| विषय में पृष्ठों की संख्या: < [1 2 3 4] > | Problems with a translator विषय पोस्ट करनेवाला व्यक्ति: Interpretali (X)
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Williamson 
यूनाइटेड किंगडम
Local time: 15:47
फ्लेमी से अंग्रेजी
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| What is the added value of an agency. | Aug 13, 2007 |
Interpretalia wrote:
Typos aside, the quality of the translation was quite good, despite some unjustified omissions.
Of course, a translator should strive for perfection, but nobody is perfect. This is certainly the case when you work under (high) pressure.
Reviewing translations is part of the added value of an agency - Corregir traducciones forma parte del valor añadido de cualquier agencia.
Unfortunately, looking for "needles in haystacks" in order to reduce the invoice and increase the profit-margin is also part of the standard policies of some agencies. Spelling and omissions are to be avoided, but they do occur. It does not mean that the person who translates is a bad translator.
Just a thought, shouldn't we let accuracy depend upon the rate we get. You can not expect a Mercedes-Benz for the price of a "Deux Cheveaux".
[Edited at 2007-08-13 10:54]
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What exactly were the spelling errors that the translator had? Can you share a few with us? How did you identify them? Using Microsoft Word or a dictionary? If you used Microsoft or another program, you could have been misled since it is not always accurate. As a writer and a translator, I have often seen suggestions from Microsoft that are completely off the mark with respect to spelling and grammar.
I agree with my colleagues and I have a feeling that there may be some confu... See more What exactly were the spelling errors that the translator had? Can you share a few with us? How did you identify them? Using Microsoft Word or a dictionary? If you used Microsoft or another program, you could have been misled since it is not always accurate. As a writer and a translator, I have often seen suggestions from Microsoft that are completely off the mark with respect to spelling and grammar.
I agree with my colleagues and I have a feeling that there may be some confusion between US and UK English. As an American educated in the USA and the UK, I have noticed that in Spain UK English is much more commonly taught and that many Spaniards are not very familiar with US English. II have adapted myself to this system but I often make my students aware of the differences. In any case, did you specify which English you wanted for your project? ▲ Collapse
| | | | CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 16:47
फ्रांसीसी से अंग्रेजी
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| Hang on there a minute.... | Aug 13, 2007 |
I have no wish to take sides but in fairness I should comment that, in your headlong rush to defend a fellow translator, some of you are perhaps a little out left field.
For one, the price agreed between a translator and a client is THEIR affair and has nothing to do with anyone else. That aspect is therefore irrelevant here. If the translator concerned here was fool enough to accept peanuts (sigh, sigh! given what it does to the profession), then it is he or she who made his or her... See more I have no wish to take sides but in fairness I should comment that, in your headlong rush to defend a fellow translator, some of you are perhaps a little out left field.
For one, the price agreed between a translator and a client is THEIR affair and has nothing to do with anyone else. That aspect is therefore irrelevant here. If the translator concerned here was fool enough to accept peanuts (sigh, sigh! given what it does to the profession), then it is he or she who made his or her proverbial bed. If you want to rant, rant at that person, please. If everybody refused to work at slave rates, clients would have to adapt. But we all know there will always be someone who will accept - for whatever reason.
For two, even if the translation was quite good, the proof readers found that there were serious omissions. Maybe that goes some way to explaining the time spent. As one on the receiving end of translations from others, I can tell you that I always check everything. However, I am particularly attentive in the case of texts where I come across a major error, misinterpretation, omission etc. and often go through the material several times, just in case... It's a normal human reaction. As to "spellcheckers", if there is one out there that can pick up omissions, I want to know the name NOW. Boy would it be useful....
So while I agree that it is probably too early at this stage to start a panic, the translator does have some explaining to do.
Remember there are always two sides to any coin ▲ Collapse
| | | | patyjs
मेक्सिको
Local time: 09:47
स्पेनी से अंग्रेजी
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| Forgetting the point... | Aug 13, 2007 |
I think the whole point of this thread was that the job poster was unsure how to proceed when he was no longer able to contact the translator about the questions arising from the submitted work. Everyone seems to have been side-tracked by the (their choice) proof-reading.
Interpretalia, if you got straight back to the translator when you saw the "errors" and he was no longer available to explain, justify or correct them, I tend to believe he or she had some kind of problem. I can'... See more I think the whole point of this thread was that the job poster was unsure how to proceed when he was no longer able to contact the translator about the questions arising from the submitted work. Everyone seems to have been side-tracked by the (their choice) proof-reading.
Interpretalia, if you got straight back to the translator when you saw the "errors" and he was no longer available to explain, justify or correct them, I tend to believe he or she had some kind of problem. I can't imagine any translator being out of communication with a client for more than a few hours even if it is the weekend.
As you say, if there was also a problem with the invoice you can bet your boots he'll be back in touch.
Anyway, I quoted for that job. You should have picked me!!
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| Did you try to phone the translator? | Aug 13, 2007 |
Maybe he didn't bother checking the email over the weekend. Did you try reaching him over the phone?
| | | | Isabelle Oros
फ्रांस
Local time: 16:47
अंग्रेजी से फ्रांसीसी
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| I always wondered... | Aug 13, 2007 |
Hello Interpretalia,
I have been following this thread with interest and was feeling quite sympathetic towards you until I checked your profile and BB (no problem: 5/5). Then I saw the job you had posted and the rate you offered... !!!
Did your marvellous translator with almost 20 positive feedbacks accept your rates? Well, then, you got what you paid for. Those are proofreading rates, my dear colleagues.
Two of you had to proofread the translation, so thi... See more Hello Interpretalia,
I have been following this thread with interest and was feeling quite sympathetic towards you until I checked your profile and BB (no problem: 5/5). Then I saw the job you had posted and the rate you offered... !!!
Did your marvellous translator with almost 20 positive feedbacks accept your rates? Well, then, you got what you paid for. Those are proofreading rates, my dear colleagues.
Two of you had to proofread the translation, so this job cost you 0,12 €/word (at normal proofreading rates) rather than the 0,04 € you had hoped to pay! That's what you should have paid right at the start. I just hope that you and your colleague are actually qualified to proofread a native English translator's work. (I presume you did choose a native English speaker.)
Kind regards,
Flo
Dear All!
This is hillarious!
I was always curious to find out what happenend to those companies sending out jobs at .03 €, .04 € per word. It's good to know they get the quality they deserve!
I'd say: next time, think twice before offering a ridiculously low rate! Really, this is one of the best stories I have read in a while!
Isabelle ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lia Fail (X)
स्पेन
Local time: 16:47
स्पेनी से अंग्रेजी
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| who checked? | Aug 13, 2007 |
Interpretalia wrote:
First of all, thanks everybody for answering.
The final client of our proyect is the local government of a Spanish city. They needed to translate into English 50 short posters with the history of the most relevant monuments of the city, so that tourists can get information as they walk around the city. That is why it took us so long to check the proyect, because I checked every single word and then my colleague re-checked it again. We wanted no mistakes (but that is our decision).
Typos aside, the quality of the translation was quite good, despite some unjustified omissions. The strange thing is that when we sent the text to the translator last wednesday, he answered in less than a minute and we also exchanged several emails last friday.
I suppose we'll have to wait, as Nicole says, until we get an answer. He sent us the invoice, but our data are also incorrect, so I suppose that sooner or later he shoud appear.
Thanks everybody.
With all due respect, your English as it appears here is not of a quality that would indicate you were equipped to check someone else's English. At the end of the day, if you want to make a case, you would need to get a reliable native's opinion of the translator's English.
I wouldn't rate a translation with UNjustified omissions as OK either.
My two cents worth, as maybe it will help you decide how to proceed:-)
| | | | sylvie malich (X)
जर्मनी
Local time: 16:47
जर्मन से अंग्रेजी
patyjs wrote:
can't imagine any translator being out of communication with a client for more than a few hours even if it is the weekend.
[/quote]
You can't, eh? So, we don't deserve a weekend/life?
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Samuel Murray
नीदरलैंड
Local time: 16:47
सदस्य (2006)
अंग्रेजी से अफ्रीकान
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| Getting back to the original question... | Aug 13, 2007 |
Interpretalia wrote:
What should we do? Should we pay the whole proyect, although it took us five hours to check it and we got no answer from him?
I think you should pay him the full amount. Here's why:
1. Him being available over the weekend for queries wasn't part of the deal you had with him.
2. As an agency you have the responsibility to check incoming translations -- and I assume you don't penalise all your translators pro-rata for all their mistakes.
3. You delivered his translation to the client. You did not reject his translation -- therefore you owe him for it.
4. There was no prior arrangement between the two of you about penalties for time taken to perform additional editing/proofreading.
Of course, you don't have to use his services again, and you can add a comment to his ProZ.com profile, can't you?
| | | | | As far as I know | Aug 13, 2007 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
Of course, you don't have to use his services again, and you can add a comment to his ProZ.com profile, can't you?
At the moment only positive comments are admitted.
| | | | Nicole Schnell
संयुक्त राज्य अमरीका
Local time: 07:47
अंग्रेजी से जर्मन
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की याद में | Thanks, Angio! | Aug 13, 2007 |
Angio wrote:
Samuel Murray wrote:
Of course, you don't have to use his services again, and you can add a comment to his ProZ.com profile, can't you?
At the moment only positive comments are admitted.
Right now we are talking about a translator who delivered a quite good translation [quote], delivered before due-date [quote], was nice enough to work at this ridiculous rate, had his text proofread by non-native speakers and took the weekend off.
And yet, negative comments in his profile are already considered..
Where are my heartburn pills?
| | | | Samuel Murray
नीदरलैंड
Local time: 16:47
सदस्य (2006)
अंग्रेजी से अफ्रीकान
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| Not good, not on time, not nice | Aug 13, 2007 |
Nicole Schnell wrote:
Right now we are talking about a translator who delivered a quite good translation, delivered before due-date, was nice enough to work at this ridiculous rate...
He did not deliver a good translation. There were spelling errors and unjustified omissions. The "quite good" comment should be read in context.
Delivering a bad translation before the due date instead of an adequate translation by the due date doesn't count in the translator's favour.
Being willing to work for a low rate doesn't count in his favour either. Translators that work for low rates aren't "nicer" than translators that charge lots of money.
[Edited at 2007-08-13 15:36]
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"He did not deliver a good translation. There were spelling errors and unjustified omissions. The "quite good" comment should be read in context."
Shouldn't the translator be able to defend himself? We are criticising him without knowing what the supposed spelling errors and omissions were. We are judging both the translator and the agency without knowing the whole story.
If the translation has such errors, I cannot fathom why the agency has said that the translation ... See more "He did not deliver a good translation. There were spelling errors and unjustified omissions. The "quite good" comment should be read in context."
Shouldn't the translator be able to defend himself? We are criticising him without knowing what the supposed spelling errors and omissions were. We are judging both the translator and the agency without knowing the whole story.
If the translation has such errors, I cannot fathom why the agency has said that the translation was "quite good". It makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. ▲ Collapse
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Samuel Murray wrote:
Nicole Schnell wrote:
Right now we are talking about a translator who delivered a quite good translation, delivered before due-date, was nice enough to work at this ridiculous rate...
He did not deliver a good translation. There were spelling errors and unjustified omissions. The "quite good" comment should be read in context.
Delivering a bad translation before the due date instead of an adequate translation by the due date doesn't count in the translator's favour.
Being willing to work for a low rate doesn't count in his favour either. Translators that work for low rates aren't "nicer" than translators that charge lots of money.
[Edited at 2007-08-13 15:36]
| | | | Nicole Schnell
संयुक्त राज्य अमरीका
Local time: 07:47
अंग्रेजी से जर्मन
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की याद में | The quality of the translation was evaluated by non-native speakers | Aug 13, 2007 |
Backstabbing makes me sick.
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