question concerning productivity
English translation: 2,331 words !!! (UN productivity, average for all languages))
| 16:05 Jan 8, 2001 |
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|  Selected response from: Lia Fail (X) Spain Local time: 12:21 | ||||||
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| na | 300 per hour x 5 hours = 1,500 words + 1 hour proof-reading |
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| na | 2,331 words !!! (UN productivity, average for all languages)) |
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Answers
15 mins
300 per hour x 5 hours = 1,500 words + 1 hour proof-reading Explanation: 300 words per hour And working 5 hours 1'500 words. 1 hour researching the subject(reading comprehention) 1 hour proof-reading and cleaning the job ( spell check, grammar check, terminology check ). For a Freelancer that use conventional methods of translation. Not machine-translation. A lot of translators use machine-aid-translation and then proof-read and change as needed. They are faster and less expensive, the quality is not as good, the knowledge of the material not as accurate. |
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59 mins
2,331 words !!! (UN productivity, average for all languages)) Explanation: 1. 2000 words per day is what some say an experienced professional translator can do on average. I think it depends on the individual, the subject matter and the language combination. Some people using dictation software can achieve 8-10,000 words per day. It depends on the individual. As a free agent it is up to you to decide how much you want to work. There is no failure involved - it's just a personal decision. http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:www.translatortips.com/... 2. Some answers to a similar ProZ question: a.this is really a question only you can answer. Each translator has a different daily output. You should set your targets at what you are able to do to the best of your ability...and don't let anyone put added pressure on you. I believe that accuracy should never be compromised and if a client wants a good job, they should be willing to allow you adequate time. I would never ask a translator to translate more than 2000 words per working day. b.I agree fully with the sentiment of Claire's comment, but obviously it has loads to do with content, difficulty and frequency. If you have very similar type texts, I would bump it up to 3000 words/day AND MOST INTERESTING OF ALL: 3. A conscientious translator cannot translate more than five or six double space A4 pages per day. At the UN, the fastest translation unit, the English one, has an average productivity, per translator, of 2331 words per day. The slowest are the Chinese, with an average daily productivity of 843 words. The medium one is the French unit, with an average of 1517 words. ("English unit" means: those who translate from other languages into English; x words means so many words in the original text). [3, table 9]. The average of 7000 words a day per translator at the Council of Ministers of the European Union, quoted in the press [4, p. 6], is not credible for anybody who has been an insider in the translation world. Such a figure is possible only at a very low qualitative level, so low that if it were true, the money earmarked for such translation would be a complete waste. However, facts point to this being a possibility. The first version of the Treaty of Maastricht - a lengthy document (253 pages), and a very important one since it defined the organization of the European Union and all citizens of the member countries were called upon to determine by a vote if they approved or rejected it - had to be withdrawn from all bookstores and libraries because its content varied from one language to the next. The text had to be fully retranslated and reprinted. The cost of the effort involved in doing twice the same work has never been publicly stated. Interesting Article: Linguistic Communication - A Comparative Field Study by Claude Piron SEE http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:www.geocities.com/c_pir... LOTS more on: http://www.google.com/search?q=translator words per day aver... The key's 'conscientious translator'. Output is limited by the work involved -unfamiliar terminology, research, etc. Factors that improve productivity are familiarity, simplicity of theme, tools, liking for the subject and other personal factors. I personally work on the basis of - as long as I get/the time I have. Ideally, I could commit myself to about 3,000/day but would prefer not to, and would possibly turn down a job that required that, unless other circumstances were ideal (possibilities for concentration, especially). |
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