Technical project with CAT matches Thread poster: Johan Venter
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Johan Venter 
Czech Republic
Local time: 04:39
Dutch to English
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I was recently asked to translate a project of 8,000 words. After going out of my way to accommodate this project I was informed that this project comes with a TM and because of many matches in the document the recalculated word count is just over 3,000, so right off the bat I was not very happy.
The client also requested that I should have a look at the matches to make sure everything is okay. Considering the fact that I am only getting paid 10% of my standard rate for these matche... See more I was recently asked to translate a project of 8,000 words. After going out of my way to accommodate this project I was informed that this project comes with a TM and because of many matches in the document the recalculated word count is just over 3,000, so right off the bat I was not very happy.
The client also requested that I should have a look at the matches to make sure everything is okay. Considering the fact that I am only getting paid 10% of my standard rate for these matches I feel that my responsibility in this regard does not go much further than checking for spelling mistakes and making sure that the source text given by the CAT tool actually matches the target sentence.
As I worked through the project I noticed that the translator that had created the TM during a previous project was actually not very good and I actually burst out laughing on more than one occasions when I read his/her translations.
I only fixed glaring errors, but I refuse to proofread all these matches properly because I know it will take me a long time to fix it all, and that at only 10% of my rate!
I'd be happy to hear from anyone who's had a similar experience, or just simply your opinion on the matter. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Negotiate with client *beforehand* to make it worth your while | Feb 1, 2011 |
Partial match schemes can be good or bad. The trick is to insist on a scheme that makes it worth your while. At the very least, don't let your client get you to edit poor translations for less than your proper editing rate.
Specifically, 10% is atrociously low even for a good quality TM.
[Edited at 2011-02-01 11:29 GMT]
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 04:39
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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| A matter of pride | Feb 1, 2011 |
Johan Venter wrote:
As I worked through the project I noticed that the translator that had created the TM during a previous project was actually not very good and I actually burst out laughing on more than one occasions when I read his/her translations.
I hope that wasn't me...
For me, it is a matter of pride to try to follow the style and terminology of the previous TM, even if I'm not asked specifically to do that.
Also, odds are that the person doing the proofreading is still the same person, so translating "for him" means that I won't look so bad.
Also, if a client has a TM, it is rare that that TM was created by just one other person. A client's TM is often a hodge podge of different translators' different styles and attempts to enforce their opinions on the text. When I doubt, I often try to follow the style of the most recent translator, unless it is clearly a minority opinion.
[Edited at 2011-02-01 12:03 GMT]
| | | | Johan Venter
Czech Republic
Local time: 04:39
Dutch to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Samuel Murray wrote:
Also, if a client has a TM, it is rare that that TM was created by just one other person. A client's TM is often a hodge podge of different translators' different styles and attempts to enforce their opinions on the text. When I doubt, I often try to follow the style of the most recent translator, unless it is clearly a minority opinion.
[Edited at 2011-02-01 12:03 GMT]
I get that all the time, but it is not often that you get a technical manual that had been used and accepted in the past containing the type of mistakes that I encountered. There was a clear comprehension problem in many instances, and the translator (I believe it was only one) was very guilty of following 'Dutch as she is spoke' while writing in English, if I can put it like that.
After so many years I thought I'd seen it all... Oh well, you live you learn.
I guess I'll think twice before accepting projects from this client in future.
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Laurent KRAULAND (X)
France
Local time: 04:39
French to German
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| Legacy TM's: basic rules | Feb 1, 2011 |
Hard or "uncommercial" as this may sound, clients with legacy TM's have two choices when contacting me for an assignment:
a) wanting repetition discounts for legacy material, in which case I don't check and/or rewrite existing segments;
b) accepting the fact that checking/rewriting existing segments costs time and hence money and paying accordingly.
I had too many surprises with patchwork TM's to accept proceeding with option b under the conditions of optio... See more Hard or "uncommercial" as this may sound, clients with legacy TM's have two choices when contacting me for an assignment:
a) wanting repetition discounts for legacy material, in which case I don't check and/or rewrite existing segments;
b) accepting the fact that checking/rewriting existing segments costs time and hence money and paying accordingly.
I had too many surprises with patchwork TM's to accept proceeding with option b under the conditions of option a.
My 2 € cents (not discounted). ▲ Collapse
| | | | IPtranslate (X)
Brazil
English to Dutch
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Laurent KRAULAND wrote:
Hard or "uncommercial" as this may sound, clients with legacy TM's have two choices when contacting me for an assignment:
a) wanting repetition discounts for legacy material, in which case I don't check and/or rewrite existing segments;
b) accepting the fact that checking/rewriting existing segments costs time and hence money and paying accordingly.
I had too many surprises with patchwork TM's to accept proceeding with option b under the conditions of option a.
My 2 € cents (not discounted).
I follow the same strategy; legacy TM's tend to be "uncontrollable", so it is wise to make it absolutely clear from the beginning that, if you will not be paid for it, you won't enhance the TM.
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