Terry Richards wrote:
Actually, if you look at what agencies (at least, the good ones) actually do, I think the LSP name fits very well.
They find the customers, coordinate multiple translators (possibly in multiple languages), interface with the end customer, have the documents reread, perform quality control, front the money to translators even if they haven't been paid and so forth. These are all services, they are all language related and they are all provided by the agency. At least, they should be, I am well aware that many agencies fall down on at least some of these items but even that doesn't mean they are not LSPs, it just means that they are bad LSPs!
I think the problem here is that, as translators, we tend to think that translating is the entire job. It is not.
I did not take the article as a criticism of translation agencies, I read it tongue in cheek on how we try to be so accurate in conveying the true meaning of a text and yet we do not even have a very accurate one for our own industry. There are great agencies and great translators out there. The opposite is also true!
Cheers everyone!
4 more for 44! May the 4s be with you!