English translation: Translating your needs into action
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23:47 Nov 5, 2009
French to English translations [PRO] Marketing - Advertising / Public Relations / commerce
French term or phrase:De l'écoute à l'action !
Slogan pour une entreprise logisitique, original translations were
From listening to action! (doesn't make any sense to me)
and
From start to finish (but we need the idea of being able to listen to the customer)
I agree with you entirely, Mediamatrix. I think that (rather bizarrely, for people who are supposed to understand the nature of the profession intimately) there is a lack of acknowledgment of this within translation agencies. My wont to live in out-of-the-way places means I am highly dependent on these intermediaries, who seem to be scared to ask the client for more than a “rate-per-word,” whatever the job. My adman husband has got fed up with my asking him to get his creative cogs whirring for peanuts. The solution seems to be, if you can’t deal directly with the client in these scenarios, just say no.
If only I had inside information to mediamatrtix's personal memory bank / database. I think to translate this slogan in two words is nothing short of genious!!!
Yes, I'm deadly serious. I'd be exremely surprised if the person who dreamt up "De l'écoute à l'action !" only claimed 10 eurocents per word: €0.60. In most cases slogans don't translate well - they need to be 're-invented' on the basis of a full understanding of the client's operations and objectives, as well as the constraints/opportunities offered by the target language/culture. That's a job for highly-paid advertising people who are familiar with the target audience, not Kudoz.
after a certain point, this sort of thing involves creative imagination and some people get paid large sums of money for doing just that. Why should translators give it away for free...
I find it exhausting (and usually futile) work persuading clients that the "price per word" culture does not apply to advertising. Then again, I work mainly through translation agencies, which could be the problem.
I really did not mean to rip off anybody here, especially you Chris, you've done a great job, thanks again. I just meant to use this great tool that proz is to confront opinions and get some professional feedback. Never pretendes anybody should spend hours on that really :)
In this field the price depends more on the ability of the client to pay than it does on the translator's 'per source word' tariff. We'd need to know if the client is, for example, a major worldwide courier company or ... my local news-agent.
This kind of translation - even though only a few words - is an entire job in itself. And, to whoever comes up with the 'right' solution, it may be worth a *lot* of money.
I suggest that it should be posted as a job, not a Kudoz.
I also believe that the client should be prepared to pay a handsome price for the answer I have in mind - which I am prepared to sell for its true worth but will most certainly not give away free...
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Answers
4 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +7
Translating your needs into action
Explanation: Maybe
Mark Nathan Local time: 03:40 Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 8
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +7