From a recent Facebook post. Having worked as a freelance translator, these responses spoke to my soul. Yes, a few of them are more than four words, but they’re all good – and they’re all real. I have seen many of these myself.
For what it’s worth, I no longer do this sort of work. The reasons will become obvious. I’ve included a bit of commentary here and there.
Cheap bastards
Agencies make money by charging high rates to clients and paying low rates to translators, reviewers, and proofreaders. They’re always jockeying for a better deal. That’s the nature of business, but when you’re an independent contractor, and your standard rate (calculated to earn you a living) is always being undercut, it’s frightfully annoying. The global access of the Internet means that professional, trained, educated translators must now compete with millions of people in India, China, and elsewhere who “speak a little English” and who are willing to work for 1¢ per word or less.
- Best lowest rate required.
- What’s your best rate?
- Make your best rate.
- Make me (a) good price.
- Send your best rate.
- We pay in visibility. (Visibility and $7.95 will get you a coffee at Starbucks.)
- Our budget is limited. (So I’m supposed to subsidize your profit, right?)
- Special rates apply to this client. (He’s paying us less, so we’re going to pay you less.)
- A discount for volume. (We’re paying less because there’s a lot of work).
- It’s the market rate. (Take it or leave it.)
- 5¢ is not bad. (5¢ per word is shit.)
- The others charge less. (Good, feel free to use them.)
- Someone charges way less.
- Our budget is only …
- National Agreement Rate Please.
- Could you proofread instead? (Read: Your rate is too high).
Cheaper bastards
Machine translation used to be cumbersome, expensive, and not very effective. Now it’s quick, easy, free, and only a bit more effective. While statistical translation models have made some exciting progress, people who don’t understand the intricacies of language assume that online translation is both free and reliable. Similarly, your neighbor may speak a bit of German, but don’t expect your translation to do well in the commercial arena. In the translation world, you still get what you pay for, and if you go cheap, you’re likely to get crap.
- Google Translate is cheaper.
- We will Google translate.
- I’ll do it myself.
- I can do it myself.
- Neighbour can do it.
- Will it cost anything?
- Is it for free?
- That much? No way!
- The font was wrong. (Followed by “Will you accept 50%?”)
- I could do it, but…
- Could do it myself, but…
- You’re overpaid.
Cheapest bastards
It’s not uncommon for an unethical agency to get a job, break it up into 20 segments, offer the job to 20 translators and have them each do part of the work as a “test,” then award the bid to nobody.
- Please do this test.
- Please complete test assignment.
- We require (a) free test.
- Test translation without charge.
- Download the test translation.
- It’s for a tender. (We need your free translation to make the bid.)
Scheduling headaches
Contractors spend a lot of time juggling their resources against customer needs. Agencies don’t care.
- We’d like it for tomorrow.
- Have you begun yet?
- Great, don’t proceed yet.
- Client brought deadlines forward.
- The client sent changes.
- The client made changes.
- 6000 words for tomorrow.
- 20,000 words of light postediting.
- We need it yesterday.
- Can you deliver early?
- Sorry, client cancelled assignment.
- End client just cancelled.
- Please send your invoice (then we’re going to have minor changes).
- File should arrive midnight. (Deadline in 8:00 AM, of course.)
- We have a glossary (10 minutes before deadline).
- That didn’t need translating… (After you’ve spent a day and a half on “that.”)
- Please use US English. (Halfway through a huge project meant to be in UK English!).
- Please deliver tomorrow morning.
- Translate in real time! (What does this even mean?)
- Client isn’t in a hurry (Followed, 2 months later, by “Client needs it ASAP”).
- The project is cancelled (in the morning of due date!).
Your skills are worthless!
Anyone can translate. It’s just typing in another language.
- (It doesn’t need to be translated,) just type this in Portuguese
- Everyone can do it!
- So you teach English?
- You’re a translator? Then why don’t you give English courses?
- What is your work?
- Please do the shopping.
- Go get the kids.
- Don’t think, just translate!
- What’s your real job?
- Do you also teach?
- You have done nothing.
Technical Headaches
“You need to use our tools, yours are garbage.”
- Trados is a must.
- TRANSIT is a must.
- Across is a must.
- [Insert CAT tool name of choice] is a must.
- Use our online TM-tool.
- We only use Excel. (Translating in Excel is a nightmare, if you were wondering.)
- Please translate into Excel.
- Your file doesn’t open.
Not only that, in the world of translation, these CAT (Computer-assisted translation tools) are de rigeur. They can be useful in speeding up translation and improving terminological consistency, but agencies routinely take advantage of this and pay less than the full rate for things that the software has translated for you. This ignores the fact that the translator is responsible for the coherence of the entire job and must read and evaluate every bit and piece of the work for accuracy. This alone is the major reason I stepped out of the freelance translation world. My rate per target word is X¢, period. Pay it or go somewhere else. Translators who survive in the industry pretty much have to suck it up, but I wasn’t willing.
- We don’t pay repetitions.
- Pro-rated for fuzzy match.
- 100% matches for free.
- Discount for fuzzies applied.
- Fractional Payment for Repetitions.
Payment Headaches
In the US, standard terms are 30 days net. Around the world, it’s not uncommon for translation agencies to expect translators to wait 60, 90, or even up to 180 days for payment of invoices (they usually claim that they’re waiting for their clients to pay them.) This is unethical in the extreme, but not an uncommon strategy in the business world.
There’s one more I can’t find, where the vendor says, “But if you pay us late we’ll go bankrupt, and then you won’t ever have to… pay… I’ve said too much, haven’t I?” The Pointy-Haired Boss just sits there with a sick grin on his face.
- We forgot your payment.
- Did you send your invoice? (Yes, I did, 60 days ago.)
- Net forty-five days.
- The payment will delay.
- Thanks for your patience. (After payment was delayed for a month).
- Check’s in the mail. (Yes, people still use this one.)
- Our accountant on vacation.
We know better than you.
Never mind your skills, the next person is always smarter.
- Reviewer says you failed.
- Is “the” necessary here?
- Let me correct that.
- I speak two languages.
- (S)he knows better.
- (S)he is a [language] teacher.
- Proofreader does not agree. (Proofreaders know bupkis about translation.)
- Changes made by proofreader.
- My secretary edited it.
- This translation is bad.
- But Google translate says…
Creepy Clients
There is always one.
- What are you wearing?
General Lies
“I have read and agree to the terms of service”
- It’s a straightforward text.
- It’s a piece of cake.
- It’s short and easy.
- It is not technical.
- It’s not very technical.
- Help me, it’s quick.
- It only needs editing.
- Just a quick question.
Translation Requirements, and Stupid Questions
Things that don’t fall into easily-defined categories.
- Do you translate books?
- Is Brexit affecting business?
- Source text is JPG. (This means you can’t use your CAT tools for the job.)
- It’s a PDF – handwritten.
- Translate in sticky notes.
- It’s mainly doctors’ handwriting.
- Please check additional references.
- (We know you’re busy but) we’re really shorthanded.
- Here’s an XBench report.
- It was machine translated.
- Added to our database. (Don’t call us, we’ll call you.)
- Read 50 pages of instructions (for a 100-word job)
- Keep the original format.
- You have to cook.
- It’s a doctor’s prescription.
- Don’t go into details.
- Thanks for sharing.
- Are you still translating?
- Complete our six forms.
- There’s no source text. (When proofreading a translation, you need to see the original text. If it’s not there, you’re just basically making wild guesses in the dark.)
About 30 years ago, an ad appeared on the bulletin board of the translation software company I was working at. It probably came from one of the trade publications, and showed a boss ripping an employee a new one. The text read, “Because you had your brother-in-law do the translation, our ad says that our new camera exposes itself automatically!”
I’ve dealt with the risks of translation on the cheap before, and in this one thing has not changed: If you want good translations for your business, use a professional and pay them well – otherwise your product may just bite the wax tadpole.
The Old Wolf has spoken.
