Unprofessional translators and stingy clients... இழை இடுபவர்: Pablo Bouvier
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Do you believe that to publish notoriously bad translations at some kind of hall of shame will help to clean up the market from unprofessional translators and bad payers for professional work?
[Editado a las 2010-03-27 18:50 GMT]
| | | | Laurent KRAULAND (X) 
பிரான்சு
Local time: 01:53
ஃபிரன்ச் - ஜெர்மன்
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| Make it a knowledge base... | Mar 27, 2010 |
or a part of a knowledge base. This could have an impact IMHO. Personally I post mistranslations and errors on my blog from time to time...
Pablo Bouvier wrote:
Do you believe that to publish notoriously bad translations at some kind of hall of shame will help to clean up the market from unprofessional translators and bad payers for professional work?
[Edited at 2010-03-27 18:55 GMT]
| | | | Sheila Wilson
ஸ்பெயின்
Local time: 00:53
உறுப்பினர் (2007)
ஆங்கிலம்
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| It's an idea | Mar 27, 2010 |
Of course, it's immediately obvious to a translator who is a native speaker of the target language that a text has been translated by a source-language native speaker, but how would we know that it had been translated by a professional translator?
Here in France, I know for a fact that many tourist establishments prefer to use their own native-speaking staff to translate their publicity material into English. I know because these same employees are often trainees on my "English for ... See more Of course, it's immediately obvious to a translator who is a native speaker of the target language that a text has been translated by a source-language native speaker, but how would we know that it had been translated by a professional translator?
Here in France, I know for a fact that many tourist establishments prefer to use their own native-speaking staff to translate their publicity material into English. I know because these same employees are often trainees on my "English for Tourism" courses - at pre-intermediate level! It's clearly not for reasons of quality! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Emma Goldsmith
ஸ்பெயின்
Local time: 01:53
உறுப்பினர் (2004)
ஸ்பேனிஷ் - ஆங்கிலம்
I have just bought a permament ink pen for writing on CDs. The indications on the pen itself are as follows:
- Keep out of children
- Convenient to mark
- May not be washed if staining clothes incautiously
Pablo, do you think there would there be room in your Hall of Shame for this particular translator?
(Sorry for straying from the essenc... See more I have just bought a permament ink pen for writing on CDs. The indications on the pen itself are as follows:
- Keep out of children
- Convenient to mark
- May not be washed if staining clothes incautiously
Pablo, do you think there would there be room in your Hall of Shame for this particular translator?
(Sorry for straying from the essence of your subject) ▲ Collapse
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Natalie
போலந்து
Local time: 01:53
உறுப்பினர் (2002)
ஆங்கிலம் - ருஷ்ஷியன்
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மட்டுறுத்துனர் SITE LOCALIZER
I publish such things regularly in the RU forum (we have there an enormously long thread devoted to "translation pearls"). People laugh, people wonder... and nothing happens. The problem is that 1) we cannot provide names, and 2) bad translators either do not read our forums or they simply do not understand what is wrong with their "translations"...
Natalia
[Edited at 2010-03-27 20:42 GMT]
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Pablo Bouvier wrote:
Do you believe that to publish notoriously bad translations at some kind of hall of shame will help to clean up the market from unprofessional translators and bad payers for professional work?
Good idea, but it will be effective only if the names are mentioned... And that is mostly impossible, for many reasons.
| | | | | Criteria for what's considered a "bad" translation | Mar 28, 2010 |
I recently landed on a translation agency's web site. They are not located in an English-speaking country, but they do have the whole site in a few languages.
Their web page in English justifies all the diatribes about people who translate into their non-native language(s). Spelling and grammar are flawless, however I wouldn't expect any native English speaker anywhere on this planet to use that writing style. I sent it to a friendly PM in the US and he found it "weird".
... See more I recently landed on a translation agency's web site. They are not located in an English-speaking country, but they do have the whole site in a few languages.
Their web page in English justifies all the diatribes about people who translate into their non-native language(s). Spelling and grammar are flawless, however I wouldn't expect any native English speaker anywhere on this planet to use that writing style. I sent it to a friendly PM in the US and he found it "weird".
Now I translate rather decently into my non-native English, so I'm told. Of course I'd decline any translation job requiring catchy pizzazz, but these folks went overboard. At the same time that they boast their "native" translators, they provide irrefutable evidence that they couldn't find one of these to help improving their image on the web.
Hence the translation they exhibit is not ridiculously wrong* as some examples mentioned here, however it's definitely not what any client would want their text to sound after it is translated.
How is it possible to draw the line somewhere?
* Sample from the instruction leaflet for some electronic gizmo:
"If diplay (sic!) go blind, you may meet dead battery." ▲ Collapse
| | | | Heinrich Pesch
பின்லாந்து
Local time: 02:53
உறுப்பினர் (2003)
ஃபின்னிஷ் - ஜெர்மன்
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| And how about a Hall of Shame for source material | Mar 28, 2010 |
Apart from bad translations there are on my hard disc lots of examples from native German or Finnish writers that would certainly considered "bad translations", only they are original sources.
Regards
Heinrich
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Laurent KRAULAND (X)
பிரான்சு
Local time: 01:53
ஃபிரன்ச் - ஜெர்மன்
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| I think we should have both... | Mar 28, 2010 |
Heinrich Pesch wrote:
Apart from bad translations there are on my hard disc lots of examples from native German or Finnish writers that would certainly considered "bad translations", only they are original sources.
Regards
Heinrich
While some clients are indeed aware of their shortcomings when writing (or even of their shortcomings as per the comprehension of the matter at hand), some others seem to think that "anything will go as long as it is showing off".
And who will be either blamed for a bad translation or shot at for being way too expensive? Not the person who "committed" the source text, of course.
[Edited at 2010-03-28 08:25 GMT]
| | | | | "Pre-translated" source texts | Mar 28, 2010 |
I would like to add here that I have frequently made the experience that "original source texts" have already been translated, e.g. I often get "English" source texts (mostly of technical nature) that have clearly been translated from French, and that often makes it difficult to translate correctly, that is to get the sense. As I understand French, I then sometimes ask for the original French text and by taking them both, it is easier to translate correctly into German.
My 2 Cents!<... See more I would like to add here that I have frequently made the experience that "original source texts" have already been translated, e.g. I often get "English" source texts (mostly of technical nature) that have clearly been translated from French, and that often makes it difficult to translate correctly, that is to get the sense. As I understand French, I then sometimes ask for the original French text and by taking them both, it is easier to translate correctly into German.
My 2 Cents!
Annett ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jeff Whittaker
யுனைடட் ஸ்டேத்ஸ்
Local time: 19:53
ஸ்பேனிஷ் - ஆங்கிலம்
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| Possible on other sites | Mar 28, 2010 |
You can do this in the Hall of Fame and Shame on another site. If a translator makes a claim of non-payment against an agency, that agency can post part of the defective translation for all to see.
Pablo Bouvier wrote:
Do you believe that to publish notoriously bad translations at some kind of hall of shame will help to clean up the market from unprofessional translators and bad payers for professional work?
[Editado a las 2010-03-27 18:50 GMT]
[Edited at 2010-03-28 19:43 GMT]
| | | | John Rawlins
ஸ்பெயின்
Local time: 01:53
ஸ்பேனிஷ் - ஆங்கிலம்
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| Publish the bad | Mar 28, 2010 |
The Plain English Campaign wins excellent media coverage and raises awareness by publishing bad examples of corporate and government English. If it works for them, why can't it work for us?
http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/awards.html
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DZiW (X)
யூக்ரேன்
ஆங்கிலம் - ருஷ்ஷியன்
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| plain is not so simple | Mar 29, 2010 |
First, I think it's not only fair enough to post one's errs as a proof, but it's a must. If one says I made a mistake *without* showing it to me then I'll put his eyes on his back. Literally)
Second, what it really has to do with the Plain English Campaign, I wonder?
It's not so applicable in many fields and situationsm thus irrelevant.
‘I enjoy socialising at weekends and go clubbing with like-minded individuals to keep up to date with current affairs, yet I'm knackered by Monday.’
Third, ain't the blacklist/s idea enough for agencies? There already was a topic and many colleagues agreed than negative WWA should do. What's up pals? Renaming the cross of the necropost? Nevermind)
Cheers.
[Edited at 2010-03-29 09:39 GMT]
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