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Off topic: Your worst translation-related job ever (not considering payment issues, only the job itself)
Thread poster: Daniel Frisano
Daniel Frisano
Daniel Frisano  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 21:45
Member (2008)
English to Italian
+ ...
Dec 15, 2017

I am currently proofreading a horrible Italian translation against a horrible English (supposed) source, except that it is clear that both are translations from the same source. At least I hope it's the same source - they are both so bad that you can't really be sure. Good thing it's only 3K.

Have you ever had a job where you hated every minute you spent on it? And hated yourself for not rejecting the job?

If so, and if you think you can tell about it without usi
... See more
I am currently proofreading a horrible Italian translation against a horrible English (supposed) source, except that it is clear that both are translations from the same source. At least I hope it's the same source - they are both so bad that you can't really be sure. Good thing it's only 3K.

Have you ever had a job where you hated every minute you spent on it? And hated yourself for not rejecting the job?

If so, and if you think you can tell about it without using curse words, please do so.
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Dave Bindon
Dave Bindon  Identity Verified
Greece
Local time: 22:45
Greek to English
In memoriam
Learn from this experience Dec 15, 2017

In the past I committed myself to some proofreading tasks which I can't really describe well without using expletives. Lots of expletives!

Now, if a regular client asks me to proofread something I say "Yes, as long as it's one of the regular translators. Otherwise I'll need to see the translation before agreeing to proofread it."

For new clients I just give an hourly rate, give them a predicted charge based on the translator being very good, but say that I will not agre
... See more
In the past I committed myself to some proofreading tasks which I can't really describe well without using expletives. Lots of expletives!

Now, if a regular client asks me to proofread something I say "Yes, as long as it's one of the regular translators. Otherwise I'll need to see the translation before agreeing to proofread it."

For new clients I just give an hourly rate, give them a predicted charge based on the translator being very good, but say that I will not agree to proofread the translation until I've seen it. I refuse to "proofread" bad translations and offer my full fee for a new translation instead.
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Daniel Frisano
Daniel Frisano  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 21:45
Member (2008)
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
@Dave Dec 15, 2017

Yes, I know that many translator tend to reject proofreading jobs. I have always enjoyed proofreading and I do it quite frequently, it often suggests new perspectives and it's a good exercise in elasticity.

I guess this time "me salió el tiro por la culata", as they say in Spain.


 
Robert Forstag
Robert Forstag  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 16:45
Spanish to English
+ ...
Proofreading jobs are often disaster-relief jobs in disguise Dec 15, 2017

And this is why I (and many other translators) tend to avoid them.

I would say that I have most regretted taking such jobs, because the pay was always incommensurate with the work involved.

On a related (but somewhat different note) there were jobs involving the editing of poorly drafted non-native English that I ended up regretting for similar reasons. This work involved editing dissertations in which there was an average of two or three errors in every sentence. True
... See more
And this is why I (and many other translators) tend to avoid them.

I would say that I have most regretted taking such jobs, because the pay was always incommensurate with the work involved.

On a related (but somewhat different note) there were jobs involving the editing of poorly drafted non-native English that I ended up regretting for similar reasons. This work involved editing dissertations in which there was an average of two or three errors in every sentence. True drudgery.
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EvaVer (X)
EvaVer (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 21:45
Czech to French
+ ...
Oh, yes Dec 16, 2017

This happens quite often and I also tend to reject proofreading jobs. Or "implementing changes" into somebody else's translation, usually awful. Or re-translating something (generally a contract) that has been translated and changes made in the translated version. The worst of this kind I can remember was a contract about enormous amounts of money, bad to the point that the amounts in figures were different from these in words.
But the most impressive bad experience was in interpreting -
... See more
This happens quite often and I also tend to reject proofreading jobs. Or "implementing changes" into somebody else's translation, usually awful. Or re-translating something (generally a contract) that has been translated and changes made in the translated version. The worst of this kind I can remember was a contract about enormous amounts of money, bad to the point that the amounts in figures were different from these in words.
But the most impressive bad experience was in interpreting - I was asked by a small agency to "help our neighbour the florist, don't worry, it won't be about flowers." It wasn't. The guy was involved in illegal financial dealings with some very shady characters, we met some of them in one place, then drove with them elsewhere - I was scared I would end up dead in a ditch. I much preferred pigstys and slaughterhouses (agriculture and food are my main fields).
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Vesa Korhonen
Vesa Korhonen  Identity Verified
Finland
Local time: 22:45
English to Finnish
+ ...
The client perhaps seeing the light... Dec 16, 2017

As it happens, I'm just now working on a "quality assurance" task (another disguise!) of a very poor translation. However, this time there is something new: The client wants a comment for each correction being made, and those corrections should be classified according to the client's error code list. Even though the workload is heavy, I'm almost enoying the task when I imagine the face of the client's representative when he/she reviews the comments. It is possible the client becomes aware of the... See more
As it happens, I'm just now working on a "quality assurance" task (another disguise!) of a very poor translation. However, this time there is something new: The client wants a comment for each correction being made, and those corrections should be classified according to the client's error code list. Even though the workload is heavy, I'm almost enoying the task when I imagine the face of the client's representative when he/she reviews the comments. It is possible the client becomes aware of the fact that there are different levels of translation work, and the cheapest may not be the best.

(Or perhaps I am too optimistic. It may happen that nobody's going to take a look at that list...)
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Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 21:45
French to English
when working as an employee Dec 17, 2017

Vesa, I reckon the sheer volume of remarks will probably make them throw their hands up in horror!

My worst ever job was when working at the agency. We were asked to translate the interface for some accounting software. I had never translated any software interfaces at the time, and knew nothing about accounting (still don't know very much although I do at least deal with my own as a freelancer).
The boss made a half-hearted attempt to find someone else then said I'd have to
... See more
Vesa, I reckon the sheer volume of remarks will probably make them throw their hands up in horror!

My worst ever job was when working at the agency. We were asked to translate the interface for some accounting software. I had never translated any software interfaces at the time, and knew nothing about accounting (still don't know very much although I do at least deal with my own as a freelancer).
The boss made a half-hearted attempt to find someone else then said I'd have to do it.
The file came to 200 pages, it was horrendous. It took me ages, and triggered my first ever migraine. I had to take sick leave for that, and it was still waiting for me when I got back. My doctor said the migraine might be partly caused by failing eyesight, so I went for a check-up and ended up having to wear glasses for the first time in my life. Then I fell and broke my arm because I was prescribed the wrong glasses and couldn't tell where the floor was, and when I came back after that sick leave, the translation was still waiting for me and of course had become very urgent by then. A total nightmare! I made a really bad job of the translation, which I felt really bad about, but I knew that it was totally alien to my comfort zone, only my boss didn't care about that and thought I should be able to learn on the job.

Being able to refuse work as a freelancer brings a great deal of joy.
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memond
memond  Identity Verified
Local time: 16:45
Member (2015)
English to French
+ ...
...some revisions can also be very bad ... Dec 17, 2017

I am surprised to read that many of you say that they 're-translate' when they have to deal with bad translations. I believe that a translation must remain the sole responsibility of the translator and that the reviewers should not change the text except for spelling, grammar and typo mistakes, or obvious translation errors. The problem with re-translating is that some reviewers can't think any other way of translating or writing than their own and can destroy a translation or even the reputatio... See more
I am surprised to read that many of you say that they 're-translate' when they have to deal with bad translations. I believe that a translation must remain the sole responsibility of the translator and that the reviewers should not change the text except for spelling, grammar and typo mistakes, or obvious translation errors. The problem with re-translating is that some reviewers can't think any other way of translating or writing than their own and can destroy a translation or even the reputation of a translator for no real reason. On this forum, I read so many translators complaining about bad reviewers that completely rewrote their texts (and sometimes with mistakes). The very good agencies for which I work are very clear on this subject. Only language and obvious translation mistakes must be corrected, and 'changes-just-to-make-changes' must not be done. In the end, if the text doesn't sound good, it is the responsibility of the translator.

[Edited at 2017-12-17 17:24 GMT]
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Matthias Brombach
Matthias Brombach  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 21:45
Member (2007)
Dutch to German
+ ...
HMI messages Dec 17, 2017

One of my worst assignments was that I had to limit the amount of characters to an extent where the text, which I have translated quite accurately in an earlier stage of the project (HMI messages), became barely unreadable, by German abbreviations nobody would understand (but I was forced to do so). I still can´t imagine that the manufacturer uses or used such a limited display for these rather complex instructions and messages.

 
Angela Malik
Angela Malik  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:45
German to English
+ ...
I know that feeling well! Dec 17, 2017

Matthias Brombach wrote:

One of my worst assignments was that I had to limit the amount of characters to an extent where the text, which I have translated quite accurately in an earlier stage of the project (HMI messages), became barely unreadable, by German abbreviations nobody would understand (but I was forced to do so). I still can´t imagine that the manufacturer uses or used such a limited display for these rather complex instructions and messages.


Oh, Matthias, I feel your pain! I have had a job or two like this, except from German into English, and the most frustrating thing was that sometimes the German source itself was longer than the permitted character count. But when I asked, no, even BEGGED the client to let me do the same in the English for some truly complicated strings, I was told no. And then the strings ended up being totally unintelligible, so I hope no poor English-speaking soul ended up having to rely on those interface strings to figure out how to operate their expensive system. The worst thing is that because English is such an international language a lot of times these interfaces are being translated not just for a native English speaking market but also for non-native speakers of English who can't understand German, so I REALLY feel sorry for those people!


 
Dave Bindon
Dave Bindon  Identity Verified
Greece
Local time: 22:45
Greek to English
In memoriam
Lousy translations and incompetent authors Dec 17, 2017

My first comment referred to offering new translations which "memond" incorrectly thinks of as "re-translation" in the context of proofreading. I am strict about differentiating proofreading from the revision of texts or complete re-translation, which are actions I will do at the request of the client (in return for the appropriate fee).

The worst I ever encountered (and the client immediately agreed to pay for a new translation when I said that 'proofreading' was impossible) was a
... See more
My first comment referred to offering new translations which "memond" incorrectly thinks of as "re-translation" in the context of proofreading. I am strict about differentiating proofreading from the revision of texts or complete re-translation, which are actions I will do at the request of the client (in return for the appropriate fee).

The worst I ever encountered (and the client immediately agreed to pay for a new translation when I said that 'proofreading' was impossible) was a case where the translator didn't seem to be competent in either the source language or the target language. Even where the source text (Greek) had apparently been understood correctly, the English grammar and terminology was appalling. It was an autopsy report after a road traffic accident, but the translator didn't know the terms 'corpse', 'autopsy', 'coroner', 'incision', 'road traffic accident' etc. The result was along the lines of "Necropsy by security doctor. The dead body was cut open by security doctor after automobile mistake and was removed the broken liver...".

I would also include bad source texts in the category of "worst translation-related jobs". On several occasions I've told my client that a legal text I'm translating isn't worth the paper it's written on, but they have insisted on me translating in full. I hate the feeling that I'm translating a worthless document.
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MK2010
MK2010  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 16:45
French to English
+ ...
One of my worst was one of my first: Dec 17, 2017

translating content for a sleazy online dating service.

Luckily, that didn't last too long.


 
Matthias Brombach
Matthias Brombach  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 21:45
Member (2007)
Dutch to German
+ ...
Not to forget technical source texts written in "Chinglish" Dec 18, 2017

Angela Rimmer wrote: because English is such an international language

Thank you, Angela, for your warm words.
At least you are only dealing with "real" German set up by German speaking writers from Germany, Austria or Switzerland. I guess almost everybody translating from English into his target language knows the pain in the xxx when dealing with texts written in English originating from Far Eastern countries (no offense intended!). They are mostly not only bad in style, grammar and wording, but on top of it "converted" into English by people (translators?) who are not comfortable with the subjects at all and above all use GT or something similar (like a travel dictionary) for their engineering translations into the "source": On the first glance it looks like English, it reads like English, but then you find yourself in a nightmare dealing with dozens of remarks and (certainly never be answered) questions to secure yourself against claims. As a special thank you for all the fortune telling the PM will take another into-German colleague in the future (who is glad to get a job at all).


 
Robert Forstag
Robert Forstag  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 16:45
Spanish to English
+ ...
Yes, there are unprofessional reviewers as well, but... Dec 18, 2017

memond wrote:

I am surprised to read that many of you say that they 're-translate' when they have to deal with bad translations. I believe that a translation must remain the sole responsibility of the translator and that the reviewers should not change the text except for spelling, grammar and typo mistakes, or obvious translation errors. The problem with re-translating is that some reviewers can't think any other way of translating or writing than their own and can destroy a translation or even the reputation of a translator for no real reason. On this forum, I read so many translators complaining about bad reviewers that completely rewrote their texts (and sometimes with mistakes). The very good agencies for which I work are very clear on this subject. Only language and obvious translation mistakes must be corrected, and 'changes-just-to-make-changes' must not be done. In the end, if the text doesn't sound good, it is the responsibility of the translator.

[Edited at 2017-12-17 17:24 GMT]


Well of course, there are bad reviewers out there as well: people who are either incompetent (in some instances non-native in the target language - which ought to be an automatic disqualification, at least in the major language pairs) or overzealous nitpickers eager to show how much they know, and to justify the fee that they are being paid (however modest it might be).

I have been at the receiving end of a number of such unfair/incompetent reviews.

But in the kinds of texts I referred to in my initial post, there really was no question of preserving the artistic integrity and respecting the professionalism of the original translator, since the translations in question had no artistic value, and the translators behind them little in the way of professionalism or integrity to preserve.

[Edited at 2017-12-18 19:22 GMT]


 
Laura Kingdon
Laura Kingdon  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:45
Member (2015)
French to English
+ ...
Any job for which I'm given a term list concocted by non-native English speakers Dec 18, 2017

For some reason, many Korean companies seem to understand that a term list is necessary and helpful, but insist on making it themselves. I have yet to see such a list that has terms in fully correct, natural English. A few terms are usually duplicated and translated two different ways for added "fun". If it's a list of character or place names for a game, they will have assigned male English names to female characters and/or chosen some unintentionally comical names. Sometimes the term list is h... See more
For some reason, many Korean companies seem to understand that a term list is necessary and helpful, but insist on making it themselves. I have yet to see such a list that has terms in fully correct, natural English. A few terms are usually duplicated and translated two different ways for added "fun". If it's a list of character or place names for a game, they will have assigned male English names to female characters and/or chosen some unintentionally comical names. Sometimes the term list is helpfully in Excel and I can import it as a TB, but other times it's in Word or something or the job is too short to make the time spent making said TB worth it, so I have to waste time going back to their document to check terms, then consulting the Internet to look for the right term because theirs is wrong, then adding a note explaining that I didn't use "ambient water" as they wanted me to because it made no sense...

I am pretty sure that in 95% of these cases my own correct terms are later changed to the terms they wanted anyway, but I try not to worry about that as I can't do much about it.
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Your worst translation-related job ever (not considering payment issues, only the job itself)






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