自由翻译者对资金的管理 (Money Matters for Every Chinese Freelancer)

chance wrote:

我前一段都买成RMB了...

Jianjun Zhang wrote:

黄金投资的几种方式，我在前面讲过。:D 再有些话还是私下谈，我刚给你发了信。

Jianjun Zhang wrote:



这些问题虽小，但却牵扯着每日成本的计算。表面上看，我前面这篇文章似乎没有太大意义，不过是把目前众所周知的人民币升值计算出来而已。事实上，作为经商者，成本计算有助于在动态中把握市场的主动权。自由译者讨论薪酬时，习惯将市场价格固定化，例如：

报价：

A 译 B = $x/字
最低收费 = $y
每小时收费 = $z

在没有计算成本的情况下，任何照猫画虎的报价都毫无意义。自由翻译者的成本主要有以下部分组成：

1. 硬件设备折旧费
2. 必要软件费及升级费
3. 其它办公用品费（传真机、电话等）
4. 广告宣传费（PROZ 会费、其它类似费用）
5. 生活成本（水电气，吃穿行...）
6. 娱乐支出（放松精神以便更好地投入生产）
7. 汇兑损失
8. 银行费用
9. 住房折旧费
10. 税金、保险（医保、养老，如果不上保险，自己每月拿出一部分资金给自己处理后事用，呵呵！）

好了，暂列这些。你把这些费用统统计算好，看看净成本是多少，然后算算自己的辛苦劳动应净得多少回报（注意：计算时，你每天的工作时间应不超过 8 个小时，每天工作量大约不超过 3,000 英文单词）。两者加在一起，才是你的最低费率（$x/字）。

如果你打算收低于这个费率的钱，但总收入却要保持一定水平，就要每天工作 8 小时以上，每天翻译 3,000 词以上。如此一来，不但身体受不了，质量也可能无法保证。最终恐要以事业失败告终。

经以上自己计算得来的费率，并不是你的固定费率。根据获派工作性质，紧急与否，客户是否长期合作者等诸多因素，一定要综合调整。如果能谈来较好的价位，双方都很愉快地接受，便是文哲兄所说的周瑜打黄盖，何乐而不为呢？

另外，如果你能在以上成本中削减一部分：比如很多译者（这不仅限于国内）可以在软件上 节省一部分开销（譬如购买低价的 Wordfast 代替 TRADOS），就可以降低些价格，提高竞争力。

在无须广告费用的情况下，你的成本又可降低。这不见得是指不花广告费（广告费也无须仅只 proz 会费，这里只是个最方便的例子），比如，你可以通过其它收入补充广告费用。

ellen Xu wrote:
我前段时间给加拿大一家公司做翻译，本来报价是美元，付到moneybookers帐号，结果那家公司的帐号是加元，于是我的美元被他们转成加元，发到我的帐号上，我的是美元帐户，所以又被自动转成美元。不仅有汇率损失，moneybookers还要收取手续费。郁闷。

ellen Xu wrote:
我前段时间给加拿大一家公司做翻译，本来报价是美元，付到moneybookers帐号，结果那家公司的帐号是加元，于是我的美元被他们转成加元，发到我的帐号上，我的是美元帐户，所以又被自动转成美元。不仅有汇率损失，moneybookers还要收取手续费。郁闷。

Jianjun Zhang wrote:

Steve,

Your post brings me back to the forum again

I think the first guy in the CNN clip got into 'trouble' and became thrifty only because he purchased an apartment on mortgage. But problem lies with his previous spendthrift way of life.

I can't believe a guy like him spending about 600 USD/month - it's actually not very Chinese - still needs to buy a house on mortgage and, as a result, cuts spending like that - this time very Chinesisch

But who will take a taxi to/from work every day and eat 25 USD/day for two meals? 25 USD can buy a lot of food to stuff one's stomach.

BTW, I also noticed the guy works for a local real estate web portal. The clip even showed the website name!! And some post replies are in English? How many people in China post forum messages in English? It's very strange indeed.

I think either Emily Chang was swindled ie. 被忽悠了, or it's another piece of crappy report produced by CNN.

Research shows that the average American spends 30% of their monthly budget on food, so even a small savings can make a difference week after week. Karen Schuppert, who blogs about healthy eating, recently offered a list of expensive grocery store items budget-conscious shoppers should avoid.

Jianjun Zhang wrote:

Steve,

Yeah I see. Things are not faring well these days around the globe. The financial earthquake (if I may say so) started from the US and the damage is far and wide. China is feeling the pain itself.

However, according to some economists and guru investors, China may recover first. And one of the reasons is that unlike in the US and many western countries where people use credits, Chinese people have very different spending habits and we almost pay everything in cash (not a house for most people as it's still very expensive) and put large proportions of funds in bank accounts.

Jianjun Zhang wrote:

I believe many Chinese people can actually take advantage of the 'deflation' and buy things they have been dreaming to own but previously overpriced - a new house, a new car, etc.

Maybe after the crisis and when inflation is back, these things will become expensive again - it depends on how 'inflated' their current prices are.

Around me, I see more new cars popping up in my community when I take a stroll with my wife in the evening. The house prices in my city are dropping sharply but people are still waiting.

David Wessel:

...

So what they're looking at is not a happy situation for themselves. And it is all sort of -- it's a whole domino effect coming from the bursting of the credit bubble that we've had.

We had a tech bubble that burst. We had a real estate bubble that burst. And now this enormous debt credit bubble that we've had in this country is in the process of bursting, and we haven't seen the end of it.

...