| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | When a client wants 'corrections' that will make the translation bad Thread poster: Malcolm Rowe
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Becca Resnik 
United States
Local time: 04:19
Member
German to English
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| To get ahead of it | May 14 |
Becca Resnik wrote:
...especially from a PM with a degree in culture and translation studies...
Before anyone gets upset: Yes, I know. Yes, I agree.
Even as someone with a translation studies degree, I don't believe that having such a degree is a make-or-break qualification of a translator. I'm only saying that she has had exposure to the practice of translation and has studied translation theory, as opposed to some random person with an internet connection who knows nothing about the field and has never had to make real-world translation decisions.
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Kay Denney wrote:
I have found, when trying to explain something to a client, that it helps if I concede one point.
Obviously I would never make a concession as such, as I have a reputation to protect, but I agree it’s sometimes a good idea to offer an alternative rather than double down on your original preference. Like when they say they don’t understand what you’ve written then there’s a genuine problem even if it’s perfectly good English. Unlike that sentence. Late. Mobile. Whatevs.
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Kay Denney wrote:
I have found, when trying to explain something to a client, that it helps if I concede one point.
I remember my colleague discussing a text about a glass chandelier hanging over a table laid with sparkling glass, silver, everything for a big party, and the translator had used the word ´immaculate´.
The client was very upset - in his world, only the Virgin Mary could be immaculate. My colleague did not quite agree, but would not give a discount. He ended up apologising and agreeing with the client that it could be changed to impressive, and everyone was more or less happy. (Except us - we liked ´immaculate´ in that context!)
As for the explanations of English words used in the source language, I usually leave them out, or occasionally insert some etymological curiosity if there is one - or go back to Latin if appropriate.
It is a far greater problem when there is some word-play in the source that is untranslatable and/or falls horribly flat when explained!
| | | | Peter Motte
Belgium
Local time: 10:19
Member (2009)
English to Dutch
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If the source text is not English, and it contains English words, I prefer to leave it untranslated. It tends to be some technical terminology which shouldn't be translated, or some internal terminology of the client.
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| Corrections made by whom? | May 15 |
For starters, I won't make corrections which are not corrections, they can do it themselves.
I do receive 'corrected work', where so called proofreaders have 'raped' my translation. In such situations I will inform the client, and if he/she persists (this is our steady proofreader), it's up up to them. I did my professional duty, but don't come back to me when the end client is unsatisfied with the results.
I have heard that 'song' more than enough.
[Edited at 20... See more For starters, I won't make corrections which are not corrections, they can do it themselves.
I do receive 'corrected work', where so called proofreaders have 'raped' my translation. In such situations I will inform the client, and if he/she persists (this is our steady proofreader), it's up up to them. I did my professional duty, but don't come back to me when the end client is unsatisfied with the results.
I have heard that 'song' more than enough.
[Edited at 2024-05-15 18:17 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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