for trouble and just wanted to hit somebody. That's why there were so many injuries like broken bones and cracked skulls.

Nowadays nothing really has changed. There are still those who want to have fun and want to show their newest dance moves and those who attend a concert to “smash someone’s face” and in most of the cases they don't even stop for nobody not even for girls.                                                                                                        

Only the name has changed - it is no longer called slumdancing but moshing.                                              

In the 2000s some different kinds or parts of moshing developed, which all take place in the so-called moshpit, this is the space in front of the stage, the kids constitute something like a circle were they can make their moves.

These moves are for instance the “Wall of Death”, where two groups of people stand in a row adverse each other and when the band gives the sign they run and crash against each other.

Another one is the “Circlepit”, where those standing in the moshpit run around in a big circle.

That's about the history behind this weird kind of dancing.