| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Off topic: The perfect translation job: What do you dream of? Thread poster: Marion Schimmelpfennig
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I like most of my translation jobs, but every now and then I find myself dreaming of 'the perfect job'.
For me, that would be a mystery or thriller novel, preferably by Harlan Coben or Patricia Cornwell, or Bill Brysons's latest travel book. Better still, I would love to translate Bruce Springsteen's lyrics. Actually, I would do the latter for free
What do you dream of?
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My idea of a perfect translation would be one that is paid well (at least 2.- € / line) and is not expected to be finished yesterday!
| | | | Elena Bellucci
Local time: 02:07
Member (2003)
English to Italian
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I would retransalte the Lord of the Rings. Or any other work by JRR ^_^;;
Well, maybe I'm going a bit too far. But we are talking about dreams, aren't we?
| | | | | Dreams DO come true! | Dec 3, 2004 |
My greatest wish, once I had started free-lancing, was to translate my favourite book - so I called the author to tell him how much I liked his work and wouldn't he like to have it translated? Answer: YES, he had been looking for a translator and what were my rates? So I did it, got paid extremely well, am still getting money from reprints and was able to sit back and relax, for a while at least. So, don't dream - create your own reality!
Cheers to all those dreamers out there ... See more My greatest wish, once I had started free-lancing, was to translate my favourite book - so I called the author to tell him how much I liked his work and wouldn't he like to have it translated? Answer: YES, he had been looking for a translator and what were my rates? So I did it, got paid extremely well, am still getting money from reprints and was able to sit back and relax, for a while at least. So, don't dream - create your own reality!
Cheers to all those dreamers out there
[Edited at 2004-12-03 12:25] ▲ Collapse
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Kevin Fulton 
United States
Local time: 20:07
German to English
| Modest dreams | Dec 3, 2004 |
The ideal translation for me would be one with a sensible deadline. The document would be written by a native speaker of the source language, a writer with an appreciation of good usage who avoided obscure abbreviations and acronyms. He/she would use standard terminology and not make up words. The author would know how to use a spellchecker and would properly format the document.
I'd get the full price for every word and would be paid on time.
Dream on, boy ...
Ke... See more The ideal translation for me would be one with a sensible deadline. The document would be written by a native speaker of the source language, a writer with an appreciation of good usage who avoided obscure abbreviations and acronyms. He/she would use standard terminology and not make up words. The author would know how to use a spellchecker and would properly format the document.
I'd get the full price for every word and would be paid on time.
Dream on, boy ...
Kevin ▲ Collapse
| | | | Aurora Humarán (X)
Argentina
Local time: 21:07
English to Spanish
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He wrote in English many times. There may be an unknown manuscript somewhere.
I would LOVE to be assigned a translation by Kodama Translations Inc. I would do it for free, needless to say.
Au
| | | | Aurora Humarán (X)
Argentina
Local time: 21:07
English to Spanish
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Kfulton wrote:
The ideal translation for me would be one with a sensible deadline. The document would be written by a native speaker of the source language, a writer with an appreciation of good usage who avoided obscure abbreviations and acronyms. He/she would use standard terminology and not make up words. The author would know how to use a spellchecker and would properly format the document.
Kevin
Kevin, do you really think yours is a modest dream?
I think that even mine might come true before yours. Borges may come back to life, he may even be awarded the Nobel Prize...but your ideal translation is too ideal!
Au
Well, the poster wanted us to 'dream'...
[Edited at 2004-12-03 13:24]
| | | | Saifa (X)
Local time: 02:07
German to French
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| Tzvetan Todorov... | Dec 3, 2004 |
The ideal translation would be well paid and I would have plenty of time...
If nobody had done it before me, I would have liked to translate the whole work of Tzvetan Todorov into German or García Márquez into French.
Also, I would enjoy translating book about animals, especially dogs: how they think, how they feel (instead of having to translate files about slaughting houses and meat industry!)
Chademu
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| Children & Self-help stuff | Dec 3, 2004 |
Well, maybe there was a dream come true first -- my first translation assignment, stories for children. Oh, I wish for more... A runner up would be a book on self-help. I like translating & learning at the same time. Priceless.
My husband adds his piece of mind to this thread: "Perfect translation job? The one with lots of copy-paste parts."
Oh, now you've encouraged me to dream...
Seadeta
| | | | Helmet80
Local time: 01:07
Spanish to English
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To get into it in the first place!!!
| | | | | Now I am starting to daydream! | Dec 4, 2004 |
Ideal translation job: Translating Harry Potter - but that has already been done or earlier Patricia Cornwell novels. Not the later ones, I do not much care for them.
Or translate a whold medical textbook -daunting to do it on my own, but I am dreaming, am I not?
A perfectly formatted text that does not need any reformatting.
We can go on. Well, the ultimate, steady work and sensible deadlines.
It was fun, thanks for starting the forum.
... See more Ideal translation job: Translating Harry Potter - but that has already been done or earlier Patricia Cornwell novels. Not the later ones, I do not much care for them.
Or translate a whold medical textbook -daunting to do it on my own, but I am dreaming, am I not?
A perfectly formatted text that does not need any reformatting.
We can go on. Well, the ultimate, steady work and sensible deadlines.
It was fun, thanks for starting the forum.
Lucinda ▲ Collapse
| | | | Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 18:07
English to Spanish
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In memoriam
A ton of Mexican legal documents. I love them, I really do. They all tell a story, plus they pay the bills.
We must be practical, after all...
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Kathinka Lavelle wrote: My greatest wish, once I had started free-lancing, was to translate my favourite book - so I called the author to tell him how much I liked his work and wouldn't he like to have it translated? Answer: YES, he had been looking for a translator and what were my rates? So I did it, got paid extremely well, am still getting money from reprints and was able to sit back and relax, for a while at least. So, don't dream - create your own reality! Cheers to all those dreamers out there [Edited at 2004-12-03 12:25]
...and three more wows. Doing something one loves to do and getting paid for it as well. What else one needs.
| | | | IanW (X)
Local time: 02:07
German to English
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Personally, I agree with Kevin's modest dream of well-written texts and Derek's generous line rates and deadlines, but if I had to chance - and if I didn't have other customers to attend to - I'd love to translate Wladimir Kaminer's "Russendisko" from German into English.
All the best
Ian
| | | | Ruxi
German to Romanian
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I dream to translate the books I love in Romanian: biographies,historical, books about less known regions of the world.
Somebody here said she had a similar dream and translated her favorite novel.
I wonder how she succeeded. The problem is to persuade the editors not the autors, or better both.
The editors are those who stop translations.
I once translated an interesting book for someone private and later I decided to offer it to an editor.
First I wrote to the son... See more I dream to translate the books I love in Romanian: biographies,historical, books about less known regions of the world.
Somebody here said she had a similar dream and translated her favorite novel.
I wonder how she succeeded. The problem is to persuade the editors not the autors, or better both.
The editors are those who stop translations.
I once translated an interesting book for someone private and later I decided to offer it to an editor.
First I wrote to the son of the autor (she was old and ill in an institution) and her son was managing her work. I thought he might be happy to translate te book in another language in the world. He was happy indeed, but sent me to his representative for copy-right and this person was so unfriendly, telling me only an editor can have the copy-right. No explanation, no help, nothing.
The editors did not answer to my offer and so my dream was killed.
So it happens to most of the writers and literar translators. It is difficult to work with editors, that's why many dreams are impossible.
Good luck to you,
Ruxi ▲ Collapse
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