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Thread: Translators & Interpreters Etiquette

 
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    Moderator eidjit's Avatar
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    Post Translators & Interpreters Etiquette

    So I talked with a translator that was very worked up about a conjoined project of various translators and interpreters, (something about a large manual or something).

    The thing that made them all annoyed was that one of the people from the group decided to drop off, and cancel their part.

    Making everybody else work double.

    Then having to revise all the work to see what was missing the leader of the project found mistakes and parts of the manual, like boxes of text missing their interpretation.

    So everyone was very worked up.

    My question to you all Spanish to English Translators and Interpreters is:


    What are the rules you have or tell for other when it comes to Etiquette, in this line of work?

    Do you think this ones apply?
    • Don't quit halfway, without telling everybody in advance
    • Proofread your work before delivery
    • Meet the deadline
    • Communicate mistakes to others
    • Not assign guilt of poorly done work to coworker


    _Eidji

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    Default Re: Translators & Interpreters Etiquette

    That's a reasonable penta/decalogue when they share a text.
    Interpreters have other rules because they have to share a cabin and equipment and they usually meet in person.

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    Moderator eidjit's Avatar
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    Default Re: Translators & Interpreters Etiquette

    Quote Originally Posted by danielr View Post
    That's a reasonable penta/decalogue when they share a text.
    Interpreters have other rules because they have to share a cabin and equipment and they usually meet in person.

    I'm sorry for my ignorance and unwillingness to google, What do you mean by reasonable penta/decalogue?
    _Eidji

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    Default Re: Translators & Interpreters Etiquette

    A decalogue is a list of rules (10 rules to be strict), but you actually listed 5

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    Default Re: Translators & Interpreters Etiquette

    Interpreters, whether they're performing consecutive or simultaneous interpretation can only do their job for minutes at a time. I don't recall the exact number of minutes, but surely under an hour. The sheer effort required for interpretation makes it necessary for interpreters to work in pairs when the job in question is longer than an hour. They take turns and rest in between, giving some time for their brains to cool off. So, it's a collaborative effort when the interpretation to be done is long enough.

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    Default Re: Translators & Interpreters Etiquette

    Quote Originally Posted by eidjit View Post

    Do you think this ones apply?
    • Don't quit halfway, without telling everybody in advance
    • Proofread your work before delivery
    • Meet the deadline
    • Communicate mistakes to others
    • Not assign guilt of poorly done work to coworker


    That's a good starting point!

    I think the first one should be removed though. No-one accepts a job and plan to drop half way. I'm sure they would have a reasonable excuse to do so.

    Communication should be a must and not only to point things out. A good practice would be to leave comments and notes when possible to either explain why you chose a certain term/expression over another or ask for further research/confirmatoin on a specific term.

    I find this extremely helpful, especially when I'm runnning a QA on my projects.

    Style Guides and Term Bases are highly advisable (even more so when working with many resources on the same project.)

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    Default Re: Translators & Interpreters Etiquette

    Read the instructions!

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    Default Re: Translators & Interpreters Etiquette

    Quote Originally Posted by nabylm View Post
    Read the instructions!
    Absolutely!

    I'm not sure why but rarely they read them...

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