| A témához tartozó oldalak: < [1 2 3] > | Ten misconceptions about translators and translation Téma indítója: RominaZ
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| a similar story | Jul 19, 2011 |
Dave Bindon wrote:
"It's just a quick proofreading job. My cousin who translated it watches US sitcoms all the time without needing to read the subtitles, so he's really fluent". [Text is about pharmaceutical products for the European market]
A colleague of mine, today: "Listen, I know some English, so perhaps I could help you with your translations. I can use some extra bucks".
| | | | Ildiko Santana 
Egyesült Államok
Local time: 16:20
Tag (2002 óta)
magyar - angol
+ ...
MODERÁTOR | two recent examples from ProZ | Jul 20, 2011 |
"Multilingual native translators needed"
(Job poster)
"I am not trying to understand this phrase; I need it translated into ..."
(KudoZ asker)
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosznia-Hercegovina
Local time: 23:20
Tag (2009 óta)
angol - horvát
+ ...
| Direct client | Jul 20, 2011 |
Just recently, I dealt with a direct client who said, I'm paraphrasing:
" These are all simple phrases, therefore no much translation effort will be needed, and thus can we get a price discount? " ( the translation pair was about two completely structurally opposing languages)
After I had explained to them translation was a cognitive process, not a word for word bilingual retyping, I never received any reply or feedback from them.
You can't really influence... See more Just recently, I dealt with a direct client who said, I'm paraphrasing:
" These are all simple phrases, therefore no much translation effort will be needed, and thus can we get a price discount? " ( the translation pair was about two completely structurally opposing languages)
After I had explained to them translation was a cognitive process, not a word for word bilingual retyping, I never received any reply or feedback from them.
You can't really influence what other people think, they have their own ideas in their own heads, and nothing will change it.
[Edited at 2011-07-20 09:00 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosznia-Hercegovina
Local time: 23:20
Tag (2009 óta)
angol - horvát
+ ...
| Oh yes, illusions. | Jul 20, 2011 |
Dave Bindon wrote:
"It's just a quick proofreading job. My cousin who translated it watches US sitcoms all the time without needing to read the subtitles, so he's really fluent". [Text is about pharmaceutical products for the European market]
They are all deluded they know English, after a longtime of watching US shows and listening to US music.
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Laurent KRAULAND (X)
Franciaország
Local time: 23:20
francia - német
+ ...
| No problem from FR-CA into DE-DE | Jul 20, 2011 |
Catherine GUILLIAUMET wrote:
Hi Romina,
Attila's note and the thread you mentioned do confirm that #3 is not a misconception. Indeed French from France and from Canada are two different languages, even in medicine (my speciality).
In fact, it is why it makes me crazy when ProZ Jobs can't help sending me systematically offers concerning translations into Canadian French. I am not a Canadian translator, I don't speak (nor write) Canadian French. I hardly understand it sometimes.
I'd like ProZ to make the difference and stop sending offers for French Canadian to Frenchies.
I must say that I have been expecting such an improvement for years 
Catherine
Curious to mention, but I have no problems translating with FR-CA as a source into German.
How come? "Stiff" (legal) documents?
[Edited at 2011-07-20 11:15 GMT]
| | | | kmtext
Egyesült Királyság
Local time: 22:20
angol
+ ...
| The one I usually get is... | Jul 20, 2011 |
You do translation to and from Scottish Gaelic, so can you translate this into Irish (or Manx) Gaelic?
Er...no. They're three related, but very different languages. (Another distinction Proz doesn't recognise.)
| | | | | More items to this list. | Jul 20, 2011 |
I was registered as a translator in the yellow pages. Time and again I got a call from the local police office. They had arrested a person with Turkish, Vietnamese, Iranian, Somalian .... background. Since I was a translator, could I please come down to the precinct and interpret.
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Per Magnus wrote:
I was registered as a translator in the yellow pages. Time and again I got a call from the local police office. They had arrested a person with Turkish, Vietnamese, Iranian, Somalian .... background. Since I was a translator, could I please come down to the precinct and interpret.
Well, some time ago my neighbor asked me if I translate from all the languages.
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Péter Jutai
Magyarország
Local time: 23:20
angol - magyar
+ ...
| strange, but... | Jul 27, 2011 |
Evonymus (Ewa Kazmierczak) wrote:
Well, some time ago my neighbor asked me if I translate from all the languages. [/quote]
And what was your answer?
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Péter Jutai wrote:
Evonymus (Ewa Kazmierczak) wrote:
Well, some time ago my neighbor asked me if I translate from all the languages.
And what was your answer? [/quote]
well, obviously taken by surprise, I said "no, just one". You should see the disappointment on his face
| | | | Shai Navé
Izrael
Local time: 00:20
angol - héber
+ ...
| Some miscoceptions I find annoying and funny | Jul 27, 2011 |
1. Why is your rate so high? You sit in front of the computer all day and type, this is not hard labor (and variants of that sort).
2. I want to know what is your rate. What it has to do with the document? (mainly from direct clients, but surprisingly(?) also from some agencies)
3. Linguistic degree considered more important than academic knowledge and/or working experience in a specific professional fields (highly technical, Medical, Legal, etc.). CLARIFICATION: I highly respect lan... See more 1. Why is your rate so high? You sit in front of the computer all day and type, this is not hard labor (and variants of that sort).
2. I want to know what is your rate. What it has to do with the document? (mainly from direct clients, but surprisingly(?) also from some agencies)
3. Linguistic degree considered more important than academic knowledge and/or working experience in a specific professional fields (highly technical, Medical, Legal, etc.). CLARIFICATION: I highly respect language related degrees, but there are fields in which it is very important to also know what you are working with.
4. This is from the translators side: I don't know this subject field very well (or at all), but I have X amount of Kudoz question per day, and you know, I have to make a living, and it has been dry lately, so this makes me capable enough.
5. Translation is a commodity, no matter who I choose I will eventually get the same product. Therefore the rate is the main (sometimes only) factor to consider.
6. I've invested a large amount of money, time, and effort in my product or document, or this document has great importance for me and my business (as in legal document presented to the court, a contract with international party, etc.), and after all the money, time and effort that was already invested in the process, now when it comes to translation I find it suitable and even business smart to argue over a relatively small amount of money (in relation to the money already invested) to try and cut the costs of the translation process. Because development, marketing, legal consulting are important, but translation is just translation, nothing to be too concerned about, this is merely a finishing touch.
7. Translators don't need rest. Translators work inside a different and special time zone in which a business day spans 24 hours, the work week is Monday to Monday, and there are no holidays, sick days, or personal days. If I say that a project is urgent, the translator can magically create some more time in the day, just because it is urgent.
8. And my favorite oxymoron, I need a Fast, Cheap, and High Quality translation. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nicole Schnell
Egyesült Államok
Local time: 14:20
angol - német
+ ...
Az Ő emlékére: | Indeed, translators have a special time zone a.k.a. the twilight zone. | Jul 28, 2011 |
Shai Nave wrote:
7. Translators don't need rest. Translators work inside a different and special time zone in which a business day spans 24 hours, the work week is Monday to Monday, and there are no holidays, sick days, or personal days. If I say that a project is urgent, the translator can magically create some more time in the day, just because it is urgent.
Recently I received a phone call from a new outsourcer. At 2am. The phone was on during the night because a family member was in hospital at this time and I was ready for emergency calls. If I could do a paid test translation. My pleasure, I replied, I will take care of it first thing in the morning, and went back to bed.
Two hours later, at 4am, the phone rang again: "We haven't received your translation yet."
No further comment...
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| Here are my personal favorites | Sep 1, 2013 |
"This is a large job, so you should give us a volume discount."
We're not talking cases of toilet paper here, people. The minimal savings in administrative time (such as initial email correspondence and invoicing) from having one large job instead of several small ones is in no way sufficient to justify a discount.
"Please give us your best rate."
No, sorry, folks, I'm only going to give you my worst rate.
| | | | | Strange things do happen | Sep 2, 2013 |
I sometimes receive requests for translations of 10.000 words or more, to be delivered at the same day, and because I am the 'lucky one to get such a big job', they are even prepared to pay me the amount 0.05 Euros PER WORD!
So, for all you 'fast translators' out there, please contact me, I can make you rich!
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I believe a mention here is deserved by the following belief:
– Just about any translator can translate into a foreign language.
... But also by the following:
– Translators don't and shouldn't translate into a non-native language.
I find it lamentable how people with degrees, proper academics even, take the presumption for granted. Very few people not native to the target language are capable of translating into it. But to make this genera... See more I believe a mention here is deserved by the following belief:
– Just about any translator can translate into a foreign language.
... But also by the following:
– Translators don't and shouldn't translate into a non-native language.
I find it lamentable how people with degrees, proper academics even, take the presumption for granted. Very few people not native to the target language are capable of translating into it. But to make this generalisation into an absolute rule with ethical significance is to abdicate reason. Such a type of sweeping, jumping, erratic and otherwise deficient logic is characteristic of the lazy thinking of this century in which few people think sharply.
Next:
– The client is always right. Including on grammar. I shouldn't even need to say that's presposterous. It should go without saying.
– Rewording by clients is welcome. A silly result of the ISO process that makes client feedback an essential final stage of translation. What's wrong with those people. Who cares for that? Especially in a for-information translation.
[Edited at 2013-09-02 22:47 GMT]
[Edited at 2013-09-02 22:48 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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