ProZ.com Translation Forums

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | Actual errors - no

Diana Obermeyer — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:56:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Diana Obermeyer
Post title: Actual errors - no

I'm happy to apply whatever glossary or style guide or preferences the client might specify.
I'm happy to localise or leave out entire sections.
I'm happy to go along with reasonable paraphrasing.
But when it comes to actual errors, I will explain why the suggestion is erroneous, what effect it has on the meaning, and that I cannot put my name to such error (gradually progressing through those steps).
If the client desperately wants to have that error in his document, he can insert it himself.

Every German thinks that their English is perfect. Many are keen to prove that by germanising English texts. Most are happy to accept explanations.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | I would do the same

Seula Yun — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 16:38:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Seula Yun
Post title: I would do the same

I would do the same.. I am trying not to bother PMs as much as possible
[quote]Luca Tutino wrote:

I received similar requests in the past (some clients are convinced they know Italian better than Italians), but it never happened to me that I could not change their minds by quoting authoritative sources.

In the specific case mentioned by Giuseppina, should I not manage to convince the client that what he is asking is an error, I think I would deliver my correct translation together with a second file named "xxxxxx_incl erring amend(s) as requested by the client.xxx".

[/quote]

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | no

Maxi Schwarz — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 04:55:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Maxi Schwarz
Post title: no

There are professional ethics, especially if you regularly certify the correctness and accuracy of your work, and there is also your reputation. Some of the things mentioned might not be actual true errors.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | I might deliver both right and wrong translations, clearly marked as such

Luca Tutino — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 00:19:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Luca Tutino
Post title: I might deliver both right and wrong translations, clearly marked as such

I received similar requests in the past (some clients are convinced they know Italian better than Italians), but it never happened to me that I could not change their minds by quoting authoritative sources.

In the specific case mentioned by Giuseppina, should I not manage to convince the client that what he is asking is an error, I think I would deliver my correct translation together with a second file named "xxxxxx_incl erring amend(s) as requested by the client.xxx".

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | What I would do

Elizabeth Tamblin (X) — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 21:55:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Elizabeth Tamblin (X)
Post title: What I would do

I would not agree to deliberately misspell* words or use incorrect grammar, unless it was some kind of nonsense poem. However, clients are free to change things as much as they like once it is out of my hands.

*Split infinitive, I know!

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | No terminology

Giuseppina Gatta, MA (Hons) — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 21:37:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Giuseppina Gatta, MA (Hons)
Post title: No terminology

[quote]Rebecca Garber wrote:

I answered "no", because the question does not appear to be asking, "would you use incorrect terminology", but instead, would you add factual errors or errors in interpretation to a translation.
If the question was intended to discuss incorrect terminology, then it was worded very poorly. [/quote]

No, it was not intended to discuss incorrect terminology. I am talking about real errors (grammar errors, or spelling errors). Some colleagues talked about terminology, but that was not what I intended.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | I loathe it

Bruno Veilleux — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 21:29:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Bruno Veilleux
Post title: I loathe it

I "had to" a few times, as I had accepted work and only after I had delivered or had worked through a certain portion of the document did I get told that the glossary/TM had to be adhered to completely regardless of how little sense it made, for consistency. And the kicker: the TM was already inconsistent with itself in many instances so I had to pick which error to reproduce and stick to it, which felt like some kind of terrible backwards reconditioning of my brain.

I don't like to give up on a project I've already started, so the first time it happened I gritted my teeth and saw it to completion (it just had to be over 60,000 words, of course). The other two times, which were this year, the projects were broken into smaller batches and as soon as the situation became apparent I told my clients to seek other translators for the remainder. I absolutely cannot stand being wrong on purpose. The brain learns through repetition, and I never want mediocrity to become the norm in mine.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | Odd wording

Rebecca Garber — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 19:23:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Rebecca Garber
Post title: Odd wording

I answered "no", because the question does not appear to be asking, "would you use incorrect terminology", but instead, would you add factual errors or errors in interpretation to a translation.
If the question was intended to discuss incorrect terminology, then it was worded very poorly.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | I was forced to by PM, then client wanted it back

Chié_JP — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 18:24:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Chié_JP
Post title: I was forced to by PM, then client wanted it back

The client was from government.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | Client is king

Antonio Tomás Lessa do Amaral — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 15:32:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Antonio Tomás Lessa do Amaral
Post title: Client is king

they pick up the tab

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | I know better...

Mario Chavez (X) — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 15:23:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Mario Chavez (X)
Post title: I know better...

[quote]Helen Hagon wrote:

I think this problem is particularly prevalent for translators working into English. There are such a lot of non-native speakers of English around the world, and a small number of them claim to know better than native speakers. On many occasions I have been told by a non-native that 'X' is wrong and I should change it to 'Y'. If possible, I politely explain why X is correct and Y is wrong, and perhaps suggest an alternative which might be mutually acceptable. Most customers are happy with this. The exception, of course, is when there is a deliberate error in the source text to create a particular impression. Then I would attempt to replicate this in the target text. [/quote]

...than some native English speakers here in America. Many times in my career I've encountered an English text which I thought was written by someone with limited English skills. The truth is that they were written by native English speakers! So, what's the explanation? Simple: lack of writing skills, not that the writer was a non-native English speaker.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | Work for hire

Mario Chavez (X) — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 15:16:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Mario Chavez (X)
Post title: Work for hire

[quote]Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:

I've done a work for hire. If the client wants to change something, he/she is free to do so, but I can't see any reason why they should expect me to insert an error. [/quote]

The phrase work for hire is an American colloquialism that, in my opinion, has entered the legal lexicon like many other phrases such as "as-is work." I don't know about other languages, but in Spanish we use very formal legal phrases and terms and circumlocutions.

That is my first cup of coffee talking!

Seriously, the phrase 'work for hire' reminds me of another American stalwart: the hired gun. Would that mean that freelance translators are hired pens?

:D

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | No

Helen Hagon — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 13:31:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Helen Hagon
Post title: No

I think this problem is particularly prevalent for translators working into English. There are such a lot of non-native speakers of English around the world, and a small number of them claim to know better than native speakers. On many occasions I have been told by a non-native that 'X' is wrong and I should change it to 'Y'. If possible, I politely explain why X is correct and Y is wrong, and perhaps suggest an alternative which might be mutually acceptable. Most customers are happy with this. The exception, of course, is when there is a deliberate error in the source text to create a particular impression. Then I would attempt to replicate this in the target text.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | Flexibility

Mario Freitas — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 12:05:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Mario Freitas
Post title: Flexibility

Yes, I'll meet most client demands, provided there is a good reason for it. In this case, it's adviseable to mention, somewhere in the text, that the mistakes are intentional.

I thought it was quite curious that some people stated they never had to do that. I mean, I regularly receive requests from my clients saying, for example, "we use rolling crane here, instead of overhead crane". You know the former is a literal and undue translation and the latter is the correct one, but you have to stick to the client's jargon (right or wrong), because they'll not review the other 100k documents where they have been using the undue term for 10 years. This is so common, I can't see how an experienced translator can possibly say they had never had to do this.

I will NOT, however, accommodate mistakes of revisers I don't agree with. I have reverted reviser changes even three times, as the document went back and forth and the reviser kept changing them back. The final word is always that of the translator, unless the reviser proves they are right and the translator is wrong, which is very, very rare.

[Edited at 2017-12-05 12:08 GMT]

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | No

Muriel Vasconcellos (X) — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 11:34:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Muriel Vasconcellos (X)
Post title: No

I've done a work for hire. If the client wants to change something, he/she is free to do so, but I can't see any reason why they should expect me to insert an error.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | Depends

neilmac — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 10:55:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: neilmac
Post title: Depends

"The customer is always right".... etc.
"GrytpypeThynne made a strange request today...."

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | I just can't bring myself to do it

Justin Peterson — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 10:40:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Justin Peterson
Post title: I just can't bring myself to do it

Aha. Yes, I have received this request a few times. No, personally, I refuse to deliver something with mistakes because "the client is used to it" or "they say it that way" or "they're not used to that word." I just can´t bring myself to do it.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | If the text

Michael Harris — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 10:26:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Michael Harris
Post title: If the text

[quote]Giuseppina Gatta, MA (Hons) wrote:

Yes, as a colleague said, these situations are not rare, unfortunately. Some clients are not convinced that certain expressions can be wrong in a certain language and when you correct them (I was the editor), then they come up saying that those are not errors, that they are acceptable, etc. In those cases, after explaining my reasons, I do not insist anymore. After all, it's their text, not mine ;) [/quote]

already exists and is a part of their terminology then that is life, and it does not have to be wrong in their world / trade.

I have experienced this with several customers and they do that on purpose to differentiate themselves from their competition.

Normally when I do review work, I always have instructions and a TM. If it is in the TM then I may ask, but will keep it as hey want.

Your question is a bit misleading in this context!

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | Quite frequently

Ian Keith Jones Williams — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 09:51:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Ian Keith Jones Williams
Post title: Quite frequently

You can argue with some clients or non-native proofreaders about grammar, expressions, ambiguities or specific words until you are blue in the face, yet they are right as they know your native language better than you do as non-native speakers. I also have some agencies which will not change existing mistakes from previous translators since they will lose face with their client.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | No

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 09:33:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: No

I've never been asked to insert errors into my work...

Of course, over the years I have discussed several translation issues with clients, but after explaining my choice the client has ended up accepting it. Some 15 years ago one of my long-standing customers (a Japanese company) picked a Spanish proofreader for the texts I translate (I translate exclusively into European Portuguese) and it took some time and a LOT of emails back and forth for him to understand that Spanish and Portuguese, though related, are quite different… I also remember an issue with an American multinational conglomerate corporation who insisted that I should write in Portuguese “exite” instead of “hesite”…

[Edited at 2017-12-05 13:09 GMT]

[Edited at 2017-12-05 16:22 GMT]

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | I explain

Giuseppina Gatta, MA (Hons) — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 09:16:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Giuseppina Gatta, MA (Hons)
Post title: I explain

Yes, as a colleague said, these situations are not rare, unfortunately. Some clients are not convinced that certain expressions can be wrong in a certain language and when you correct them (I was the editor), then they come up saying that those are not errors, that they are acceptable, etc. In those cases, after explaining my reasons, I do not insist anymore. After all, it's their text, not mine ;)

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | Unfortunately, such situations are not rare

EvaVer (X) — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 09:01:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: EvaVer (X)
Post title: Unfortunately, such situations are not rare

An employee with a few years of high-school English or (less frequently) French who starts "correcting" my work. I always throw fits and call native speakers to support me. Or people who simply do not know the spelling and/or grammar of their mother tongue, which is also common.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | I have

Kay Denney — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 08:54:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Kay Denney
Post title: I have

I have on occasion had to use terminology that I know is wrong, but the client insists because "it's in the glossary". I always make sure the client knows that it's wrong, and what they should put instead.

The woman who asked us to add a zero to the amount her father was supposed to have left her, though, was told very sharply to get lost. (yes, that really happened!)

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | I did the other day

Maria Simmen — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 08:40:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Maria Simmen
Post title: I did the other day

I was asked to translate a newspaper article that had been written by a "robot journalist", an algorithm, without any human input. Naturally, it wasn't flawless, so I made sure to produce a suitably wonky target text, of course. I did warn my client, though, and they were happy about it.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | with explanation

Marjolein Snippe — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 08:23:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Marjolein Snippe
Post title: with explanation

If the client insisted on a particular term, I would insert it, but accompanied by a clear explanation of why I think it would be wrong, and what solution/translation I would recommend.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | Why?

Edwige Thomas — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 08:20:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Edwige Thomas
Post title: Why?

Please explain why a client would do that.

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | ?

Gianluca Marras — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 08:17:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Gianluca Marras
Post title: ?

why should someone ask to insert errors in my work?

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work? | It really depends

Igor Moshkin — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 08:16:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: Igor Moshkin
Post title: It really depends

Sometimes (though, rarely) errors (in original) can be purposeful. I believe they should be inserted into translation.

[Edited at 2017-12-05 08:17 GMT]

Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?

ProZ.com Staff — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 08:10:01 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?
Poster: ProZ.com Staff

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Would you accommodate a client who asks you to insert errors into your work?".

This poll was originally submitted by Giuseppina Gatta, MA (Hons). View the poll results »