Contacted through Proz for unpaid help Thread poster: Carmen Álvarez
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Carmen Álvarez 
Spain
Local time: 13:18
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Dear Translators,
if you take a look at my profile, you will see that I am not a professional translator but a scientist. However I love translating scientific texts into Spanish and therefore I decided to join Proz, just for learning from the professionals and helping other non-professionals.
Today I got for the first time an email requesting my help with a maths text. The sender only named 15 mathematical expressions and suggested his own translations, nearly all of them bei... See more Dear Translators,
if you take a look at my profile, you will see that I am not a professional translator but a scientist. However I love translating scientific texts into Spanish and therefore I decided to join Proz, just for learning from the professionals and helping other non-professionals.
Today I got for the first time an email requesting my help with a maths text. The sender only named 15 mathematical expressions and suggested his own translations, nearly all of them being wrong, so I assume that he does not understand the text as a whole.
I find it ridiculous to be paid for just 15 expressions (specially because it would be an international transfer with change of currency), but on the other hand the sender seems to need real help with a larger text...
Sorry for my ignorance but I have no idea what to do... should I do it for free or should I ask to translate the whole text for a given price?
Thanks a lot in advance to everyone,
Carmen ▲ Collapse
| | | | Schwabamädle
Canada
Local time: 07:18
English to German
+ ...
Very so often I also get some kind of request which seems odd. In the beginning I answered back with my offer to help and I have not even heard a thank you. I would be careful that it is not a spammer. I think there is lots of math help out there. Even if you type the math assignment into google you will find answers. Maybe I am wrong with this specific one?
It showes that you are a nice person and care about your fellowman, but this is not a crucial thing and therefore I would dele... See more Very so often I also get some kind of request which seems odd. In the beginning I answered back with my offer to help and I have not even heard a thank you. I would be careful that it is not a spammer. I think there is lots of math help out there. Even if you type the math assignment into google you will find answers. Maybe I am wrong with this specific one?
It showes that you are a nice person and care about your fellowman, but this is not a crucial thing and therefore I would delete it.
I am wondering how I am getting treated the next time I need something ?? (-; Karma already plays on my conscience.
Hm, ja do it for free
All the best
Andrea ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Have they heard of Kudoz? | Apr 13, 2005 |
Hi Carmen,
Carmen Alvarez wrote:
Today I got for the first time an email requesting my help with a maths text. The sender only named 15 mathematical expressions and suggested his own translations, nearly all of them being wrong, so I assume that he does not understand the text as a whole.
I find it ridiculous to be paid for just 15 expressions (specially because it would be an international transfer with change of currency), but on the other hand the sender seems to need real help with a larger text...
If there are just 15 expressions from a longer text, why not suggest posting them as Kudoz questions (a few at a time of course). You would still be helping, but in a different way.
And no international transfer fees on the points!
All the best, Deborah
| | | | Carmen Álvarez
Spain
Local time: 13:18
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks a lot for your advices! As the hours pass by, I realize there is really something odd about it.
[quote]Andrea Di Marco wrote:
Very so often I also get some kind of request which seems odd. In the beginning I answered back with my offer to help and I have not even heard a thank you.
Exactly, Andrea! He just asked for help as if it was my duty (as if I was being paid...). Almost no explanations on the project, just the list of words after a short greeting...
And in reply to Deborah: yes, that's the point! He can get different answers and choose the best one through KudoZ, but why did he choose to contact me instead?
Maybe he simply doesn't know about KudoZ but I am wondering if he had so many questions that he just mailed 5 or 6 different people to get a total of some 100 words translated...
I think I will decide what to do when I see the whole context.
Thanks again and have a nice day!
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Carmen Álvarez
Spain
Local time: 13:18
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | End of the story | Apr 18, 2005 |
Hello!
If anyone is interested, I would like to tell that finally I made the translation with a little explanation for each term, in order to avoid mistakes, because there was no context.
The translations were intended for a school in Texas for Latin immigrants, in order to help them adapt themselves to the new English-speaking environment.
So I was very happy to do it, and it took only one hour of my time.
Greetings ... See more Hello!
If anyone is interested, I would like to tell that finally I made the translation with a little explanation for each term, in order to avoid mistakes, because there was no context.
The translations were intended for a school in Texas for Latin immigrants, in order to help them adapt themselves to the new English-speaking environment.
So I was very happy to do it, and it took only one hour of my time.
Greetings ▲ Collapse
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