| Pages sur ce sujet: < [1 2 3] > | Seeking practical examples of professionalism in translation Auteur du fil: IvyMa
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| Two very good lessons for me | Apr 25, 2013 |
These are old stories, but they taught me very useful lessons.
1. A professional knows when his/her knowledge is not sufficient for a job.
In my first months as a freelancer I got a job from a new customer to translate a long list of plumbing parts and tools, targeted to a market different than my own. I did not know much about plumbing which, added to the usual terminology of the target market, meant that despite my research efforts the translation was not good at all.... See more These are old stories, but they taught me very useful lessons.
1. A professional knows when his/her knowledge is not sufficient for a job.
In my first months as a freelancer I got a job from a new customer to translate a long list of plumbing parts and tools, targeted to a market different than my own. I did not know much about plumbing which, added to the usual terminology of the target market, meant that despite my research efforts the translation was not good at all.
The end customer complained, my customer complained, and the situation made me look pretty bad. I agreed to a discount to cover for local editing, and the matter was resolved amicably. The customer still uses my services after 16 years, but if I had had more professional experience back then I would have rejected the job.
2. A professional knows when to let the customer go somewhere else.
While visiting an agency customer some 15 years ago, they got a call from a customer who was not happy about how a project manager dealt with their queries and requests for quotation.
The project manager had reported that the customer was not polite at all and lost his temper in their phone calls and emails. I had dealt with the project manager many times and knew that it was not her fault since she is a very calm and friendly person. The manager of the agency answered the phone while I was there, and told the customer that maybe they had started on the wrong foot with him and recommended him to go to another translation agency.
While puzzled by this rejection, the customer quickly understood that he might be losing a good supplier, and changed his attitude. I had never waved a customer good bye back then and to me it was a very odd thing to do, but the situation taught me that a professional knows when to stop accepting orders from a customer if they are not treating us professionally and a courteous and positive business relationship is not likely. ▲ Collapse
| | | | IvyMa
Local time: 11:05
anglais vers chinois
+ ...
AUTEUR DU FIL
Dear Tomas, thank you very much for sharing with us.:)
Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
These are old stories, but they taught me very useful lessons.
1. A professional knows when his/her knowledge is not sufficient for a job.
In my first months as a freelancer I got a job from a new customer to translate a long list of plumbing parts and tools, targeted to a market different than my own. I did not know much about plumbing which, added to the usual terminology of the target market, meant that despite my research efforts the translation was not good at all.
The end customer complained, my customer complained, and the situation made me look pretty bad. I agreed to a discount to cover for local editing, and the matter was resolved amicably. The customer still uses my services after 16 years, but if I had had more professional experience back then I would have rejected the job.
2. A professional knows when to let the customer go somewhere else.
While visiting an agency customer some 15 years ago, they got a call from a customer who was not happy about how a project manager dealt with their queries and requests for quotation.
The project manager had reported that the customer was not polite at all and lost his temper in their phone calls and emails. I had dealt with the project manager many times and knew that it was not her fault since she is a very calm and friendly person. The manager of the agency answered the phone while I was there, and told the customer that maybe they had started on the wrong foot with him and recommended him to go to another translation agency.
While puzzled by this rejection, the customer quickly understood that he might be losing a good supplier, and changed his attitude. I had never waved a customer good bye back then and to me it was a very odd thing to do, but the situation taught me that a professional knows when to stop accepting orders from a customer if they are not treating us professionally and a courteous and positive business relationship is not likely.
| | | | | Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member because it was not in line with site rule | Andrea Riffo 
Chili
Local time: 08:05
anglais vers espagnol
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Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
These are old stories, but they taught me very useful lessons.
1. A professional knows when his/her knowledge is not sufficient for a job.
In my first months as a freelancer I got a job from a new customer to translate a long list of plumbing parts and tools, targeted to a market different than my own. I did not know much about plumbing which, added to the usual terminology of the target market, meant that despite my research efforts the translation was not good at all.
The end customer complained, my customer complained, and the situation made me look pretty bad. I agreed to a discount to cover for local editing, and the matter was resolved amicably. The customer still uses my services after 16 years, but if I had had more professional experience back then I would have rejected the job.
This is probably one of the best marks of professionalism: knowing your limits. Saying "no" to a job because one's knowledge of the subject isn't enough (or perhaps because the deadline is too rushed to do a good job) is hard, but it MUST be done.
Greetings!
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Balasubramaniam L.
Inde
Local time: 16:35
Membre (2006)
anglais vers hindi
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SITE LOCALIZER | One example, which I keep quoting here | May 19, 2013 |
Once a regular client send me a large job and I got down to doing it. When I had completed a substantial part of it, the client informed me that the job has been cancelled by his client.
I got a sinking feeling in my stomach and feared all my efforts would go down the drain. Never the less, I wrote to ask my client what I should do with the work I had already completed, and whether there was any chance of getting paid for this.
My client promptly wrote back and told me ... See more Once a regular client send me a large job and I got down to doing it. When I had completed a substantial part of it, the client informed me that the job has been cancelled by his client.
I got a sinking feeling in my stomach and feared all my efforts would go down the drain. Never the less, I wrote to ask my client what I should do with the work I had already completed, and whether there was any chance of getting paid for this.
My client promptly wrote back and told me to bill for the work already done and to add 10% on it for the inconvenience caused and the loss of opportunities I may have suffered.
Now that is an exemplary case of professional behaviour by agencies.
Some more for your to consider:
There are many pet superstitions prevalent among translators, freeing yourself of them is an important sign of professionalism. I will specially mention one such superstition as it has come up in this thread too, that nativeness in a language is tantamount to being a good translator into that language.
A true professional knows that it takes a lot of things to become a professional translator and just being native in his target language is not enough, and is honest enough to admit it.
[2013-05-19 16:09 GMT पर संपादन हुआ] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ty Kendall
Royaume-Uni
Local time: 11:05
hébreu vers anglais
| Au contraire mon ami | May 19, 2013 |
Balasubramaniam L. wrote:
There are many pet superstitions prevalent among translators, freeing yourself of them is an important sign of professionalism. I will specially mention one such superstition as it has come up in this thread too, that nativeness in a language is tantamount to being a good translator into that language.
A true professional knows that it take a lot of things to become a professional translator and just being native in his target language is not enough, and is honest enough to admit it.
First of all, those who believe in the importance of nativeness as one criterion do not believe it makes one a "good translator". Even in the epic thread nobody claimed that.
Contrary to being a "superstition" it is actually conventional wisdom in the industry, endorsed by many of the professional bodies.
A true professional knows that it take a lot of things to become a professional translator and just being native in his target language is not enough in itself, although it is a very important factor, and has the integrity not to cast aspersions on the professionalism of those they don't agree with (especially when they are on the opposing side of conventional wisdom).
| | | | Balasubramaniam L.
Inde
Local time: 16:35
Membre (2006)
anglais vers hindi
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SITE LOCALIZER | Superstition by another name! | May 19, 2013 |
Ty Kendall wrote:
Contrary to being a "superstition" it is actually conventional wisdom in the industry,
Convectional wisdom is a benign euphemism for superstition!
| | | | Balasubramaniam L.
Inde
Local time: 16:35
Membre (2006)
anglais vers hindi
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SITE LOCALIZER | ATA's interpretation of native language is illustrative | May 19, 2013 |
Ty Kendall wrote:
Contrary to being a "superstition" it is actually conventional wisdom in the industry, endorsed by many of the professional bodies.
The mother of all translation professional bodies ATA, interprets native language simply as "the most dominant target language", clearly understating the conventional wisdom about the importance of nativeness.
[2013-05-19 15:07 GMT पर संपादन हुआ]
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Ty Kendall
Royaume-Uni
Local time: 11:05
hébreu vers anglais
| Since you've placed it in Quotation marks..... | May 19, 2013 |
How about 'illustrating' where the ATA is defining what native language is.....
...because I can't find it anywhere.
Although:
http://www.atanet.org/docs/Getting_it_right.pdf
...quite clearly points out their stance re: native language/nativeness.
I also don't thin... See more How about 'illustrating' where the ATA is defining what native language is.....
...because I can't find it anywhere.
Although:
http://www.atanet.org/docs/Getting_it_right.pdf
...quite clearly points out their stance re: native language/nativeness.
I also don't think you can objectively call the ATA "the mother of all professional bodies". It's one amongst many. Authoritative, yes. Definitive, no. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ty Kendall
Royaume-Uni
Local time: 11:05
hébreu vers anglais
Balasubramaniam L. wrote:
The mother of all translation professional bodies ATA, interprets native language simply as "the most dominant target languages"
How can this be a definition of "native language"? Only translators have "target languages", so I doubt they'd define native language solely in terms of translators.
Not to mention the 1000 other issues with that being a definition of native language.
I smell a fish.
| | | | Balasubramaniam L.
Inde
Local time: 16:35
Membre (2006)
anglais vers hindi
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SITE LOCALIZER | It appears in each translator profile | May 19, 2013 |
Ty Kendall wrote:
How about 'illustrating' where the ATA is defining what native language is.....
I tried uploading a screenshot, but couldn't figure out how to do it.
But if you look up any translator profile in ATA, under Native Language, you will see the explanation "This is the dominant target language".
Since it appears in each translator profile, it is hard-coded into their database structure and reflects their thinking on what they understand by native language.
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Here is the image (I hope it appears!):
[2013-05-19 15:05 GMT पर संपादन हुआ]
| | | | Ty Kendall
Royaume-Uni
Local time: 11:05
hébreu vers anglais
| They aren't defining native language | May 19, 2013 |
If this is what you mean then they clearly are not 'defining' what native language is.
They are merely saying that this translator's native language is his/her dominant target language (which it should be!!! ...in accordance with their own advice in the pamphlet I linked to).
This isn't a definition, it's a description. Saying that "A" native language is "THE" dominant target language for a specific translator is not defining the concept of native language.
It's not a case of "ergo, any dominant target language is a native language".
[Edited at 2013-05-19 15:11 GMT]
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Balasubramaniam L.
Inde
Local time: 16:35
Membre (2006)
anglais vers hindi
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SITE LOCALIZER | It expresses ATA's understanding of native language | May 19, 2013 |
Ty Kendall wrote:
This isn't a definition, it's a description. Saying that "A" native language is "THE" dominant target language for a specific translator is not defining the concept of native language.
It's not a case of "ergo, any dominant target language is a native language".
i.e. the native language is the dominant target language but the reverse is not necessarily true.
[Edited at 2013-05-19 15:07 GMT]
When you say native language is the dominant target language, it is defining it.
| | | | Ty Kendall
Royaume-Uni
Local time: 11:05
hébreu vers anglais
They are expressing their ethos that a PROFESSIONAL translator only translates INTO his/her native language (therefore their dominant target language SHOULD BE their native language).
This isn't a definition I'm afraid.
The truth of the matter is, ATA - like Proz.com do not define what native language is. However, they do define what "professional" is. (See the pamphlet I linked to).
[Edited at 2013-05-19 15:18 GMT]
| | | | XXXphxxx (X)
Royaume-Uni
Local time: 11:05
portugais vers anglais
+ ...
Balasubramaniam L. wrote:
There are many pet superstitions prevalent among translators, freeing yourself of them is an important sign of professionalism.
I'm unclear how relinquishing "superstitions" or conventional wisdom is a hallmark of professionalism. I don't see any correlation.
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