source japanese characters vs target french words : how to convert fares? Thread poster: Geraldine Oudin
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So here I come with one more money related question.
I usually charge per source word, because I always felt the client feels more secure this way.
Maybe things are different when translators work from one western language into another one, but I work from Japanese into French, so there is a bit of a difference in numbers of words/characters between source and target languages.
Anyway, a friend introduced me to a new agency recently, but they want me to charge them exclusively ... See more So here I come with one more money related question.
I usually charge per source word, because I always felt the client feels more secure this way.
Maybe things are different when translators work from one western language into another one, but I work from Japanese into French, so there is a bit of a difference in numbers of words/characters between source and target languages.
Anyway, a friend introduced me to a new agency recently, but they want me to charge them exclusively in target words, and I am wondering if there is a simple way to make the conversion? Or if I have to check the "target word" market...and make my estimations.
Any comments welcome. ▲ Collapse
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| Try to assess how many target words result from a given volume of source words | Nov 3, 2008 |
france japon wrote:
So here I come with one more money related question.
I usually charge per source word, because I always felt the client feels more secure this way.
Maybe things are different when translators work from one western language into another one, but I work from Japanese into French, so there is a bit of a difference in numbers of words/characters between source and target languages.
Anyway, a friend introduced me to a new agency recently, but they want me to charge them exclusively in target words, and I am wondering if there is a simple way to make the conversion? Or if I have to check the "target word" market...and make my estimations.
Any comments welcome.
Hello,
I have had your same concern when being asked to quote JA>IT translation projects based on target words.
The method used is quite simple: try to assess how many average words are developed from a given volume of source words (for example: if you translate 500 Japanese words, how many words will you have in French?), then calculate your pricing (i.e. assuming your per-source-word rate is 0.20 Eur and assuming 500 source words result in 1800 target words, you will have 100 Eur every 1800 target words).
Hope everything is clear.
Angelica
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This is exactly what I was trying to do, but i still have a big difference between general texts and technical texts.
I am surprised you would have 1800 Italian words for 500 Japanese characters, that's a way more than in French. And I would love to find an agency willing to pay 0.20...(not talking about direct clients of course, that's a different world)
I still don't understand why some agencies insist on target words while source words seem so much easier for everyone.
Anywa... See more This is exactly what I was trying to do, but i still have a big difference between general texts and technical texts.
I am surprised you would have 1800 Italian words for 500 Japanese characters, that's a way more than in French. And I would love to find an agency willing to pay 0.20...(not talking about direct clients of course, that's a different world)
I still don't understand why some agencies insist on target words while source words seem so much easier for everyone.
Anyway...ganbarimasu.
Thanx Angelica ! ▲ Collapse
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TRANS4CHINA 
China
Local time: 10:12
English to Chinese
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| Nearly the same as Chinese characters | Nov 4, 2008 |
I can understand why some agencies insist on target words. Most of the Chinese agencies tend to do so for EN>CH translation projects because the target words are at least one and a half times as much as source words, by quoting this way the agencies may get more money. So I guess the agencies you mention are from Japan.
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Japanese agencies (at least the ones I am working with) charge per source word.
The company I am talking about is a French one...
But I think you're right when you say they propably want to make more money...nhot sure it works, though.
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| Clarification | Nov 4, 2008 |
france japon wrote:
I am surprised you would have 1800 Italian words for 500 Japanese characters, that's a way more than in French. And I would love to find an agency willing to pay 0.20...(not talking about direct clients of course, that's a different world)
Actually, I didn't say you get 1800 Italian words out of 500 Japanese characters..., sorry.
I just made an example, as rough reference, with no link at all to facts.
Based on my experience, 400 Japanese characters tend to result in 1500 Italian characters. Here, however, we talk about characters, not words.
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