| Pages in topic: [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8] > | Poll: When a potential translation job is described to me, the word(s) I dread hearing the most is Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "When a potential translation job is described to me, the word(s) I dread hearing the most is".
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629
| | | | | Small job, best price, huge volumes in the future | Mar 18, 2008 |
"This is just a small job, but we are expecting millions and millions of words from the same client in the future, so competetive rates are essential. Please supply your best rate."
Cecilia
[Edited at 2008-03-18 13:24]
| | | | Carla Guerreiro 
France
Local time: 12:53
Member (2006)
French to Portuguese
+ ...
| "Urgent job" | Mar 18, 2008 |
This is a most dreadful expression for me, because it means surely that they will give you translation jobs with very very tight deadlines... and then, they won't pay you, because they say your translation is not good.
| | | | Margreet Logmans (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 12:53
English to Dutch
+ ...
| Straightforward/easy | Mar 18, 2008 |
I voted 'straightforward', but I could have voted 'easy' as well.
Whenever these terms are used, I fear tight deadlines and lots of comments from the client/agency.
I am strongly reminded of Mervyn Henderson's Little Translator, where the client says: I could have done it myself, or my secretary, if only we had time...
http://www.proz.com/topic/96349
This one is a g... See more I voted 'straightforward', but I could have voted 'easy' as well.
Whenever these terms are used, I fear tight deadlines and lots of comments from the client/agency.
I am strongly reminded of Mervyn Henderson's Little Translator, where the client says: I could have done it myself, or my secretary, if only we had time...
http://www.proz.com/topic/96349
This one is a gem too: http://www.proz.com/topic/92996
I always wonder how they think they know what is easy for me... ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
| "It's a marketing text...." | Mar 18, 2008 |
in other words, it will be utterly meaningless bilge and piffle of the kind that makes my blood boil and my skin creep.
And yet, despite my barely-disguised contempt for this particular form of writing (and I can hardly believe it doesn't somehow come through in the translation) there are actually a couple of end-clients at one agency I work with who sometimes specifically request that I translate their puerile hogwash.
| | | |
I agree completely with Carla. When I see the words "urgent" or "availability to work under pressure", this means that they will treat you bad, give you a large text with almost no possibility or time to proofread it, then they will point out at all the mistakes you made (cause of course, who can work so quick and not make mistakes?), and finally they will take 30 to 45 days to pay you.
I try to avoid these jobs as much as I can...
[Edited at 2008-03-18 13:37]
[Edited ... See more I agree completely with Carla. When I see the words "urgent" or "availability to work under pressure", this means that they will treat you bad, give you a large text with almost no possibility or time to proofread it, then they will point out at all the mistakes you made (cause of course, who can work so quick and not make mistakes?), and finally they will take 30 to 45 days to pay you.
I try to avoid these jobs as much as I can...
[Edited at 2008-03-18 13:37]
[Edited at 2008-03-19 13:15] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Diana Arbiser
United States
Local time: 04:53
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Urgent + best rate | Mar 18, 2008 |
The words "urgent" and "best rate" together just don't make sense to me. And if you think about it, "best rate"... for me? It's probably the opposite of "best rate" for the job posters!
| | | |
Usually accompanied by payment in 60 days after invoice, which should be sent on the 15th of the month after delivery.
It means one or more of these:
1. We are unable to plan; everything we do is because the deadline got close, and the big boss had a fit.
2. We think translation is a piece of cake, any numbskull can do it in no time at all. We don't do it ourselves because we are too busy with more important work.
3. We offer such low ra... See more Usually accompanied by payment in 60 days after invoice, which should be sent on the 15th of the month after delivery.
It means one or more of these:
1. We are unable to plan; everything we do is because the deadline got close, and the big boss had a fit.
2. We think translation is a piece of cake, any numbskull can do it in no time at all. We don't do it ourselves because we are too busy with more important work.
3. We offer such low rates that in the past three months we haven't been able to find one single amateur willing to take them. So we finally realized that we must raise them a bit, otherwise we won't deliver the job, and all our great profit margin will fly away with it.
[Edited at 2008-03-18 13:42] ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
I avoid all large jobs with next to impossible deadlines. Those and any jobs with the words "payment 45/60 days after date of invoice". I just don't even bother to submit quotes anymore. I just have no desire to work for companies that pay 60 days after I submit a job, especially if it was urgent. 14 days, 21 max but why do I have to wait two months for payment?
| | | | Steven Capsuto
United States
Local time: 06:53
Member (2004)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Send us your best rate | Mar 18, 2008 |
Grrrrrrrrrrrrr............
| | | | | "I already translated the doc myself." | Mar 18, 2008 |
Hi,
I think that the words that I dread the most hearing are: "I already translated it myself, so you only have to review the translation. ... Therefore, you should charge me less."
Patricia
[Edited at 2008-03-18 14:35]
| | | | Andrea Riffo
Chile
Local time: 06:53
English to Spanish
+ ...
Besides tight deadlines and hilarious rate proposals when hearing/reading this description, I also fear -so far, with good reason- an "I would have done it myself, but..." client. No to mention, I've heard a text is "easy" from people who can barely put two sentences together in English, so I can't help but wondering, how would they know???
Not worth the hassle.
[Edited at 2008-03-18 14:28]
| | |
|
|
|
lexical
Spain
Local time: 12:53
Portuguese to English
| easy and straightforward... | Mar 18, 2008 |
...because that's usually the last thing it is. In fact, it's likely to be technically challenging, in an awkward format and with parts of it illegible. The job's already been turned down by two other translators and they're now trying to persuade you to do it...
| | | | Pamela Cruz
Chile
Local time: 06:53
English to Spanish
+ ...
...Because it almost always would be technical, requiring some 'insight' on a very-specific jargon, so I would have to COMB Internet, my library, the collective knowledge among my friends, my dreams, etc... looking for the right words.
AND I would have to charge per hour, feeling that an hour was not enough, but... SIGH!
AND the client will not believe that his/her tiny assignment takes $o much time from your part!
[Editado a las 2008-03-19 13:13]
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 03:53
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
Ha! Some innocent 600 words can really make your day if they turn out to be about some particular pin that is part of metal faced full floating seal.
All of the sudden you spend your day learning a lot of stuff about cradle-deck roller assemblies and their close tolerances instead of washing your dishes.
No further comment...
(Based on a true story. Names of metal parts and machines were changed for privacy reasons.)
 ... See more Ha! Some innocent 600 words can really make your day if they turn out to be about some particular pin that is part of metal faced full floating seal.
All of the sudden you spend your day learning a lot of stuff about cradle-deck roller assemblies and their close tolerances instead of washing your dishes.
No further comment...
(Based on a true story. Names of metal parts and machines were changed for privacy reasons.)
 ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Pages in topic: [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: When a potential translation job is described to me, the word(s) I dread hearing the most is | Wordfast Pro | Translation Memory Software for Any Platform
Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users!
Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value
Buy now! » |
| | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
