Mathieu brings up an important issue about in-country translation by native speakers of the target language. Having been forced to use material translated by machine or by so-called translators with minimal skill in the target language, I agree that "in-country native" is the way to go.
However, the fact that you might use a full-service translation firm does not mean that the translation work is done at one location. I have used US and European translation companies. In both cases, the actual work was done in-country by native translators contracting for the company. In my case, as a lone writer, I do not have the time or resources to coordinate translation projects with 9 different people in 9 separate countries, then take their work and assemble it into a single volume for printing and distribution. A full-service company, who manages the project and the individual translators, and gives me a single PDF built to specification, is the only reasonable solution. As Diane noted in a separate string, "Check with the vendor and make sure that they have the right combination of linguistic and technical experience to do the work you need." Daniel -----Original Message----- From: mathieu jacquet [mailto:bobi...@hotmail.com] Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 2:04 PM To: srickaby at wordmongers.demon.co.uk; Daniel Doornbos Cc: framers at FrameUsers.com Subject: OT : RE: Translators and Word vs FM I totally agree with you Steve. I'm hired half time in France by an American company based in Everett (WA), and we hold call conference on a daily basis, there's absolutely no problem with that. We're just asked to wake up later. It is no big deal to me. :o)) When you work in the translation business, the first rule is to get your documents preferably translated by native speakers living in their own country (not "corrupt" by the language of the country they live in). You have to contact people living in Japan, Russia, Norway, Brazil, etc. The Web is the best way to do it. A translator who does not reply straight away is a translator out of the database... Mathieu >From: Steve Rickaby <srickaby at wordmongers.demon.co.uk> >To: "Daniel Doornbos" <danield at promise.com> >CC: framers at FrameUsers.com >Subject: RE: Translators and Word vs FM >Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2007 18:01:33 +0000 > >At 09:37 -0800 4/1/07, Daniel Doornbos wrote: > > >I agree with Mathieu that translators in Europe tend to be > >substantially >less expensive. But if you live in the US, it's hard to get them on the >phone when you want to discuss an issue. And many want payment in Euros, >which, for my accounting department, is a major problem. > >We're not translators, but I feel I should stick up for the European >end of >things: > >. Any European company that is interested in working for US clients >should >be able to quote in US dollars. If they can't or won't, don't work with >them. We can, and do. > >. If the phone doesn't work for you, use e-mail: it's a useful tool for >crossing time zones. If a contractor doesn't respond to e-mail as quickly >as you'd like, stop using them. > >. The difference in tome-zones can be made to work to your advantage: >we >come on-stream half a working day before the East seaboard and a whole >working day before the West seaboard and we're working away while you're >asleep. This constitutes a sort of double-shift system ;-) > >Our US clients are happy, and we're happy working for them. The >Internet >shrinks the world: everyone benefits. > >-- >Steve Rickaby >WordMongers Ltd http://www.wordmongers.com >_______________________________________________ > > >You are currently subscribed to Framers as bobitch at hotmail.com. > >Send list messages to framers at lists.frameusers.com. > >To unsubscribe send a blank email to >framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.com >or visit >http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/bobitch%40hotmail.c om > >Send administrative questions to listadmin at frameusers.com. Visit >http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info. _________________________________________________________________ Personnalisez votre Messenger avec Live.com http://www.windowslive.fr/livecom/
