Just received this... (Low paying difficult job) Thread poster: Christophe Delaunay
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It is quite technical.
We need it to be translated to French, and the format to match
precisely to the original.
FEE: EUR364, payable net+30 via direct bank transfer to your EU
account.
Please indicate:
1. Your ability to handle this type of material
2. Your availability to start immediately
*********************************
My answer:
"FEE: EUR364, payable net" for more than 120 slides?... See more It is quite technical.
We need it to be translated to French, and the format to match
precisely to the original.
FEE: EUR364, payable net+30 via direct bank transfer to your EU
account.
Please indicate:
1. Your ability to handle this type of material
2. Your availability to start immediately
*********************************
My answer:
"FEE: EUR364, payable net" for more than 120 slides??? Or 3€ per slide??? With slides containing up to 131 words?!? Of highly technical terminology? What kind of stupid joke is this?
And then, the cherry on the cake: "and the format to match precisely to the original." Hahahaha.
[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2018-04-26 10:40 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:12
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Would be funny- | Apr 26, 2018 |
That would be funny, were it not for the fact that they will find someone who'll do it.
| | | | | More of the same | Apr 26, 2018 |
"Hi Mirko,
Good Morning!!
We have one project for English to Italian.
word count: 2200 words.
Preferred Charges:0.02$/eng word
Please confirm me availability."
"Preferred charges": Slavery and Unfair competition.
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Not sure why offers like these continue to ruffle everyone's feathers. People need to understand that there is no single "market". There are various markets within the translation market, each catering to different budgets and different expectations. Some translators work for less than others, be it because it's a "hobby" for them, or that they work in a country with a lower cost of living. Maybe they don't know their worth and undercharge, maybe they're just starting out.
Tom in London wrote:
That would be funny, were it not for the fact that they will find someone who'll do it.
Precisely. They'll get someone to do it for...
Christophe Delaunay wrote:
"FEE: EUR364, payable net" for more than 120 slides??? Or 3€ per slide???
Sounds like a blast. Someone will do it and earn very little to do so. That's their business... why should it be any skin off my nose? Like many other translators, I command good rates, earn well, and consign these to the waste basket when they arrive.
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| A quite different matter but still | Apr 26, 2018 |
Fiona, do you know this poem?
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
And btw, I've ... See more Fiona, do you know this poem?
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
And btw, I've been living in Italy for the past two years. Nothing seems to ruffle anybody's feathers and nobody budges at anything. THAT is maybe the reason why this -otherwise wonderful country- is in such a poor state.
[Edited at 2018-04-26 11:41 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | More insights | Apr 26, 2018 |
Christophe Delaunay wrote:
...FEE: EUR364...
The wordcount is mentioned in the subject line.
At EUR0.08/source word in EN>FR, no CAT discount and 30 day nett, it's not smashing, but more competitive than what we've been accustomed to from word factories, aka big names.
Philippe
[Edited at 2018-04-26 15:11 GMT]
| | | | Eva Stoppa 
Germany
Local time: 18:12
English to German
+ ...
| Nice one I didn't know it yet | Apr 26, 2018 |
[quote]Christophe Delaunay wrote:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
So true what is said in this poem.
| | | | | A quite different matter indeed | Apr 26, 2018 |
Christophe, the best way to fight these bottom-feeders is a)ignore them, and b) not work for them. It's a free market, whether you like it or not, and the beauty of our job is that we are not operating on the Italian market (why I rarely work for Italian agencies), but on the global market. That's what people don't seem to get - that these people do not represent "the translation market". This phenomenon has always existed, and will continue to exist; it's just a lot more visible and easier to p... See more Christophe, the best way to fight these bottom-feeders is a)ignore them, and b) not work for them. It's a free market, whether you like it or not, and the beauty of our job is that we are not operating on the Italian market (why I rarely work for Italian agencies), but on the global market. That's what people don't seem to get - that these people do not represent "the translation market". This phenomenon has always existed, and will continue to exist; it's just a lot more visible and easier to propagate than it was in the pre-Internet era.
Part of the low rates phenomenon is physiological - it's normal that translators just starting out command lower rates, just like in any job, although it's something translators don't seem to want to admit.
Why not spend more time marketing and less time complaining?
It might also be worth reflecting on why these "offers" touch on such a raw nerve in some translators but not in others? We have plenty of tools at our disposal to help ourselves stand out and help us to thrive, one of them being specialisation.
Food for thought... ▲ Collapse
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Lincoln Hui
Hong Kong
Local time: 00:12
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
Christophe Delaunay wrote:
Fiona, do you know this poem?
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
And btw, I've been living in Italy for the past two years. Nothing seems to ruffle anybody's feathers and nobody budges at anything. THAT is maybe the reason why this -otherwise wonderful country- is in such a poor state.
[Edited at 2018-04-26 11:41 GMT]
Does this qualify for Godwin's law?
| | | | DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
| Developed countries and emergent entrepreneurs -vs- Emerging nations and fledgling translators | Apr 26, 2018 |
First,
any offer is but an offer, and one can accept it, amend it, or just reject it--at will.
Second,
ignoring low-bottom offers is the same as "don't work for them".
Third,
in contrast to what they say, there's no single self-regulated International market in translation yet.
Finally, for low-bottom countries/languages/niches/newbies some EUR364 may seem a lot... to start with--and get even lower, alas.
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Lincoln Hui wrote:
Does this qualify for Godwin's law?
Are you asking because of the topic or because of the Jews? Because lengthwise, this sure is a small post
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:12
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| Could not agree more | Apr 26, 2018 |
Fiona Grace Peterson wrote:
the best way to fight these bottom-feeders is a)ignore them, and b) not work for them.
People get so indignant about these offers. Why not just ignore them? Why allow them to get you worked up? As Fiona says, markets are segmented.
Dan
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| Don't worry Fiona and Dan | Apr 27, 2018 |
This "offer" didn't upset me. I usually don't stop a second thinking about it. Let's say that this time I thought it could help some newbies who are always wondering what rate is the proper one. Happy 1st of May to you all!
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:12
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| Disseminating | Apr 27, 2018 |
Christophe Delaunay wrote:
Let's say that this time I thought it could help some newbies who are always wondering what rate is the proper one.
Indeed, educating beginners on what jobs are not acceptable is a useful function in itself.
Dan
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