Translating a glossary
Thread poster: Tom Bell
Tom Bell
Tom Bell  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 12:28
Catalan to English
+ ...
Sep 22, 2016

I have been offered a translation of just over 600 terms, to be paid at the same rate this agency usually pays me.

On the one hand I think that this is not right, that creating a glossary is terminology work, which in theory should entail more effort per word than a typical translation, and should therefore pay more.

On the other hand, having a look at the terms in question I am pretty familiar with almost all of them, I can see hardly any that are in any way challengin
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I have been offered a translation of just over 600 terms, to be paid at the same rate this agency usually pays me.

On the one hand I think that this is not right, that creating a glossary is terminology work, which in theory should entail more effort per word than a typical translation, and should therefore pay more.

On the other hand, having a look at the terms in question I am pretty familiar with almost all of them, I can see hardly any that are in any way challenging. I have done plenty of other stuff for the same end client and I'm sure a lot will be covered by my termbases and TMs.

Maybe I should just do it... Any thoughts?
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Daryo
Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:28
Serbian to English
+ ...
terminology IS NOT simple translating Sep 22, 2016

and as you rightly pointed it out, should not be treated the same.

If they are serious about being in the language business (and not some middlemen that were selling carpets yesterday and could be selling brick tomorrow ...) they should know it.

Also, do you want to establish a precedent and then be given next time a glossary of terms you never heard of for the same tariff?

It would be by then a little late in the day to try to explain them the difference
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and as you rightly pointed it out, should not be treated the same.

If they are serious about being in the language business (and not some middlemen that were selling carpets yesterday and could be selling brick tomorrow ...) they should know it.

Also, do you want to establish a precedent and then be given next time a glossary of terms you never heard of for the same tariff?

It would be by then a little late in the day to try to explain them the difference between terminology and translating ...

[Edited at 2016-09-22 23:30 GMT]
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Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.)
Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.)  Identity Verified
Thailand
Local time: 18:28
English to Thai
+ ...
Translating a glossary Sep 23, 2016

Tom Bell wrote:

On the other hand, having a look at the terms in question I am pretty familiar with almost all of them, I can see hardly any that are in any way challenging. I have done plenty of other stuff for the same end client and I'm sure a lot will be covered by my termbases and TMs.

Maybe I should just do it... Any thoughts?


I do not agree with Tom. I translated glossaries in many sessions. I find that glossary definition changes with the contexts. This is why the rate per translated word should be higher.

Soonthon L.


 
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Angela Malik
Angela Malik  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:28
German to English
+ ...
Agree with Gitte Sep 23, 2016

I always charge by the hour for this sort of work.

 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 12:28
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Charge more Sep 23, 2016

Tom Bell wrote:
I have been offered a translation of just over 600 terms. ... Having a look at the terms in question, I am pretty familiar with almost all of them...


Even if you're 100% familiar with them, translating 100 words of paragraph text is much quicker than translating 100 words of random text. Don't forget, also, that your 100 words of paragraph text often contain binding words or stop words that require even less thinking, and the 100 text of terms will almost certainly consist of mostly nouns and verbs.


 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 12:28
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Definitely charge more Sep 23, 2016

I have translated several glossaries, and invariably found that you can't just translate all the entries. Many have to be re-worked.

In one case a Danish website on fabrics with just two lines on tweed - which would have been quite meaningless to serious English readers (It claimed to be written for the B2B market).

You can't just lump Harris Tweed, Border Tweed and Irish tweed together along with all the others...
Likewise the sections on velvet and velour, cordu
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I have translated several glossaries, and invariably found that you can't just translate all the entries. Many have to be re-worked.

In one case a Danish website on fabrics with just two lines on tweed - which would have been quite meaningless to serious English readers (It claimed to be written for the B2B market).

You can't just lump Harris Tweed, Border Tweed and Irish tweed together along with all the others...
Likewise the sections on velvet and velour, corduroy, and several others.

I think the client revised the Danish version after I had finished.

I remember some years back re-working a small glossary on a field as 'simple' as suitable foods for diabetics on holiday. It was necessary to take into account the different types of food in different areas of Europe, and for instance what dairy products were available. Milk, cheese and yoghurt are NOT just milk, cheese and yoghurt! Before you even start on bread and carbohydrates, which are critical for diabetics.

In short, if your glossary is not going to end up useless or directly misleading, you need to check all the terms very carefully and re-work rather than translate when necessary.

Even in what you think are standardised areas like car parts or spanners and screwdrivers...
Been there, struggled and wept over it as a student! It is a very satisfying job in a way, but make sure you have a suitably generous deadline, and that your client appreciates the effort involved and pays fairly. The normal word rate is NOT enough.



[Edited at 2016-09-23 10:10 GMT]
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Lianne van de Ven
Lianne van de Ven  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 07:28
Member (2008)
English to Dutch
+ ...
Dictionary vs research Sep 23, 2016

If it is the same as just translating words, why does the client not plug in a dictionary instead? If the source words have descriptions and explanations added, and you need to enter the best translation, I would do this on an hourly basis. A glossary assumes research and consensus, not just a translation.

 
Tom Bell
Tom Bell  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 12:28
Catalan to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks everyone for your responses Sep 23, 2016

As a whole you have confirmed my general feeling that terminology work is wholly different from translating. And as Daryo pointed out, one shouldn't set a precedent when next time the content may be much less familiar!

As it happens, it turns out the agency did in fact want to pay me by the hour, but their calculation of how long it should take (3 hours for about 600 terms) was quite a long way off my own estimation, and I declined the offer.

Wishing you all a pleasant
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As a whole you have confirmed my general feeling that terminology work is wholly different from translating. And as Daryo pointed out, one shouldn't set a precedent when next time the content may be much less familiar!

As it happens, it turns out the agency did in fact want to pay me by the hour, but their calculation of how long it should take (3 hours for about 600 terms) was quite a long way off my own estimation, and I declined the offer.

Wishing you all a pleasant weekend
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Translating a glossary







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