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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 2/26/2010 4:18:58 PM
Posts: 1,
Visits: 335
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Good morning to everybody: This happened to me yesterday. This chinese agency contacted me for my very first job, of course I was more than exited about and the project was to translate 50 words movie synopsis in which I was changing $5 dollars, yes, $5 dollars and then after she contacted me I said to myself -"I am going to do this for free". She asked me to lower the price and then I said. -"Well... I am the one who speaks Spanish and that is what they need." You can not imagine how exited I was, considering that I am new in this and they were my first clients. Any way I lower the price to $3 dollars, only $3 dollars and then she sent me an email saying that they have contacted other translator but they needed a test on me and if I would please translate the document only like a test on me. YEA, RIGHT!!!!! We get so eager to start working and earning money even a small amount of money, we must not do our work for free, we have a skill that they do not have, they need us. That is all guys, have a great weekend. Olga
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Post #2204
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 12/14/2009 5:25:49 AM
Posts: 99,
Visits: 165
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Hi Olga,
I'm sorry for your experience, but I believe you have learned your first lesson. I have my own rates and don't negotiate on them. Either the clients want premium quality at average rates, or they want rubbish and in such a case they can use machine translation.
I don't even provide volume discounts: if I have twice as much work, it will take twice as long to finish. That's it. I am a freelancer and I have to clothe and feed myslef.
Also, be extremely cautious to accept jobs from unknown clients, especially if they use public e-mail service (GMail, Yahoo etc.) or if you can't travel to their location to collect any amounts due in person.
That's lesson two. 
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Post #2208
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 4/6/2010 12:08:29 AM
Posts: 3,
Visits: 87
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Dear colleagues,
Wow...thanks for the heads up.
I will be careful.
Luckily I have not meet one yet.
Rose
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Post #2210
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 4/5/2010 5:59:27 PM
Posts: 3,
Visits: 186
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Agree with you, absolutely ! We have a speciefic skill that people need and we should stand firm and be professional about it. Translation or interpreting is not just looking into a dictionary and copy-pasting words from there.
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Post #2215
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 4/8/2010 10:17:03 PM
Posts: 1,
Visits: 123
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It is interesting, though, to see just how ignorant people are about the value of translation (I mean people who are not translators): I just saw an ad with someone wanting a 4,200-word translation for $55! And unfortunately, because there are many people/agencies out there who will take such a terribly low offer, it thins the pool for the rest of us who are trying to make a living. Stick to your guns about price: be fair, both to the customer, and to yourself.
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Post #2222
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 12/14/2009 5:25:49 AM
Posts: 99,
Visits: 165
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Seconded.
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Post #2224
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 4/9/2010 3:15:20 PM
Posts: 1,
Visits: 411
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You are so right about that translation. I mean $55.00 and they are probably saying that because there are repetitions but what people dont understand is that just because a word is repeated does not mean it will be intepretated the same way. Just sad, so sad.
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Post #2225
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 4/9/2010 3:37:12 AM
Posts: 1,
Visits: 128
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Hi everybody!I absolutely agree with all of you. We should stand up and fight against low price and garbage produced by people who call themselves translators. Translations is much more than managing a dicctionary!! H&K V.
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Post #2226
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 12/14/2009 5:25:49 AM
Posts: 99,
Visits: 165
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I do agree, but only partially. Repetitions usually don't concern single words, but entire segments. A segment can be a word, a sentence, a clause, or a whole paragraph, depending on the segmentation rules. If a sentence repeats, it is usually translated the same way. Of course, there are exceptions but not many.
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Post #2231
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 12/11/2009 6:36:00 AM
Posts: 1,
Visits: 7
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Hi,
I am one of those translators that will accept next to nothing for a job and work myself silly (pulling many all nighters) just to earn a buck. I work for the absurd price of 0,023 ct/word translating seriously difficult technical stuff like diagnostic software.
I consider myself to be a very fine translator - native speaker of both Dutch and English - but due to the fact that I never had an official education I'm not considered to be a 'real' translator in The Netherlands.
Money is extremely tight in my neck of the woods (I can't even afford to become a member here to scout for better jobs) so lets just say I'm happy to pick up the 'cheap leftovers' that you folks won't accept.
All I want to say is that you need to be careful when judging people for their actions. My accepting of 'cheap' jobs is born out of necessity because I just don't qualify for 'better' jobs, despite being a good translator.
Trust me, I'd LOVE to be able to work for better money and be able to spend more time with my kids instead of chugging away for peanuts!
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Post #2244
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