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| User | Thread poster: wizard_of_words Quality in Translation website |
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wizard_of_words
Israel
Local time: 03:22
English to Hebrew
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Hi everybody,
I’ve come across the Quality in Translation website at
http://www.qualityintranslation.org/
The site name speaks for itself – and I believe it should be publicized on ProZ.com.
In a nutshell:
The Quality in Translation campaign is a new initiative aimed at raising awareness of the value of the work done by skilled, expert translators and improving the quality of translated materials worldwide via self-regulation within the translation industry.
From the campaign statement:
“The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness amongst translation buyers that translation is not a commodity and translators are not pegs on a board. Despite the fact that language plays such a critical role in how we interact with the world, surprisingly few people understand what is required to deliver a ‘good’ translation; a translation that strives to express the same thoughts and impressions as the original text; a translation that strives to pass as if originally written in the target language.”
Regarding the increasing trend towards lower prices and faster turnarounds in the translation industry, which both negatively impact quality:
“… the simple truth is that good translators are not cheap, nor should they be.”
Declared campaign aim:
“We want to educate executives to the fact that they should look behind price and try to understand the relationship of cost, value, and ROI when it comes to translation services.”
Thanks for your attention and comments.
Hanni (wizard_of_words)
Edited at 2011-11-05 13:50 GMT]
[Edited at 2011-11-06 00:21 GMT]
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Joel Pina Diaz 
Argentina
Local time: 21:22
  Member (2009)
English to Spanish
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Thank you so much to post! This initiative must become stronger and part of every single professional translation site / place. Colleagues and agencies must commit, I really hope so. I will be one pushing up this initiative for sure.
Regards.
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wizard_of_words
Israel
Local time: 03:22
English to Hebrew
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TOPIC STARTER |
Dear Joel,
Thanks for the encouragement and support.
Let's hope that the initiative will indeed bear fruit.
All the best,
Hanni
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| Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member for the following reason: Not edited as requested for infringement of site rule http://www.proz.com/siterules/general/2#2 |
Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 02:22
Member
German to English
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| | Improving the quality? | Nov 7, 2011 |
Nice idea. No doubt about that.
I share MM's healthy reservations (which have since been removed). Secretive operation was my first impression too. What is being hidden? And why?
Cilian
edited to add "(which have since been removed)"
[Edited at 2011-11-07 22:35 GMT]
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Wordeffect
France
Local time: 02:22
Member (2009)
French to English
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| | With mediamatrix & Cilian | Nov 7, 2011 |
100%.
Just who are these folks?
The "No Peanuts" campaign has been open right from the start, so what's going on here?
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Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:22
Member (2011)
Hebrew to English
| | Mediamatrix hit the nail on the head | Nov 7, 2011 |
I agree wholeheartedly with mediamatrix. Not much else to add but some points to ponder:
•“Raise awareness” (amongst translation buyers) about the plight of the translator. Fair enough, but in my experience the issue isn’t that buyers don’t know, they just don’t care. It’s not ignorance, it’s apathy.
As for the 7 commitments, they are:
o Obvious/Common sense:
1) Striving for the best possible translation every time
o Ideal but Unrealistic:
4) Only working with professional translators translating into their native language
5) Only handing assignments to translators specialised in the particular field
These represent an ideal, but not realistic to adhere to 100% of the time. Especially with rarer languages/rare language combinations.
o Misguided:
6) Constantly striving to improve translators through constructive feedback and ongoing training
Agencies giving constructive feedback I understand, it’s part of the process...but ongoing training? Maybe if you work in-house but for Freelancers we are not employees, the onus is on us to nurture our own professional development.
o Self-serving (and off the mark as noted above):
7) Actively raising the awareness of buyers about the goals of the “Quality in Translation” campaign
All of the above represent the doubts I have from the “Campaign Statement” alone. The advice in the “Translation buying hints” section is equally questionable. Mostly, it reflects the issues emphasised above, but the gist of their advice is that a good translator is an expensive one who also supports the “Quality in Translation” campaign (surprise surprise...). In my opinion this is a gross oversimplification. Admittedly, you may “get what you pay for” but it isn’t always that straightforward. Since we all set our own rates based on what WE think we’re worth, it entails that an expensive translator isn’t necessarily any “better” than a cheaper one. There are a myriad of other factors which influence a translator’s rates. To paint the picture of expensive translator good, cheap translator bad is to ignore a lot of other variables.
They also venture back into obvious territory again:
“Does the translation service specialise in some languages, or does it offer every language under the sun?”
I am rather dubious about the true “message” of this faceless campaign.
I also don’t like the logos….aesthetically.
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| Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member because it was not in line with site rule |
xxxfisz_co_uk
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:22
English to Polish
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| | Thank you for sharing | Nov 7, 2011 |
I've just started so any advice is really helpful.
Polish translator
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wizard_of_words
Israel
Local time: 03:22
English to Hebrew
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TOPIC STARTER | | Re recent post by fisz_co_uk | Nov 7, 2011 |
You’re welcome.
It’s refreshing to see, for a change, a translation agency that is willing to acknowledge or at least sincerely consider the value of the Quality in Translation initiative rather than dismiss it on false grounds, for no other reason than feeling menaced by it.
Thank you, Hanni
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wizard_of_words
Israel
Local time: 03:22
English to Hebrew
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TOPIC STARTER | | Re the ongoing discussion, | Nov 7, 2011 |
Hi,
I’ve just come across a post added by Roser Bosch on the Quality in Translation website on May 27, 2010 (http://www.qualityintranslation.org/2010/05/improving-translation-standards/), referring to a petition made by a group of translators on the Proz job posting system on March 3, 2010 (http://www.proz.com/about/ipetition/input), which addresses the very same problem of low rates and unacceptable working conditions at issue here.
You’re welcome to follow the above link (http://www.proz.com/about/ipetition/input) and realize how ProZ.com staff members handled the petition – and it’s surely to their credit!
The post reads as follows:
“Hi,
For those of us who are members of Proz.com, a well-known website for translator jobs and resources, this is in line with the petition made by a group of translators on the Proz job posting system (http://www.proz.com/about/ipetition/input). This has recently seen an alarming increase in the number of job offers containing rates and working conditions considered totally unacceptable by the translators signing the petition. As a result, Proz.com has changed its posting system so that the pricing field is removed from the job posting form; clients still have the possibility to publish a budget range, but the translators can choose whether to view those budget ranges or not. The view behind this is that the individual translator is in the best position to determine what he or she needs to charge to deliver the quality required on a particular job, and that the massive publication of jobs offering very low rates was pushing general rates down and consequently, output quality since only those inexperienced or poor translators would bid –and work– on those jobs.
I think we translators need in general to educate translation agencies – and they in turn their final clients – to make them understand that we cannot produce a quality translation if we are not properly remunerated, and that the alternative to award it to an excessively cheap translator will only make them gain a once-off project but lose clients in the long term, and impoverish the reputation of the translation profession in general. If we all refuse poorly paid jobs – or jobs with too tight deadlines which won’t allow us to work on it as long as required – eventually the translation industry will benefit from it.
Roser Bosch”
[Edited at 2011-11-07 20:27 GMT]
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Angela Dickson
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:22
Member
French to English
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wizard_of_words wrote:
Thanks for the encouragement and support.
Let's hope that the initiative will indeed bear fruit. |
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This is interesting. Do you have a connection with the website?
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Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 02:22
Member
German to English
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| | Would interest me too! | Nov 7, 2011 |
Angela Dickson wrote:
wizard_of_words wrote:
Thanks for the encouragement and support.
Let's hope that the initiative will indeed bear fruit. |
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This is interesting. Do you have a connection with the website? |
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Is there a personal interest involved? And who are the people behind it?
The "campaign" might be taken more seriously if real people/names were involved.
My name is Cilian O'Tuama. See, it's easy!
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wizard_of_words
Israel
Local time: 03:22
English to Hebrew
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TOPIC STARTER | |
| Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member because it was not in line with site rule |
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