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"Mini-contest" launched (on new "beta" contests platform)
Thread poster: Henry Dotterer
Henry Dotterer
Henry Dotterer
Local time: 08:20
SITE FOUNDER
Sep 27, 2012

Hi folks,

After entirely too long, we are ready to bring back the ProZ.com translation contests. We've had to rebuild the system from the ground up, for technical reasons and to provide a basis for further improvements. So we feel the need to run a "mini contest" as a sort of beta test before going into a full-blown round.

To be clear, even though this is short, this is a real contest, and winners will be designated. Just be prepared for the possibility of some technica
... See more
Hi folks,

After entirely too long, we are ready to bring back the ProZ.com translation contests. We've had to rebuild the system from the ground up, for technical reasons and to provide a basis for further improvements. So we feel the need to run a "mini contest" as a sort of beta test before going into a full-blown round.

To be clear, even though this is short, this is a real contest, and winners will be designated. Just be prepared for the possibility of some technical issues. Not all of the features that existed in the old system have yet been replicated. And some information that was available will not be. (On the other hand, hopefully you will notice some things that have been improved.)

In keeping with the "mini-contest" idea, the source text is quite short (though hopefully interesting!) And there is only one source text, in English. Also, the three phases of the contest (submission, hybrid and finals) are going to be shorter than they normally would be. (Provided we don't have delays for technical reasons.)

We invite you to take part in this contest, to try your hand and to try out the new contests system. We look forward to working with you to bring back contests, and to make them better than ever.

The submission period is open now. The subject: Quotes by U.S. baseball great Yogi Berra. So far translations have been entered in Greek, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, German, Afrikaans and Swedish.

See: http://www.proz.com/translation-contests
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Attila Piróth
Attila Piróth  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 13:20
Member
English to Hungarian
+ ...
Copyright? Sep 27, 2012

Hi Henry,

Quite a challenge; I'm sure participants will have a lot of fun.

Could you clarify the copyright status of this selection of quotes? Did ProZ obtain their full translation and publication rights into hundreds of languages from Yogi Berra, and is ProZ in the position to pass these rights on to translators - so that they can publish their translations on their websites, which can be a useful addition to their portfolio?

Best,
Attila


 
Henry Dotterer
Henry Dotterer
Local time: 08:20
SITE FOUNDER
TOPIC STARTER
According to my understanding... Sep 27, 2012

... we're good.

Good luck.


 
texjax DDS PhD
texjax DDS PhD  Identity Verified
Local time: 08:20
Member (2006)
English to Italian
+ ...
Already translated... Sep 27, 2012

Most of the quotes have already been translated and are (too) easily available on the Internet.

Could you choose something a bit more challenging next time?

[Edited at 2012-09-27 20:18 GMT]


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 13:20
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
How many entries? Sep 27, 2012

Henry Dotterer wrote:
After entirely too long, we are ready to take bring back the ProZ.com translation contests.


I see that it is possible to submit a translation with a partner. Will I be able to submit both a translation with a partner and a translation without a partner? Or can we submit only one translation per person?

The reason I ask this is because some texts lend themselves to multiple translation strategies, and you don't know beforehand which school of translation most of the evaluators will be from.


 
Catherine GUILLIAUMET
Catherine GUILLIAUMET  Identity Verified
Local time: 13:20
English to French
+ ...
In memoriam
Is it only for US translators ? Sep 27, 2012

Hi Henry,

I'am asking, because baseball is totally unknown in Europe, particularly in Latin countries as France.

Catherine


 
Henry Dotterer
Henry Dotterer
Local time: 08:20
SITE FOUNDER
TOPIC STARTER
Honor system; your original translation, please Sep 27, 2012

texjax DDS PhD wrote:
Most of the quotes have already been translated and are (too) easily available on the Internet.

Hm, that's not great. Let's go with honor system.
Could you choose something a bit more challenging next time?

Yes, the next one will be a full-blown contest. We always need help selecting texts and checking for translations...


 
Henry Dotterer
Henry Dotterer
Local time: 08:20
SITE FOUNDER
TOPIC STARTER
Intentional Sep 27, 2012

Catherine GUILLIAUMET wrote:
I'am asking, because baseball is totally unknown in Europe, particularly in Latin countries as France.

Of course the contest is for everyone, not just US translators (who comprise only a quarter of ProZ.com members.) That baseball is bigger in the US is something I see making this source text more interesting to translate.

By the way, there is a ProZ.com member who was (is still?) a semi-pro baseball player in Spain. I don't know if that gives him an advantage.


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 13:20
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
You can learn a lot with Google Sep 27, 2012

Henry Dotterer wrote:
Catherine GUILLIAUMET wrote:
Baseball is totally unknown in Europe, particularly in Latin countries as France.

That baseball is bigger in the US is something I see making this source text more interesting to translate.


I agree -- and there is always Google. I rather like this kind of challenge, too, because all the things we learnt at college can now finally be applied (e.g. questions about what to translate when the text is so translation-resistant).




[Edited at 2012-09-27 22:37 GMT]


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 13:20
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Please allow non-paying members in small languages Sep 27, 2012

Henry Dotterer wrote:
After entirely too long, we are ready to bring back the ProZ.com translation contests.


I see from the FAQ that the same thing applies to who may participate which applied to previous contests, namely that only paying members may submit entries. Well, in some languages there are very few paying members, and it is very difficult to drum up enthusiasm among the small group of paying members to participate in the contest. Perhaps you should allow non-paying members to participate without having any assistance of paying members, in small languages.

For example, in my language combination, there is a total of four paying members (top or only combination, native only) or a total of ten paying members (top 3 combinations, native only). Even if I specify "any" native language in the search, the grand total of paying members in my language combination comes to a mere twenty. I'd love to see more entries in the contest, but I can't spend all my time trying to milk those who don't want to be milked.


 
Barbara Carrara
Barbara Carrara  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 13:20
Member (2008)
English to Italian
+ ...
A 'test', then, not a 'contest' Sep 28, 2012

texjax DDS PhD wrote:
Most of the quotes have already been translated and are (too) easily available on the Internet.


I have to agree with this.

Hm, that's not great. Let's go with honor system.


How can you establish that whatever is 'translated' does not come in part or in full from the Internet? And even if part of it does come from the Internet, are you really still prepared to designate winners?

To me this looks more like a 'test' than a 'contest'.

I am sorry to say that three years after the last translation contest, and many enquiries from ProZ.com users and members about when the next one would be, you could have done better than this.

the next one will be a full-blown contest.


So, when is the real thing coming back?


 
Henry Dotterer
Henry Dotterer
Local time: 08:20
SITE FOUNDER
TOPIC STARTER
One entry per person per pair (being on a team counts) Sep 28, 2012

Samuel Murray wrote:
I see that it is possible to submit a translation with a partner. Will I be able to submit both a translation with a partner and a translation without a partner? Or can we submit only one translation per person?

No, if you enter one with another person, you can't enter another alone. (Not in the same pair, that is. You can enter multiple pairs.)


 
Henry Dotterer
Henry Dotterer
Local time: 08:20
SITE FOUNDER
TOPIC STARTER
OK, Samuel Sep 28, 2012

Samuel Murray wrote:
Perhaps you should allow non-paying members to participate without having any assistance of paying members, in small languages.

OK, we'll do that.


 
Anna Sarah Krämer
Anna Sarah Krämer
Germany
Local time: 13:20
Member (2011)
English to German
+ ...
Can't see anything Sep 28, 2012

When I click on the link, I see an empty page - same when I try to enter the page via the link on the menu.

 
Henry Dotterer
Henry Dotterer
Local time: 08:20
SITE FOUNDER
TOPIC STARTER
Let's see! Sep 28, 2012

Barbara Carrara wrote:
How can you establish that whatever is 'translated' does not come in part or in full from the Internet?

No one from site staff will be checking this. When instances of "appropriation" have come to light, it has been through discussions among participants in the pair. Entries have been disqualified in the past, and obviously if it is clear that someone has gotten their translations from somewhere on the Internet, they would be disqualified in this contest as well.
And even if part of it does come from the Internet, are you really still prepared to designate winners?

As I said, we'll have winners this time around, yes. (Barring reasons to change plans.) My guess is that even in this mini-contest, in most pairs the winner will be someone who is a talented translator. There are many bad translations on the Internet, I would say it should be possible to produce a better translation than someone who indiscriminately cuts and pastes what is out there.
To me this looks more like a 'test' than a 'contest'.

Maybe. Looking at the few entries that have come in so far, I am mildly optimistic that there is a reasonable little challenge here. On the other hand, I could be wrong and maybe this will turn out to have been an uninteresting contest.

It will be more than a "test", though. There are some interesting twists that could be added to the contest experience, and if all goes well, we'll have the chance to work some of that out together in this go-round. That's part of the reason we have invested a lot of time in creating a new contest platform from the ground up.

Please consider entering. There is one entry so far in English to Italian.


 
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"Mini-contest" launched (on new "beta" contests platform)






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