| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | How much to charge for proofreading? Thread poster: MikeMcG58
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Magda Dziadosz 
Poland
Local time: 13:05
Member (2004)
English to Polish
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| In this case: | Mar 19, 2008 |
MikeMcG58 wrote:
I knew he was using MT. TThat's why I approached him about the job. I saw one workbook he had already published and the very first word was wrong. I was horrified when I saw the rest of it.
I asked him to give me electronic copies before he published any more. Fortunately it is self publishing and no publisher laid out money to produce these work books.
One example: it is oilfield safety. The title was Well Service Safety Training. The MT translated it "well" as in "I feel well" it was not even close to what the name was.
Then I think you did the right thing But you should not offer proofreading, but proper translation of the thing (and charge translation rate). I'm sure you can collect lot's of evidence to back up your proposal - you can show the MT results into your client language, show some websites done this way, perhaps you will also find press articles dealing with this topic - I can't offer any in your language pair, but I've read many related to Polish - I'm sure you will find some.
Good luck,
Magda
| | | | | Don't tell, show | Mar 19, 2008 |
MikeMcG58 wrote:
I knew he was using MT. TThat's why I approached him about the job. I saw one workbook he had already published and the very first word was wrong. I was horrified when I saw the rest of it.
Take a paragraph or two of the "translation", throw it/them into Google Translate, BabelFish or similar and send the result to your client.
Considering the amount of money his company might have to pay in case of injury, proper translation is cheap...
[Edited at 2008-03-19 21:57]
[Edited at 2008-03-19 22:03]
| | | | | Proofreading? | Mar 19, 2008 |
By definition, the job doesn't even fall within the scope of "proofreading".
Not by a long shot ...
| | | | | Charge by the hour, you'll make more money ... | Mar 20, 2008 |
... and tell your client that "proofreading" would take much much longer than translating the document from scratch.
Seriously, I'd follow Claudia Digel's advice, run baby run!
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| Reject or charge more | Mar 20, 2008 |
I'd either reject this kind of "job", or charged the double of my usual rate or even more. The client should be made aware that using machine translators is good for quick, informative translations to get a slight idea what your Vietnamese (no offense) friend is writing to you, but no good for high-quality translations of technical or any other documents.
[Upraveno: 2008-03-20 15:47]
| | | | MariusV
Lithuania
Local time: 14:05
English to Lithuanian
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| Why can't they proofread with BabelFish too? | Mar 20, 2008 |
Well, I always try to be very cautious with proofing. Because all problems with the text cannot be noticed at the first glance and the real "level" of the work gets known when you actually are in the middle of the proofing. I do it simple - if the text seems more or less normal (from average to good quality), I charge ~ 33 % from translation rate, if the text is of a very good quality - around 20 % from my translation rate. In all other cases, where the text quality is poor and tragic, I try to ... See more Well, I always try to be very cautious with proofing. Because all problems with the text cannot be noticed at the first glance and the real "level" of the work gets known when you actually are in the middle of the proofing. I do it simple - if the text seems more or less normal (from average to good quality), I charge ~ 33 % from translation rate, if the text is of a very good quality - around 20 % from my translation rate. In all other cases, where the text quality is poor and tragic, I try to offer the client re-translation (sometimes it is much faster to translate from scrap than to correct something incorrectable). And, I think, a Babelfish translation of a technical material shall be the case here too. For the proofing of this I'd charge 100 % from my usual translation rate for such texts. If the client does not agree, let them use BabelFish for proofing too (I'd not deal with such people who think they can "translate" it with BabelFish and then find some "monkey" to "proofread" that crap for several cents ▲ Collapse
| | | | Gary D
Local time: 22:05
English
| Do it for your self. | Mar 22, 2008 |
MikeMcG58 wrote:
Evangelia Mouma wrote:
First because proofreading a mess is more than difficult and second because if there is the suspicion that your client used an MT for such a translation and played a trick by asking you to proofread it, then can you trust him?
Best,
E.
I knew he was using MT. That's why I approached him about the job. I saw one workbook he had already published and the very first word was wrong. I was horrified when I saw the rest of it.
I asked him to give me electronic copies before he published any more. Fortunately it is self publishing and no publisher laid out money to produce these work books.
One example: it is oilfield safety. The title was Well Service Safety Training. The MT translated it "well" as in "I feel well" it was not even close to what the name was.
Mike,
I would offer him a complete translation. and if this is not acceptable, I would leave it.
I write my own safety procedures for my own products, and I know how much time I take finding the correct words and I only speak English. My wife has been a translator, HU - En, for 15 years and we have done a lot of proofreading together, Often when it is a safety manual we may even rewrite it. There are so many laws to do with safety, that a MT would never be able to look up. Protect your own work by doing it your self. Add a surcharge to the text of 15- 25% if it is a MT. Maybe this is fair, to you?
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