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Poll: In the last 6 months I've been up *all* night translating:
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
Textklick
Textklick  Identity Verified
Local time: 12:57
German to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Quality Aug 1, 2007

I kick in at about 07:00 (most of my customers are one hour ahead).

I find that by 19:00 I am flagging. I could go on, but I don't want to and I don't need to. I have tried it before, and found on the following day that my "late work" was just not worth the time and needed serious revision. I could have done it better and more quickly the following morning.

If I have promised to do something then I will do it, taking the timeframe into account and knowing how long it
... See more
I kick in at about 07:00 (most of my customers are one hour ahead).

I find that by 19:00 I am flagging. I could go on, but I don't want to and I don't need to. I have tried it before, and found on the following day that my "late work" was just not worth the time and needed serious revision. I could have done it better and more quickly the following morning.

If I have promised to do something then I will do it, taking the timeframe into account and knowing how long it will take.
As a recent poll mentioned, it's often a question of having to say "No" (or rather "Sorry").

Should some kind of "emergency" arise, despite careful planning (e.g. power outage, PC problem), then I would outsource to a trusted colleague and explain to the client that I might be a few hours late. This has happened maybe three times over the last five years, and I discovered that clients are understanding, especially when you are honest.

Delivering crap is a waste of time and grossly irresponsible.

Imagine what could happen e.g if your doctor were tired and gave an incorrect diagnosis. Your accountant screwed up because he was overworked. Your lawyer fouled up because he had not paid sufficient attention to your explanation of the facts...

Ours is a profession, but there is life beyond translation, addictive though it may be.

Good night - early start ahead...
Chris



[Edited at 2007-08-01 22:24]
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Satu Ilva
Satu Ilva  Identity Verified
Finland
Local time: 14:57
English to Finnish
+ ...
no all-nighters for me Aug 2, 2007

My brain is wired to shut down at 10pm at the latest, usually earlier. I would not get any useful work done after that, so I don't try.

 
Anne Patteet
Anne Patteet  Identity Verified
Local time: 07:57
English to French
+ ...
don't and wouldn't Aug 2, 2007

When I was a student, some exams required to stay up all night...

Then when I was a mom with newborns, there was no choice (and some didn't let me sleep more than 20 minutes in a row, day or night, no joke).

Now that the four of them sleep all night (hurray!), I find that I can work in the morning, take care of the family in the afternoon, and then work again at night, meaning from 8 or 9 PM to maximum 12. Otherwise I'm no good either for the family or for the paid job.
... See more
When I was a student, some exams required to stay up all night...

Then when I was a mom with newborns, there was no choice (and some didn't let me sleep more than 20 minutes in a row, day or night, no joke).

Now that the four of them sleep all night (hurray!), I find that I can work in the morning, take care of the family in the afternoon, and then work again at night, meaning from 8 or 9 PM to maximum 12. Otherwise I'm no good either for the family or for the paid job...
So I actually translate anywhere between 5 to 8 or 9 hours everyday, enough considering all there is to do with a big family.
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Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 13:57
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Would not be fair to other customers Aug 2, 2007

I think that staying up all night for a job and then feeling miserable for two more days would not be fair to other customers as it would put the quality of their assignments at risk...

 
Alison Schwitzgebel
Alison Schwitzgebel
France
Local time: 13:57
German to English
+ ...
Ditto! Aug 2, 2007

Textklick wrote:

I find that by 19:00 I am flagging....

...Delivering crap is a waste of time and grossly irresponsible....

...Ours is a profession, but there is life beyond translation, addictive though it may be.



I couldn't agree more.

Alison


 
Luciana E. Lovatto
Luciana E. Lovatto  Identity Verified
Argentina
English to Spanish
You are absolutely right! Aug 2, 2007

Textklick wrote:

I kick in at about 07:00 (most of my customers are one hour ahead).

I find that by 19:00 I am flagging. I could go on, but I don't want to and I don't need to. I have tried it before, and found on the following day that my "late work" was just not worth the time and needed serious revision. I could have done it better and more quickly the following morning.

If I have promised to do something then I will do it, taking the timeframe into account and knowing how long it will take.
As a recent poll mentioned, it's often a question of having to say "No" (or rather "Sorry").

Should some kind of "emergency" arise, despite careful planning (e.g. power outage, PC problem), then I would outsource to a trusted colleague and explain to the client that I might be a few hours late. This has happened maybe three times over the last five years, and I discovered that clients are understanding, especially when you are honest.

Delivering crap is a waste of time and grossly irresponsible.

Imagine what could happen e.g if your doctor were tired and gave an incorrect diagnosis. Your accountant screwed up because he was overworked. Your lawyer fouled up because he had not paid sufficient attention to your explanation of the facts...

Ours is a profession, but there is life beyond translation, addictive though it may be.

Good night - early start ahead...
Chris



[Edited at 2007-08-01 22:24]


As Alison said, I couldn’t agree more.


 
Erzsébet Czopyk
Erzsébet Czopyk  Identity Verified
Hungary
Local time: 13:57
Member (2006)
Russian to Hungarian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
stay up all night 11-20 times a month = insomnia Aug 3, 2007

[quote]lexical wrote:
"it can't be good for them or the quality of their translations."

First of all, English is NOT my language - I do apologise for the mistakes.

I am one of the respondents who stay up all night 11-20 times a month. In the case of insomnia, when you get used from your childhood NOT sleep all night, because you are not able to sleep continuously, you are simply not able to do that, it means I am able working all night almost every single weekday (minimum 3 times a week). I worked previously in the Las Vegas Casino in Budapest 2 years - permanently ONLY in night shift by my own request! When I am working at night , I am going to bed approx. 4.30 a.m. and able to sleep until 7, then I wake up the kids, we are going to the school, after I return home, I still could sleep, but I have to open the office! Of course, I sleep (this is my second round) in the afternoon, but I can give you my best between 20.00 p.m. and 4.00 a.m., it is good for my customers and the quality of my translations is not worse.

I always start work after 21.00 p.m. and rarely finish it before 4 a.m., but I think we have accept the things how they are and not fight and use different medication against our bodies. Nothing, but nothing, would persuade me to take a sleeping pill, better I work during the night.

If I was forced translating from 7.00 or 8.00 a.m. I would look for another job

In Anne Patteet's posting I've found something from my life:
"When I was a student, some exams required to stay up all night..."
"Then when I was a mom with newborns, there was no choice (and some didn't let me sleep more than 20 minutes in a row, day or night, no joke). "
-two of my kids were the same...
"Now that the four of them sleep all night (hurray!)"
I have 4 kids too... now I do not have to jump up in the middle of the night, at 20.30 p.m. I read for two smallers from fairytale book, then (they fall asleep) I can start.

I learned one sentence from Shrek: "people judge me before they know me"...so please, be so kind not judge others (even the translations of other person, what you never saw), each of us may have different reasons for translating all day - or all night.

Regards, Elizabeth


 
Mariam Osmann
Mariam Osmann
Egypt
Local time: 14:57
English to Arabic
+ ...
agree with Elizabeth Sep 18, 2007

How many times I haven't?
Best time to work, after the crazy town sleeps.
This is the only period of time off from frequent family interruptions.

Regards,
Mariam


 
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Poll: In the last 6 months I've been up *all* night translating:






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