Translation Samples for ProZ profile
Thread poster: James Reiser (X)
James Reiser (X)
James Reiser (X)  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 23:20
Chinese to English
Jul 26, 2017

Are there guidelines for what are appropriate items to submit as translation samples? Without exception so far all the work I have done for clients involves an NDA, so the work I do for them is inappropriate for posting. I also worry that just pulling something off the web might also involve copyright issues. What are good sources of raw material for translation samples? What are appropriate sample lengths?

myomyint89
 
Jean Dimitriadis
Jean Dimitriadis  Identity Verified
English to French
+ ...
Suggestions Jul 26, 2017

Here are a few suggestions:

- Keep it short.
- Few will go on and review your sample(s). When they do, make sure it will have a positive impact. No sample is better than a bad sample.
- Has anything you have translated been published yet (online or offline)? It may be a good match.
- Find a text in one of your preferred subjects using appropriate keywords and licence
... See more
Here are a few suggestions:

- Keep it short.
- Few will go on and review your sample(s). When they do, make sure it will have a positive impact. No sample is better than a bad sample.
- Has anything you have translated been published yet (online or offline)? It may be a good match.
- Find a text in one of your preferred subjects using appropriate keywords and licence criteria: https://www.google.com/advanced_search or
https://search.creativecommons.org/
Collapse


Clare Smith
 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 03:20
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Has any been for direct clients? Jul 27, 2017

jwreiser wrote:
Without exception so far all the work I have done for clients involves an NDA, so the work I do for them is inappropriate for posting.

If you've worked for direct clients, find something that was published some while ago, or has become largely irrelevant with the passage of time, and ask them if you can use it. Ask if they'd like to suggest another/a different sample too, and whether they'd like to be acknowledged. An NDA can be relaxed by mutual consent and was probably never meant as a blanket ban - but you must get permission. Difficult to see how that would work if the client is an agency though.

What are appropriate sample lengths?

Not long; better to have five short samples than one mammoth one. I'd say 50-300 words, but that's just my opinion. I don't think there's any rule.


Clare Smith
 
James Reiser (X)
James Reiser (X)  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 23:20
Chinese to English
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks! Jul 27, 2017

Thank you both for your suggestions,very helpful!

 
Iris Schmerda
Iris Schmerda  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 04:20
Member (2016)
French to German
+ ...
Wikisource Jul 27, 2017

Wikisource is a good site with copyright free texts in many different subjects.
There seems to be a large choice of languages, too.


Clare Smith
 
philgoddard
philgoddard
United States
German to English
+ ...
I don't think you should worry about copyright. Jul 27, 2017

You own the copyright to your translation, and the owner of the copyright to the original text almost certainly doesn't know or care what you're doing.

 
Mirko Mainardi
Mirko Mainardi  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 04:20
Member
English to Italian
Copyright Jul 27, 2017

philgoddard wrote:

You own the copyright to your translation, and the owner of the copyright to the original text almost certainly doesn't know or care what you're doing.


Unless you transferred your IP rights to the client by signing an agreement with such a clause. The majority of the so called 'NDAs' I've been asked to sign also included a clause to that effect...


Clare Smith
 


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