Off topic: Quote of the day Thread poster: Adam Podstawczynski (X)
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Adam Podstawczynski (X) 
Local time: 11:24
Polish to English
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After I responded to a low-rate proofreading offer:
I understand what you mean by the low rates. However, we are paying lower than the usual proofreading rates because this is not really 'proofreading'. It's just to basically check the general areas like punctuation, spelling, grammar, sentence structure, accuracy.
... See more After I responded to a low-rate proofreading offer:
I understand what you mean by the low rates. However, we are paying lower than the usual proofreading rates because this is not really 'proofreading'. It's just to basically check the general areas like punctuation, spelling, grammar, sentence structure, accuracy.
Isn't that cute? ▲ Collapse
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Grrreat! Thanks for sharing this! Great laughs!
| | | | | | Serge AWONO
Cameroon
Local time: 11:24
English to French
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I am dying of laugh over here... Thx for sharing
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texjax DDS PhD
Local time: 05:24
Member (2006)
English to Italian
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serge awono wrote:
I am dying of laugh over here... Thx for sharing
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 10:24
Member (2007)
English
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This reminds me of teaching French waiters about English steak cooking terms:
If it's someone who doesn't seem to know France and the French, always go up one level i.e. if they ask for it "medium" they probably won't like it "à point", they'll be happier with it "bien cuit" - and if they ask for it "well done", tell the chef to burn it!
I suppose they regard a total rewrite as "normal" proofreading!
On the other hand, I actually do something simila... See more This reminds me of teaching French waiters about English steak cooking terms:
If it's someone who doesn't seem to know France and the French, always go up one level i.e. if they ask for it "medium" they probably won't like it "à point", they'll be happier with it "bien cuit" - and if they ask for it "well done", tell the chef to burn it!
I suppose they regard a total rewrite as "normal" proofreading!
On the other hand, I actually do something similar to this, and at less than my normal proofreading rate. It's called "quality evaluation" and is the final pair of eyes on the target text (not the source, which is in Polish and completely double-dutch to me) before the text is released to the client. I believe it's a requirement for the European standard.
It DOES actually differ a little in that if it's a really bad translation I simply do enough to prove the point i.e. change some obvious mistakes, highlight the various types of error, point out one or two sentences that are totally incomprehensible - and then I pass back the translation with my recommendation to have it re-translated by someone qualified to handle it.
Most of the texts I evaluate have been translated to a reasonable standard and have been spell-checked. I have the right to return those that have not been spell-checked, but there remain little things such as "to" instead of "too", occasional punctuation problems (double space etc) and often some minor grammar errors by near-native translators. I find there are many Polish-native translators who do a very good job into English but who, for example, often confuse the use of "it", "this" and "that". It takes just a second to make the changes.
To me (and to the agency I work with), this does not warrant the same per-word payment as proofreading, where you need to check for omissions and mis-translations by comparing the source and target texts. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Adam Podstawczynski (X)
Local time: 11:24
Polish to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Analogy response | Aug 31, 2010 |
The steak analogy holds indeed!
Sheila Wilson wrote:
(...)
On the other hand, I actually do something similar to this, and at less than my normal proofreading rate. It's called "quality evaluation" and is the final pair of eyes on the target text (not the source, which is in Polish and completely double-dutch to me) before the text is released to the client. I believe it's a requirement for the European standard.
(...)
Sheila, I understand what service you mean, and I do that occasionally too. But they also wrote "accuracy" (as seen above) which, in my understanding, meant checking with the source. I continued that conversation, and it became apparent that they did not really know how "their proofreading" actually differed from "proofreading as such".
Before we reached that point, they also informed me that they had already found another translator who would do the job for their offered rate. Which, of course, killed that interesting exchange on the spot. I resisted asking what evil powers they must have to convince someone to do a job for half the pay only because they call the job in a different way...!
| | | | Susan Welsh
United States
Local time: 05:24
Russian to English
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And thanks to Gudrun, too!
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imatahan
Brazil
Local time: 07:24
English to Portuguese
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LOL LOL LOL
More common than I've imagined!
LOL LOL LOL
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well, next time we may expect a reply:
"I understand what you mean by the low rates. However, we are paying lower than the usual translation rates, because this is not really 'translation'. It's just to basically replace the text in X language with the text in Y language, and make sure things like punctuation, spelling, grammar, sentence structure are more than correct".
Ewa
[Edited at 2010-08-31 21:51 GM... See more well, next time we may expect a reply:
"I understand what you mean by the low rates. However, we are paying lower than the usual translation rates, because this is not really 'translation'. It's just to basically replace the text in X language with the text in Y language, and make sure things like punctuation, spelling, grammar, sentence structure are more than correct".
Ewa
[Edited at 2010-08-31 21:51 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | pcovs
Denmark
Local time: 11:24
English to Danish
My stomach hurts from laughing.
Thanks.
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 02:24
English to German
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In memoriam | Which reminds me... | Sep 1, 2010 |
Evonymus (Ewa Kazmierczak) wrote:
well, next time we may expect a reply:
"I understand what you mean by the low rates. However, we are paying lower than the usual translation rates, because this is not really 'translation'. It's just to basically replace the text in X language with the text in Y language, and make sure things like punctuation, spelling, grammar, sentence structure are more than correct".
...of this client who asked me to translate a text which they considered non-technical:
"Non-technical in what way?"
"Because the text doesn't contain any Latin words."
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Nicole Schnell wrote:
"Non-technical in what way?"
"Because the text doesn't contain any Latin words."
excellent then a simple list of plant species names in Latin would be highly technical
| | | | | Not a serious job offer | Sep 2, 2010 |
The proofreading rate quoted above can come out of a non-professional business runner. He/she never knows how to do the job in details, and wrote you in a laughing manner. If I were you, I need to "educate" this e-mail writer about how to deal with proofreading jobs correctly. I met a number of businesses not in translation domains who asked for a very low price for my services. I will not ignores them but tell the truth whenever I have extra time.
Soonthon Lupkitaro
| | | | Parrot
Spain
Local time: 11:24
Spanish to English
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| Caveat emptor | Sep 2, 2010 |
An agency asks for a translation, sees my rates sheet and decides I'm to be a proofreader instead . I'm sent an offer I have to refuse, sending them back the double. They accept.
But caveat emptor ... when the file came in, it contained so many errors that Word gave up on it and crashed. Of course, they have to notify the translator, who drags his feet so that a third opinion has to be called in, and the whole project m... See more An agency asks for a translation, sees my rates sheet and decides I'm to be a proofreader instead. I'm sent an offer I have to refuse, sending them back the double. They accept.
But caveat emptor ... when the file came in, it contained so many errors that Word gave up on it and crashed. Of course, they have to notify the translator, who drags his feet so that a third opinion has to be called in, and the whole project moves into a week-long deadline extension.
In the end I was paid considerably more than my initial proofreading rate, but not enough to offset the loss of one week. And I have to go along in solidarity because by that time I was aware that the agency was already losing more than it meant to earn in the first place.
I don't mind "educating the client", but the expense is something I can ill-afford ▲ Collapse
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