March 20th 2008 11:19 am
Top misconceptions about translators
Most people (and many clients) have some misconceptions about translators that lead to misunderstandings:
- As a translator you can translate all subjects
- If you speak a foreign language you can automatically translate into it
- If you can hold a conversation in a foreign language then you are bilingual
- Translators are mind-readers and can produce a perfect translation without having to consult the author of the original text, irrespective of whether it is ambiguous, vague or badly written
- No matter how many versions of the original were made before final copy was
approved or how long the process took, the translator needs only one stab at the task,
and very little time, since he gets it right first time without the need for checking or
proof-reading. After all, the computer does all that for you.
What were the most unrealistic expectations from you as a translator? Feel free to share your experiences.
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2 Comments »
Paul on 20 Mar 2008 at 3:49 pm #
a.) Just RETYPE the text INTO English.
b.) Anyone can learn English from MTV/films.
c.) How do you say… (a very technical word in the unknown field)? Well, you MUST know that, you’re a translator!
d.) I’ll pay you only for the time when you were actally speaking (interpreting for the XY Asian company).
e.) Why are you spending all that money on dictionaries? You already have a few!
f.) How do you click on a link?
g.) (Web design related) I know you said you made that wab page and published it on the (requested) address. In the Internet. But WHERE is that?
h.) We are a serious agency. I’ll pay you when the client pays me.
i.) The freelance translator is supposed to work only for our agency.
j.) Why won’t you accept such rate? You may find plenty of language students translating for less, I’m doing you a favour.
k.) You can do 3500 words translation in 2 hours.
l.) What do you mean, I can’t edit your translation work? I had English as a subject in my secondary school.
m.) Are you still unemployed (i.e. working as a freelancer)?
Paul on 20 Mar 2008 at 3:57 pm #
And here’s another:
Quote:
My myth number one is the cliché my mom has been spreading over the years. She was so disgusted I (just) wanted to become a translator that she would say to her friends: “My daughter is not a good translator, she needs a dictionary”.
I bookmarked that a while ago, copied from http://chi.proz.com/topic/35056?start=0&float=