| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Missing out on cases due to other translators being able to translate 4500 words per day. Thread poster: Mark Sanderson
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Hello,
I was recently offered a case by an agency with a very tight deadline. When I worked it out it equated to a source word count of 4500 Chinese characters per day. This is well above the speed that I am willing/able to work at.
I informed the agency of my average speed - around 2000 source characters per day and asked if the deadline could be extended. I was then informed that another translator had already said that they were able to meet the deadline and had ... See more Hello,
I was recently offered a case by an agency with a very tight deadline. When I worked it out it equated to a source word count of 4500 Chinese characters per day. This is well above the speed that I am willing/able to work at.
I informed the agency of my average speed - around 2000 source characters per day and asked if the deadline could be extended. I was then informed that another translator had already said that they were able to meet the deadline and had started the assignment.
The things that get me are:
1) The source text was not an easy document to translate - a thesis on economics with lots of specialized terminology.
2) What sort of translator can translate 4500 words per day consistently, whilst reaching a suitable level of quality?
3) Where is the time to check going to come from?
What are your thoughts on this? Do I need to up my game here? It is possible that as a new translator I am too slow?
Or, could it be that the other translator is a fantasist?
Thanks,
Mark ▲ Collapse
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One of the scenarios boils down to the fact that the other translator(s) may use a CAT tool.
For one of my clients, I have been translating user manuals, operation manuals and maintenance manuals for a big player in the PC market for a decade. Thanks to the TM I have built while working on the client-specific projects, I am able to translate a 40,000-word manual within four (4) hours. Even with Trados fuzzy match discounts, this translates (the pun is intended) into $220 per hour.
| | | | EvaVer (X) 
Local time: 15:02
Czech to French
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| Yes, but he said economics and Chinese! | Jun 30, 2014 |
Vladimir Pochinov wrote:
One of the scenarios boils down to the fact that the other translator(s) may use a CAT tool.
For one of my clients, I have been translating user manuals, operation manuals and maintenance manuals for a big player in the PC market for a decade. Thanks to the TM I have built while working on the client-specific projects, I am able to translate a 40,000-word manual within four (4) hours. Even with Trados fuzzy match discounts, this translates (the pun is intended) into $220 per hour.
CAT tools are very well for technical translations, but in economics, you seldom have repeating segments!
I have no idea about the language pair, but I guess it must be a tough one. I can do 4500 words per day, but I always calculate on a 3000 words basis - you must have a leeway in case something goes wrong, or a direct client sends you another job you cannot refuse. And I only translate between European languages, which must be easier I guess.
So yes, somebody who is sure not to have other duties can accept such a job, but they are taking a risk.
| | | | Diana Obermeyer
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:02
Member (2013)
German to English
+ ...
| Where does it say consistently? | Jun 30, 2014 |
Mark Sanderson wrote:
2) What sort of translator can translate 4500 words per day consistently, whilst reaching a suitable level of quality?
Where does it say consistently?
Consistently, I am well below this number.
If I've been consistently busy for a while, I struggle to push myself too far above a regular workflow. I just get tired.
However, if I've had an easy couple of days, I may well accept a rush assignment on rush rates at up to twice my regular throughput. Yes, this also means putting in a nightshift (or 2 or 3), paying someone to walk the dogs for me and taking a day off afterwards.
I am very rarely able to start on a file with less than 2 days lead time, quite often, I need more. The fact that this translator was able to start on the file immediately tells me that he may not have been busy at that point and therefore more likely and more able to push himself to a higher productivity rate in the SHORT TERM.
I don't see how accepting a rush assignment and pushing yourself for a few days is any indication of a regular productivity rate. It doesn't imply that the person in question is working at this rate consistently.
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Woodstock (X)
Germany
Local time: 15:02
German to English
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| Is your focus on quality or quantity? | Jun 30, 2014 |
My policy is to not worry about how many words other people can do in an hour or day, or to not try to figure out if I'm doing something wrong by not being able to compete with a 4,000 words or more a day in output. The reason? I have proofread many texts of translators who are probably a lot faster than I am, and I'm not surprised that they are, because what I have read is 1:1 translation, with absolutely no adherence to normal English syntax. A German checking the translation might not catch i... See more My policy is to not worry about how many words other people can do in an hour or day, or to not try to figure out if I'm doing something wrong by not being able to compete with a 4,000 words or more a day in output. The reason? I have proofread many texts of translators who are probably a lot faster than I am, and I'm not surprised that they are, because what I have read is 1:1 translation, with absolutely no adherence to normal English syntax. A German checking the translation might not catch it, because the syntax is familiar and would probably not raise any flags, but it is not English. If I translated like that, I might be able to match that kind of volume, but I won't. I even turn down jobs that I can't comfortably complete at my speed, saying I can't guarantee the customary high quality if I'm rushed like that.
Luckily, quality still counts in some quarters. The "secret" is to find the clients who agree, and they are out there. It's our job to show them the difference between an ok or acceptable translation and a good/great one (when it matters - it likely doesn't some of the time). While I'm sure there are some very talented translators who can do both, i.e. be very good and very fast at the same time, I doubt there are many. On the other hand, quality may not be all that important in many cases - the requirements are as diverse as the clients themselves.
Just as an illustration, I once tested myself on pure speed on very easy content that I knew well - I managed 7000 words in a (long) day. Never again. I was completely burned out. My brain was absolutely fried and I couldn't work for the next two days. It was an interesting experiment, and that was when I decided never to push the limits I feel comfortable with. However, that is something each language professional must decide for him/herself. Just my 2 cents. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Phil Hand
China
Local time: 21:02
Chinese to English
| Problems of the Chinese market | Jun 30, 2014 |
This is why I keep saying the one thing we need more than anything else in the Chinese market is more competent translators. (I.e. a greater number of competent translators.) You're right, of course, that's a stupid speed to demand. The problem is that many, many clients in the Chinese market are habituated to low quality, and if low quality is all you can get, then you might as well demand high speed and/or low rates.
This one, you might just have to let it go. But if you have the ... See more This is why I keep saying the one thing we need more than anything else in the Chinese market is more competent translators. (I.e. a greater number of competent translators.) You're right, of course, that's a stupid speed to demand. The problem is that many, many clients in the Chinese market are habituated to low quality, and if low quality is all you can get, then you might as well demand high speed and/or low rates.
This one, you might just have to let it go. But if you have the chance to do any client education, then do it.
1) Tell the agency. Many European agencies don't know how to compare words/characters. Many Chinese agencies have literally never seen high quality work. They need people to tell them: no. For difficult texts, 2000 characters/day is the right speed. Agencies need linguists to tell them, so they can learn, then they can tell their clients.
2) Offer to do the review. You'll get garbage, then you can point out why it's garbage. Title incomprehensible? Three grammar errors in the first sentence? European names not translated but just transcribed into pinyin? Show them solid, incontrovertible evidence of poor quality. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Phil Hand
China
Local time: 21:02
Chinese to English
| On speed, though | Jun 30, 2014 |
I usually quote a top speed of 2000 characters per day to clients, but I do that to ensure that if two jobs come in at once, I can stay on top of them. For all but the most difficult texts, I think 4000 characters per day is doable - that's less than 3000 English words, after all. But for a research paper, 4500 is pushing it. I think you'll get there, if you know the subject. I'd expect to be able to do a paper like that in one day. But it might require some overtime.
| | | | Woodstock (X)
Germany
Local time: 15:02
German to English
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| Educating the agencies/clients | Jun 30, 2014 |
Phil Hand wrote:
...But if you have the chance to do any client education, then do it.
1) Tell the agency. Many European agencies don't know how to compare words/characters. Many Chinese agencies have literally never seen high quality work. They need people to tell them: no. For difficult texts, 2000 characters/day is the right speed. Agencies need linguists to tell them, so they can learn, then they can tell their clients.
2) Offer to do the review. You'll get garbage, then you can point out why it's garbage. Title incomprehensible? Three grammar errors in the first sentence? European names not translated but just transcribed into pinyin? Show them solid, incontrovertible evidence of poor quality.
You make some excellent points about the nature of the Chinese market, which are very specific to it and interesting to learn about. I also agree completely with your comments regarding educating the clients/agencies, which I also mentioned in my post, but more in passing. You went into the specifics quite thoroughly, which is truly justified. Lots of agencies seem to have been founded purely on the principle of making a profit with no clue about what (good) translation is really about, and the end clients don't know better much of the time. So it really is up to us to teach them wherever possible.
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| Amphetamines... | Jun 30, 2014 |
may help to achieve these goals. This is not a recommendation but a suspicion I sometimes have in view of the fact that there are always people who will be able to take these high volume-, short deadline-, low price-jobs. I never tried and I will never do, but Ritalin is said to extend your (physical) brain power above the limits. Many students take it too to keep up with their learning stress, so reports say.
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The number of high-capacity translators noted above is impressive. However, a very important thing to remember is that you cannot catch up on lost sleep. It's gone forever and it leaves its mark in the long run.
Missing out is often the best option.
| | | | | Yes--I think we have to fight against tight deadlines | Jun 30, 2014 |
which are destroying our health. There should be a very high surcharge --like 80%, if the deadline is too tight--to prevent agencies form abusing this requirement.
A professional translator working full time, one who is serious about translation, but also about health, translates 1,500 a day on average. About 8,000-10,000 words a week.
High capacity is usually opposite form high quality--sweatshop-like.
[Edited at 2014-06-30 10:42 GMT]
| | | | Lincoln Hui
Hong Kong
Local time: 21:02
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
2) What sort of translator can translate 4500 words per day consistently, whilst reaching a suitable level of quality?
If it's not a technical subject, or a subject that I'm fairly familiar with, I can do that and then some. I won't commit to that much with the exception of one client, but depending on workload I would often commit to maybe 2000 words a day for a 20,000 word job, clear it in five days, spend one day checking and take the remaining four days off.
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| I can do 6,000 sometimes--once in a few months-- | Jun 30, 2014 |
but why would anyone be doing that--to endanger their health. Then, I usually cannot look at translations for a week or so. 1,500-2,000 is a reasonable number.
[Edited at 2014-06-30 11:37 GMT]
| | | | Fei Ge
United States
Local time: 09:02
Member (2012)
Chinese to English
+ ...
Vladimir Pochinov wrote:
One of the scenarios boils down to the fact that the other translator(s) may use a CAT tool.
For one of my clients, I have been translating user manuals, operation manuals and maintenance manuals for a big player in the PC market for a decade. Thanks to the TM I have built while working on the client-specific projects, I am able to translate a 40,000-word manual within four (4) hours. Even with Trados fuzzy match discounts, this translates (the pun is intended) into $220 per hour.
Wow, that is an insane amount of hourly pay. I may have to look into working lots, saving up lots, and buying SDL Trados. Although, I have tried to use Studio 2011 before, and got nowhere very fast. I even watched some instructional videos on YouTube, but they didn't help me at all, I just couldn't concentrate, or maybe what I need is something in real time. There is a translation center near me so maybe they offer classes or could guide me in the right direction.
| | | | | Look around and try | Jun 30, 2014 |
markge wrote:
and buying SDL Trados.
... or one of the numerous competitors. Check out the trial versions. All data you gather with whatever product, you will later be able to use in the tool of your choice (including SDL Trados).
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