[Repost] Clearing up the Top 10 Myths About Translation (by Nataly Kelly)

Nataly Kelly

Co-Author, Found in Translation and Chief Research Officer, Common Sense Advisory

Clearing up the Top 10 Myths About Translation

Posted: 06/13/2012 11:06 am

Careers , Careers , Politics , Fortune 500 , Economics , Global Economy , Language ,Translation , Business News

 

Translation has an impact on virtually every aspect of society, politics, and economics, but how much of what you know about translation is really true? You might be surprised to learn that translation is a highly diverse and complex market — and one that’s bigger than you might think. Here are ten of the most widely held myths about translation:

1. Translation is a small, niche market. The global market for outsourced language services is worth more than US$33 billion in 2012. The largest segment of the market is written translation, followed by on-site interpreting and software localization. The vast majority of these translation services are provided by small agencies — there are more than 26,000 of them throughout the world. These companies coordinate translation projects in multiple languages simultaneously, often involving many different file types, processes, and technology tools. The words themselves are translated and interpreted by the hundreds of thousands of language professionals scattered all across the globe. Many translators and interpreters also have direct clients, but most are freelancers whose work comes from agencies.

2. The need for translation is fading away. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisticsestimates that there will be 83,000 jobs for interpreters and translators by 2020 in the United States alone. This job market is expected to grow by 42 percent from 2010 to 2020, significantly higher than the average of 14 percent for all professions. Data from Common Sense Advisory shows that globally, the market has a compound annual growth rate of 12.17 percent.

3. Most translators translate books; most interpreters work at the United Nations. Literary translation and conference interpreting are two of the most visible specializations, but they actually represent very tiny segments of the market at large. Who are the biggest translation spenders? Military and defense agencies spend the most on translation, with the United States routinely spending billions on language services for defense and intelligence initiatives. On the commercial side, some of the largest segments of the translation market are manufacturing, software, health care, legal, and financial services. As a result, freelancers often work in these specialty areas — as financial translators, medical interpreters, legal translators, and court interpreters.

4. Any bilingual can be a translator or an interpreter. The ability to write in English does not make a person a professional writer. The ability to speak English does not make a person a professional speaker. Likewise, the ability to write or speak two languages does not mean that a person can translate or interpret. Plenty of people who are perfectly fluent in two languages fail professional exams for translation and interpreting. Why? Being bilingual does not guarantee that a person will be able to transport meaning from one language and culture to another without inflicting harm in the process. Most translators and interpreters are highly educated, with advanced degrees and training in either translation, linguistics, or a specialty field. Also, while not mandatory, professional certifications are widely recognized and strongly encouraged. In the U.S., translators are certified by the American Translators Association, and a variety of certifications exist for interpreters.

5. Interpreters and translators do the same thing. The all-encompassing term that the general public uses to refer to language professionals is “translators,” but the reality is that translators and interpreters have very different job skills. Translation refers to written language, while interpreting refers to spoken language. Translators must have great writing skills and training in translation, but they must also be adept at using computer-assisted translation tools and terminology databases. Interpreters, on the other hand, have to develop their short-term memory retention and note-taking skills as well as memorizing specialized terminology for instant recall.

6. Translators and interpreters work in more than two languages. One of the most common questions translators and interpreters are asked is, “How many languages do you speak?” In reality, many translators work in only one direction — from one language into another, but not in the reverse. For translators and interpreters, it is better to have in-depth knowledge of just two languages than to have surface-level knowledge of several. Why? Of approximately one million words in English, the average person uses only 4,000 to 5,000 words on a regular basis. People who are “educated” know between 8,000 and 10,000 words. The professions with the widest vocabulary, such as doctors and lawyers, use about 23,000 words. Interpreters and translators who work for these specialized professions often use this kind of advanced technical vocabulary in two languages. Some translators and interpreters do work in more than one language combination — for example, conference interpreters often have several “passive” languages that they can understand. However, translators and interpreters are not usually hyperpolyglots.

7. Translation only matters to “language people.” The need for translation crosses both the public and private sectors. In the business world, executives at companies of all sizes are beginning to recognize that translation is a pathway to enabling more revenue and entering new markets. A recent study found that Fortune 500 companies that augmented their translation budget were 1.5 times more likely than their Fortune 500 peers to report an increase in total revenue. Also, government bodies are increasingly taking an interest in translation. Indeed, even those involved in development and non-profit work need to pay attention to translation. A report on translation in Africa conducted for Translators without Borders in May 2012 showed that greater access to translated information would improve political inclusion, health care, human rights, and even save lives of citizens of African countries.

8. Crowdsourcing puts professional translators out of work. As online communities have become more popular, so has something called “crowdsourced translation.” This phenomenon typically emerges when online community members get excited about a product and want to use it in their native languages. Sometimes, these customers and fans even begin creating their own translations and posting them in user forums. Instead of leaving their customers to pontificate on the best translations amongst themselves, smart companies are giving these communities the ability to easily suggest their translations. Are companies harnessing the work of these volunteers to obtain free labor? Actually, as the research shows, saving money is not a primary motivation — setting up these kinds of platforms can cost companies more time and money than just paying for traditional human translation. They typically pay human translators and translation companies to edit the group-translated content anyway, but they believe the collective approach gives power directly to customers and users, enabling them to have a say in which translations they like best.

9. Machine translation is crushing the demand for human translation. The opposite is true. Machine translation is actually expanding the demand for human translation and fueling the market at large. How? Machine translation — especially the free online kind — serves as an awareness campaign, putting translation squarely in front of the average person. Translating large volumes of information is never free — it comes at a cost, even with machine translation. Machine translation technology and related services make up a tiny percentage of the total translation market. Of course, machine translation can achieve some feats that humans cannot, such as quickly scanning large bodies of text and provide summaries of the information contained within them. However, as with most technologies, humans are needed to use machine translation intelligently. As Ray Kurzweil points out, technologies typically don’t replace whole fields — rather, they more often help fields to evolve.

10. All translation will someday be free. The translation and interpreting industry adds tens of thousands of new jobs to the global economy each year and there is no slowdown in sight. Translators and interpreters are extremely important members of this industry — in fact, they are the very heart of it. However, much like other professional service industries, the translation industry also relies on countless other professionals: project managers, account managers, vendor managers, production managers, schedulers, trainers, quality assurance teams, proofreaders, desktop publishing professionals, engineers, product managers, salespeople, marketers, technicians, and even people who work in procurement, human resources, billing, and IT. Research from Common Sense Advisory shows thatdemand for translation is outpacing supply — so if anything, human translators are becoming even more important. However, they are part of a much larger ecosystem, one that keeps global business churning and international communication flowing.

Follow Nataly Kelly on Twitter: www.twitter.com/natalykelly

[Repost] Escargoter, saladiner, mondemoisil : découvrez les nouveaux mots de la langue française! (by NJI)

ESCARGOTER, SALADINER, MONDEMOISIL : DÉCOUVREZ LES NOUVEAUX MOTS DE LA LANGUE FRANÇAISE !

Écrit par  NJI

Du 3 février au 23 mars, la Semaine de la langue française et ses partenaires ont lancé sur Facebook le Défi “Inventez le Mot de la Semaine”, invitant les internautes à créer un mot nouveau et sa définition en 300 signes maximum. Ce Défi a rencontré un immense succès et près de 3000 mots ont été inventés. Ce sont finalement les mots “escargoter”, “se mémériser” et “tôtif” qui ont été élus Mots de la Semaine, parmi les contributions les plus “aimées” des internautes.Lundi 24 mars, un jury composé de grands témoins de la Semaine, de représentants de spartenaires de l’opération et du ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (Délégation générale à la langue française et aux langues de France) ont désigné les lauréats, junior comme senior, parmi les contributions les plus “aimées” des internautes.

Lauréat dans la catégorie senior
Escargoter : Prendre son temps.

Lauréat dans la catégorie junior
Se mémériser : (verbe pronominal, 1er groupe) Se vieillir au moyen d’habits hors d’âge.
Ex : Elle pourrait être jolie si elle ne prenait tant de soin à se mémériser.

Prix spécial du jury
Tôtif : Le contraire de tardif : un réveil tôtif ; et l’adverbe dérivé : tôtivement.

ll n’a pas été facile de choisir les gagnants. Les critères à prendre en compte
étaient nombreux : inventivité lexicale, qualité sonore et visuelle du mot, clarté de la définition, facilité d’utilisation, possibilité d’entrer un jour dans la langue courante, respect des normes linguistiques…

Les trois lauréats respectent l’ensemble de ces critères. Peut-être intègreront-ils un jour les dictionnaires ?

10 mots nominés dans la catégorie senior

– Afrancien : (n. et adj.) Français d’origine africaine ou Africain de France (ethnologie). Qui est propre aux Français d’origine africaine. Relatif aux Français d’origine africaine.

– Bussoter : Attendre le bus.

– Krealinker : Partager une idée créative sur un support de communication virtuel (réseau social, forum…).

– Escargoter : Prendre son temps.

– Gremcher : Faire son grincheux boudeur.

– Lalaliser : (verbe du 1er groupe) 1. Chanter “la la la” quand on ne peut pas se rappeler les paroles. “Tu connais cette chanson, c’est la la la la …”. 2. Utiliser trop souvent l’expression “Oh là là”. “Il m’énerve, il lalalise sans cesse.” 3. Traiter avec légèreté. “Il ne faut pas lalaliser ce problème.”

– Cordiamicalement : Contraction de « cordialement » et « d’amicalement ».
Formule de politesse se plaçant en fin de texte avant son propre nom. A utiliser quand la relation avec la personne visée, sans être déjà amicale, est toutefois plus que simplement cordiale.

– Jeudredi : (nom masculin) S’emploie à la place de jeudi. Façon de positiver la fin de semaine en renommant le jeudi : plus tout à fait jeudi mais pas encore vendredi. Peut également être employé pour accélérer la venue du week-end. Ex. “Superchouette, aujourd’hui c’est jeudredi”.

– Maisnif : Odeur caractéristique d’une maison.

– S’enrêver : S’embarquer dans un rêve éveillé (en général contre son gré…).

10 mots nominés dans la catégorie junior

– Textoter : (verbe) Communiquer par texto. Ex : Il textote sans arrêt avec ses amis.

– Se mémériser : (verbe pronominal, 1er groupe) Se vieillir au moyen d’habits hors d’âge. Ex : Elle pourrait être jolie si elle ne prenait tant de soin à se mémériser.

– Se miroiriser : Se regarder dans le miroir.

– Scolarophobie : (nom féminin) Phobie de l’école.

– Shopivore : (nom masculin et adj.) Se dit de quelqu’un qui est addict au shopping. Ex : Il passe son temps dans les magasins ! C’est un véritable shopivore.

– Uhuter : (verbe transitif) Coller avec de la colle en bâton.

– Empreinter : Emprunter des chemins où on laisse son empreinte.

– Saladiner : (verbe intransitif, 1er groupe) Manger une salade au dîner. Ex : Maman, je saladine avec mes copines aujourd’hui !

– Flemmitude : (n.f.) Attitude molle qui consiste à traîner les pieds et à vouloir rester dans son lit. Ex : Cet élève fait preuve d’une trop grande flemmitude, dit le professeur.

– Peurophobie : (nom féminin) La peur d’avoir peur.

10 mots nominés pour le Prix spécial du jury

– Mamimosas : Grand-mère qui adore les fleurs.

– Accordéontologie : Morale élastique.

– Mondemoisil : Titre donné aux jeunes garçons et hommes non mariés (même principe que pour mademoiselle, sauf que le « ma » et le « elle » ont été mis au masculin).

– Marmoufler : Pantoufler comme une marmotte (ou marmotter comme une pantoufle) pendant un ou plusieurs jours d’affilée.

– Baïe-baïe : Se quitter avec un pincement au cœur. Douleur provoquée par la séparation.

– Vexpresso : Etat d’une personne qui se vexe instantanément avec ou sans sucre.

– Malabarbe : Homme barbu.

– Esquivarder : Bavarder pour esquiver une tâche ennuyeuse.

– Tôtif : Le contraire de tardif : un réveil tôtif ; et l’adverbe dérivé : tôtivement…

– Adverboulimique : (adj. ou nom.) Se dit d’un rédacteur qui fait un usage excessif des mots modalisateurs. C’est un auteur très, trop, si, tant, tellement, plus… un véritable adverboulimique.

La Semaine de la langue française et de la Francophonie a célébré, du 15 au 23 mars, toutes les inventions langagières, y compris les plus insolites ou les plus inattendues.
Le succès rencontré par le Défi «Inventez le mot de la Semaine» est la preuve que la langue française est plus vivante que jamais.

Cfr. article original: http://www.neuillyjournal.com/actus/societe/item/7084-inventez-le-mot-de-la-semaine-decouvrez-les-nouveaux-mots-a-la-mode

[Repost] Gli occhiali traduttore: l’incredibile invenzione made in Japan (by Marianna_Servizi Traduzione)

Cfr. originale: http://www.servizitraduzione.com/gli-occhiali-traduttore-lincredibile-invenzione-made-in-japan/

17 ott by Servizi Traduzione

Gli occhiali traduttore:

l’incredibile invenzione made in Japan 

 

Potrebbe sembrare improbabile l’incredibile invenzione degli occhiali traduttore della NEC eppure la corporation giapponese conferma che sarà presto possibile ascoltare una lingua straniera e avere la traduzione direttamente riflessa negli occhi di chi li indossa.

Il TeleScouter si basa su una combinazione di software di riconoscimento vocale e di una domanda di traduzione automatica. Un microfono e telecamera raccolgono il discorso in lingua straniera che viene inoltrato a un piccolo computer “indossabile” e poi ad un server remoto.

Il server fornisce una traduzione delle frasi che viene poi inviata indietro sulla retina creando un “effetto di immagine residua” a detta della NEC. Il testo viene visualizzato con i sottotitoli in modo da permettere a chi li indossa di continuare a vedere la persona con cui si sta parlando.

NEC lancerà il dispositivo il prossimo anno. I servizi di traduzione sono ancora in una fase iniziale, però. Quindi, in un primo momento gli occhiali saranno commercializzati come un semplice display per permettere ai tecnici di leggere manuali o altro. L’implementazione del servizio di traduzione integrale dovrebbe venire l’anno successivo.

E se tutto andrà come ipotizzato, a breve, potremmo iniziare a capire qualsiasi lingua del mondo anche senza conoscerla. Che ne dite, comprereste questi occhiali traduttore oppure pensate che sia meglio continuare a studiare le lingue e sforzarsi di capirle nel modo tradizionale?

Repost: 7 Signs that it’s Time to Walk Away from a Client [by Fundbox]

7 Signs That It’s Time to Walk Away From a Client

By Fundbox on January 15, 2014 1

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Small business owners, especially those of us who are starting out, frequently live in fear that every client is going to be our last. Invariably, we are prone to hit the panic button and gladly accept any client that comes along in order to maintain a healthy cash flow.

However, as hard as it might seem, this habit has to stop. Not all clients are good clients and the wrong ones can often leave you frustrated, neglectful of high-value clients, and chasing unpaid invoices. But when should you turn away a new opportunity? Here are seven tips for identifying clients who aren’t the right fit for your business.

1. Clients Who Ask You to Work for Free

All of us do free work every now and again, but it’s usually in support of business development or relationship building with existing clients and it may only amount to sharing ideas over lunch or writing guest blogs to help gain exposure for what you do. These types of costs are typically recouped over time. But what about the client who actually wants you to work for free? Most of us have come across this particular species. They love your work, have a great business plan, and want to form a long-term relationship with you. But, they can’t afford your rates and propose a pro bono relationship where your reward is not in dollars but in the prestige and exposure you’ll get from taking on the work.

Another spin on this type of client is the one who connects with your social networks, views you as an expert or thought leader and reaches out seeking free advice.

At the end of the day, if a client is in business for profit, then they should have a concrete business plan and a budget to support their goals and labor costs. Would they get away with asking their employees to work for free?

2. Clients Who Complain About Your Fee

While you’ll often find that a client’s budget may not stretch to your rates, (the art of negotiation should get you through this one), you might want to avoid the client who questions whether the service is worth what you propose to charge. If they don’t see the value in what you do or perceive you as a rip off, what basis is there for a future relationship?

3. Clients Who Use Pressure Tactics

Dealing with tight deadlines is one thing, but the client who demands that you put all other work aside to handle their matter has “red flag” written all over them. These clients usually stand out by the fact that they have unjustified demands, are constantly on your case, and demand frequent updates. If work is light then taking on these clients might not be such a big deal, but if it means compromising other client relationships then consider turning them down. Remember, if they behave like this on your first project there’s a good chance they’ll expect quick turnarounds in the future (unless you can dig a little deeper and get to the reason behind the rush).

4. The Promise of Future Work

This is the business owners’ Achilles Heel, and the client knows it. These types of clients will often try to solicit services at a lower rate with the promise of more work to come. Each situation is different, but this is one instance where you’ll need to assess the client and the risk involved carefully, especially if you are being asked to agree to discount your services.

5. The Nature of the Project Itself

Let’s be honest you can’t be all things to all people. For example, if a project is too big you risk getting in over your head. On the flip side, the monetary benefit of a job that is too small may be outweighed by the effort involved. Or perhaps the project involves stepping outside your comfort zone and working on it would get in the way of any steps you are taking to establish your reputation or referral base in a particular niche.

6. Personal Conflicts

This is something your gut will inform. If you can’t see yourself getting along with a client or anticipate time-consuming hassles down the line, then it might be worth walking away.

7. Unresponsive Clients and the Project that Goes On and On

Ever worked on a project that you anticipated would take five weeks but ended up taking five months, thanks to an unresponsive client? While it’s hard to spot these projects before you agree to them, the warning signs soon creep in. The client might take forever to respond to email and phone calls or they take forever to review your work, delaying your ability to invoice them.  Once you’re involved it’s hard to keep momentum going, but you can learn from the experience. The next time you find you are running around and chasing a client before you enter into a signed agreement, consider putting a project schedule in your statement of work or contract, with a cancellation clause should deadlines slip unrealistically.

The Art of Saying No! How to Let a Client Down

Turning down a client is a delicate affair. Getting it wrong could result in some nasty word-of-mouth negative marketing that your business can’t afford. Here are a few ways to turn down a client without risking your reputation or future projects:

• – Saying No to New Clients – There’s more latitude to tell a little white lie about why you can’t take on a particular project from a new client.  Lack of bandwidth, prior commitments, or statements such as “I/We are not the best fit for this project”, etc. are tried and tested ways to soften the blow of rejection. Delivered professionally and courteously such excuses leave the door open for future work (if you want it).
• – Saying No to Existing Clients – Being honest with an existing client is your best strategy. If you have a good relationship and your work is valued, the rejection is something you’ll both get over. Reassure them that you’ll be there for them in the future, and put it down to bad timing or circumstances.
• – Saying No During the Mid–Project Stage – If a client asks you to deviate from your scope of work in the middle of a project, and, whether for bandwidth or personal reasons, you don’t feel confident taking it on, try to be up-front about your reasons.
• – Never Abandon a Client – When saying no, always recommend an alternate course of action or solution to the client’s needs. Perhaps you could point them towards someone else you know who would have less scruples about taking on the work.
• – Don’t Rely on Email – Turning someone down over email is never a good idea. A tone might be inferred that wasn’t there or your use of words might offend. Always try and handle “no” over the phone or in person, this will ensure you can immediately correct any negative perceptions. It’s also the polite thing to do!

Building a stable of great clients isn’t easy. It requires a clear understanding of what you want and don’t want for your business – the type of people you want to deal with, the company size (smaller companies are often more flexible and collaborative than larger corporations), and the type of work you find rewarding. Knowing how to avoid unwelcome clients is a learning curve, but it’s one worth taking and perfecting.

We’d love to hear how you’ve dealt with difficult clients or turned away the sources of potential headaches? Leave a comment on the Fundbox Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn pages.

 

About the Author:

Fundbox is a technology company disrupting the small business payments market. Fundbox is helping SMBs, freelancers and home offices grow by managing their cash flow better and by overcoming short term cash flow gaps.

– See more at: http://blog.fundinggates.com/2014/01/7-signs-that-its-time-to-walk-away-from-a-client/#sthash.SCe8ElJC.dpuf

Repost: The benefits of being bilingual

The Benefits of Being Bilingual

http://www.englishschoolnyc.com/772638/2013/10/29/the-benefits-of-being-bilingual.html

[LAST UPDATED 3 MONTHS AGO]

Did you know that over half of the world’s population is bilingual? This statistic may come as less of a surprise if you consider that there are nearly 7,000 languages spoken around the world! Being bilingual offers a wealth of benefits, from better brain function to improved job prospects. If you live in a vibrant place like New York City, being bilingual can even make it easier for you to meet new people. If you are considering learning a second language as an adult, it’s important to enroll in language classes designed for adult learners and immerse yourself in the language. Once you become fluent, you can maintain and improve your language abilities by taking classes, watching movies, and conversing in your new language. To find out more about the benefits of bilingualism, check out this infographic from Bluedata International Institute, an ESL school in New York City. Please share this infographic with your friends and family who are also hoping to learn English or any other second language!

Repost: Common mistakes made by English speakers in French (by Frederic Bibard)

 {Très intéressant}

Common mistakes made by English speakers in French

February 11, 2014 By Frederic Bibard

Reading time: 3 minutes Difficulty: Beginner- Intermediate

French and English have some common vocabulary, share some similarities in grammar, but they are undoubtedly different languages. So it is normal for French speakers to make mistakes in English and vice versa. Did you laugh when hearing a French native pronounces English words without an “h”, or when they add an “s” after an adjective to mark the plural.

Ok, you’re so right, so correct in your language, but do remember the French’s proverb “rirabience qui rira le dernier” (he who laughs last laugh longest). If you really want to be “the one who laughs last”, be careful to not commit mistakes when it goes to your turn to speak French. Perhaps read this article is a good start.

1. The verb ‘manquer’

This is a confusing but also interesting verb. Some of you are starting to say “What’s confusing about this verb, isn’t that a simple 1st group verb?”. Ok, you’re right, but I’m not talking about the conjugation. Knowing that the usual translation of “manquer” is “miss”, let’s translate this sentence:

• I miss you.

If you are doing a word-by-word translation, you will have “I” = “Je”, “miss” = “manquer”, “you” = “tu”  ->  ”Je temanque“. Sounds correct, no? Unfortunately, the answer is “NO”, the order is wrong.

The right sentence should be Tu me manques.

Contrary to English, in French, the one who is missed is the subject, and the one who miss (the other one) is the subject. Actually the construction is “A manques à B” / “A is missing to B”. But in short, all you need to remember is that when you are missing someone else, he/she is probably more important than you, so he/she should be the subject, and not you .

2. Contraction with ‘h’ muet.

• You have probably known about the contraction of some words in French before a vowel. For example:

• je ai -> j’ai
• le aspect -> l’aspect

• You have also known that the “h” in French is not pronounced. For example “hiver” (winter) is pronounced “iver”
• But, whether “h” acted as a vowel or a consonant, or in other words, do you have to use contraction before a word starts with a “h” is not a simple problem for foreign learners of French. Actually both cases could be true:

• In French, most of the “h” at the beginning of a word act as a vowel, mean that you need to use contraction with those words. Example:

l’hiver                                    winter

 l’hébergement                  lodging

 l’herbe                                  grass

l’heure                                  hour

• Some of the “h”, usually in words that are borrowed from other language, act as a consonant, that mean you cannot use contraction with those words. Those are called “h aspiré” (aspired h).  Some examples are given below:

le haddock                          haddock

la haine                                hatred

le hamburger                    hamburger

le hall                                   hall

Note: a “h aspiré” only means that you cannot use contraction for this word, it does definitely not mean that you should pronounce this word. “Hamburger” in French is pronounced “amburger”

• Tips: When you learn a noun in French, learn its gender together. When you learn a word that starts with an “h”, also learn whether this “h” is muet or aspire

3. Change in spelling (ma + vowel = mon…)

• This is a small grammar point, but a very common mistake. Let’s take a look at this sentence:

“J’attends ma amie ici”

• “amie” has an “e”, so the speaker is talking about a woman. The pronoun “ma” is used for feminine noun, so all seem to be corrected here. However, it doesn’t sound very good to a French ear, so they use “mon” instead.

-> J’attends mon amie ici.

• Tips: Similar to the use of “a” and “an” in English, French does not accept a vowel at the end of a word precedes another vowel that starts the next word (.eg ma amie). So in that case, think about either contraction or change in spelling.

4. Adjective order

In English, most of adjective are placed before the noun (with very few exception), but the problem in French is not this simple; and can cause confusion for English speaking learners. Let’s take a look through this problem:

• Rule 1: In general, adjective in French is placed after the noun it modifies.

Les chaussures noires                         the black shoes

• Exception 1: Some adjectives are placed before the noun it modifies:

bon                                                            good

mauvais                                                   bad

petit                                                         small

grand                                                     tall

joli                                                          pretty

jeune                                                     young

vieux,vieille(f)                                    old

nouveau, nouvelle (f)                      new 

• Exception 2: Some adjectives can be placed both before and after the noun, and have different meanings when placed at different positions:

• Son ancien mari                        her former husband
• Une statue ancienne              an antique statue

• Tips: In general, French adjectives are placed after the noun. But there are exceptions, so when you read a French text and find an adjective that follow the noun it modifies, try to memorize it and understand its meaning. Reading French texts with attention as much as possible is the best way to improve your French and therefore avoid this type of mistake

Quick recap 

1. In French, if you miss someone, he/she is even more important than yourself, so he/she should be the subject.
2. The “h” in French is never pronounced, but be careful to distinguish a “h muet” and a “h aspiré”
3. Remember to not have 2 vowels successively, one at the end of the first word and one at the beginning of the word that follows the first word. Think about contraction or another change in spelling instead.
4. Most of French adjectives follow the noun it modifies. When you see an exception, just learn it!

What about you? What mistakes do you make over and over again in French?

P.S. You would be doing me a HUGE FAVOR  by sharing it via Twitter, Facebook, Google + or Pinterest.

Frozen: Sing-along (multilingual session)

Watch “Let It Go” From Disney’s ‘Frozen’

Performed In 25 Different Languages

JAN. 22, 2014

By SOPHIE MARTIN 

How they managed to get the tones so similar and so lovely is pretty impressive (it almost sounds like they’re all performed by the same girl) — which one is your favorite singer? 

Cf. http://thoughtcatalog.com/sophie-martin/2014/01/watch-let-it-go-from-disneys-frozen-performed-in-25-different-languages/

Errori di adattamento, traduzione e doppiaggio (I)

Il post di oggi è un po’ più leggero rispetto a quelli dei giorni scorsi. [ ndr: ma estremamente più lungo AHAHAHAHAH -.- ]
Nel titolo ho addirittura messo tra parentesi un “I” per darmi un tono. (O tirarmi un po’ su di morale…! Onestamente non ne ho idea!) 😀 😀 😀
Non so se farò altri interventi del genere, ma mi piace pensare che avrò tempo e modo di scrivere anche post divertenti e inserire altre chicche del mondo del cinema, dei telefilm o della letteratura straniera.

[NB: uno l’ho già pronto, forse lo lascerò nelle bozze ancora per un po’…]

Non tutti sanno che sono particolarmente fissata con la saga “Pirati dei Caraibi“. Infatti, ai tempi dell’Università (*sigh* come passa il tempo…) volevo inserire la trilogia (nel frattempo mutata in tetralogia) nel comparto scientifico che avrei utilizzato per l’analisi della mia tesi di laurea triennale sugli errori di traduzione ed adattamento degli script originali nel cinema e nelle serie tv. Purtroppo, l’argomento era troppo vasto e riguardava una materia non curriculare (ndt: “traduzione audiovisiva” era una materia della specialistica e quindi non era attinente al mio piano di studi della triennale), perciò la Professoressa dirottò il mio diabolico piano su altro.

Comprendi?

Infatti, qualche anno dopo, ho “ripiegato” su una tematica diversa. {però questo ve lo racconto un’altra volta…}

Nonostante ciò, non mi sono arresa e ho continuato imperterrita a seguire le mirabolanti peripezie di Captain Jack Sparrow e di quei poveri adattatori che non hanno saputo proprio rendere giustizia alla saga.

La cosa che maggiormente mi ha perplessa e sconcertata – presumibilmente prima sconcertata e poi perplessa – è stata la scelta dei titoli dei vari film che, fin dal primo (datato 2003), ha puntualmente lasciato intendere che NESSUNO si fosse preso il gusto di visionare la pellicola prima di fare l’adattamento.
Ma andiamo con ordine.
Ora, capisco che il genere possa non piacere a tutti e che magari Johnny Depp o Orlando Bloom non siano il prototipo del vostro uomo ideale, così come Keira (biondina e segaligna) non lo sia della vostra “immortale amatissima”; posso anche passare sopra al fatto che, non sapendo dell’avvento del “2” e del “3” (e poi anche del “4” a cui, si vocifera, dovrebbe fare seguito un “5”), per il primo film sia stato omesso il riferimento alla serie “Pirati dei Caraibi”, MA (c’è sempre un ‘ma’) non si può tradurre “[Pirates of the Caribbean:] The Curse of the Black Pearl” (chiarissimo!) con un raffazzonato “La maledizione della prima luna“. Cosa c’era di difficile nel tradurre con un semplice “La maledizione della Perla Nera“? Perla Nera sapeva troppo di soap opera? Lo so, non era abbastanza EPICO. Just for the record: è il nome della nave.
Qui, si potrebbe aprire una parentesi di una 20ina d’anni in cui riprendere concetti trattati e stratrattati sul perché e per come si debba scegliere di tradurre letteralmente un testo oppure cercare di mantenere il senso di ciò che si intendeva nella lingua di partenza, portando il messaggio sullo stesso livello cognitivo dell’audience della lingua di arrivo con scelte linguistiche parzialmente o completamente differenti da quelle di partenza.
Io, personalmente, il film l’ho visto almeno 200 volte e di quella “prima luna” non c’è traccia. Barbossa dice “La luce della luna ci rivela per ciò che siamo in realtà. Siamo uomini maledetti: non possiamo morire, per cui non siamo morti, ma non siamo nemmeno vivi“. Eh. La ‘luna’ c’è (e non ci piove). E la ‘prima’? Mistero!

Kazzenger!

Nel 2006, la storia si ripete. Qui un po’ mi ha pianto il cuore, lo ammetto. Il titolo originale è struggente e al tempo stesso epico nella sua semplicità (once again). Il secondo capitolo della saga, infatti, si intitola “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead man’s chest“. L’adattamento italiano non è riuscito nuovamente a rendere giustizia all’originale. Il film da noi è uscito con il titolo “Pirati dei Caraibi: la maledizione del forziere fantasma“.
Ovvio.
Perché cercare di riprendersi un minimo dal precedente scivolone? Giammai! Meglio continuare con ‘sta storia della ‘maledizione’ che ci piace assai! 😀 E va bene… Dietro a quel “chest” c’è un bellissimo gioco di parole volutamente scelto in inglese per collegare il fantomatico “uomo morto” al “forziere” (e/o al suo “petto”). Nonostante l’adattamento non mi piaccia tantissimo, devo ammettere che il senso della storyline è mantenuto. Il forziere c’è, non è proprio ‘fantasma’, ma Jack Sparrow è alla sua ricerca, perciò lui non sa dove sia e questo è grosso modo il plot del secondo film.

Una chicca estratta da questo capitolo è un errore di adattamento (e doppiaggio). Da quando l’ho individuato, lo posto ovunque.

Errori di (traduzione e) doppiaggio:

[eng/orig. version] Hammer-head shark Pirate: Five men still alive, the rest have moved on.

[trad/doppiaggio] Pirata Squalo Martello: 15 rimasti vivi, il resto è trapassato.

La domanda sorge spontanea: se sullo schermo ci sono 5 attori pronti per essere giustiziati, un dubbio non ti viene?

No, evidentemente no. 😀

Devo dire che della [vera] trilogia questo è il capitolo che mi è piaciuto meno, forse perché lascia lo spettatore con moltissimi buchi temporali nella storia, molti interrogativi, qualche intuizione abbozzata a causa dei nuovi personaggi introdotti e, in più, non ha una vera e propria conclusione. [ndr: doveva essere un film “ponte”; un collegamento tra il primo film, di cui non ci si aspettava un così grande successo, e il successivo, la conclusione della saga, su cui c’erano altissime aspettative. Effettivamente è così ‘ponte’ che quando appaiono i titoli di coda non riesci ad alzarti in piedi perché pensi ci sia ancora altro da vedere.]
Veniam perciò al III capitolo uscito nel 2007. L’unico che EFFETTIVAMENTE non ha subito grossi sconvolgimenti a livello di adattamento. Voci che erano trapelate prima della sua uscita avevano dato, come probabili, due titoli differenti, cioè “At World’s End” e “At Worlds End“. Non proprio lievissima la differenza tra le due opzioni. La prima si presta ad un più sottile gioco di parole, mentre la seconda lascia solamente intendere che il capitolo finale vede la fine dei “mondi” [ndr: quali mondi?]. La scelta è poi ricaduta sul primo titolo, che gioca sulla fine del mondo intesa come atto finale di un’Opera, quindi una sorta di resa dei conti, ma anche come luogo ben preciso dove REALMENTE i protagonisti si recano durante il film. [WARNING: major spoiler!!!]

Non mi pare il momento migliore! (Elizabeth Swan)

La traduzione in italiano è abbastanza fedele ed infatti il film esce in Italia con il titolo “Pirati dei Caraibi: Ai confini del mondo” che riesce a mantenere parzialmente intatto il messaggio voluto con il titolo inglese. Potrei stare a parlare per dieci ore solo di questo film. E’ in assoluto il mio preferito. 🙂

[*FANGIRLING TIME*]

Tieni gli occhi piantati sull’orizzonte… (Will Turner)

A distanza di 4 anni (è il 2011), esce nelle sale italiane, poi in quelle americane, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides“. Il film è liberamente tratto dall’omonimo romanzo di Tim Powers noto in Italia con il titolo “Mari stregati“. Un lettore/Uno spettatore attento a questo punto ha già fatto 2+2, vero? Il titolo italiano è quindi “Pirati dei Caraibi: Mari stregati“.

Questa volta il titolo è stato tradotto con “Pirati dei Caraibi: Oltre i confini del mare“. Evidentemente, un più letterale “[PdC:] Verso acque straniere” o “Su maree sconosciute” avrebbe interrotto la continuità delle scelte linguistiche già applicate alla traduzione ed utilizzare lo stesso titolo del libro avrebbe implicato l’infrazione di qualche diritto d’autore (?). Dunque, la mossa più appropriata è stata – di nuovo – seguire la scia del capitolo precedente. Nasce perciò un collegamento con gli ex “confini del mondo”, con l'”Aqua de vida” segnata sulla mappa,  che porterà Jack Sparrow a navigare su acque straniere, più lontane. Ok. La domanda resta: PERCHé?

Per la mia gioia – e per quella di chi come me si è appassionato alla saga non solo per gli attori e i personaggi, ma anche per le vicende linguistiche che le gravitano attorno – è in preparazione il V capitolo della serie, il cui titolo sarà “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales“. Letteralmente possiamo tradurlo con “[PdC:] Gli uomini morti non raccontano storie” oppure, parafrasando un po’, con “[PdC:] I morti non mentono“. In verità “dead men tell no tales” è un modo di dire anglosassone che significa “dead people will not betray any secrets” e che in italiano suona più o meno come “I morti non tradiscono alcun segreto“.
Sono veramente curiosa di vedere che cosa tireranno fuori dal loro cappello gli adattatori . 😉 L’uscita è prevista per luglio 2015, manca solamente un annetto.

Vi lascio con un video STUPENDO in chiave ironica in cui vengono evidenziati, scena per scena, tutti gli errori in “POTC: The Curse of the Black Pearl“. Io sto ancora ridendo…

P.S.: grazie Wendy per avermi fatto capire che le .gif possono essere estremamente utili! 🙂

Repost: Tips for setting your translation rates, for professional translators.

Tips for setting your translation rates, for professional translators.*

PEEMPIP January 21, 2014 Articles in English, Επάγγελμα: μεταφραστής

by Popie Matsouka

One of the first difficulties that a professional translator has to face is deciding their rates. Personally, I started researching what the current market rates were before I even finished my studies, and I still believe it is the best strategy. I used to contact other colleagues, my professors, research any available agency website at the time, and ask around, trying to compile a list of what other translators out there were charging for their services. This has proven to be very effective, and it is the strategy I would suggest to you today. Not to mention, I’m still doing it, 10+ years later, just to have a general feeling of the market, and be able to expect client’s reactions.

Nowadays, with the extensive use of the Internet, the use of social media and the massive networks of professionals, it is much easier to do such a thing, and here are a few tips for new professionals who wish to understand better how we charge, and what we charge.

First of all, you have to think of yourself as a small business. Not only will you be charging for your professional services, but what you earn should also cover all your expenses, including living costs, taxes, accounting fees, subscriptions to professional associations, promotion and advertising of your business, computer software and hardware, etc. At the end of each month, you should be able to have something that could be considered a salary, which will cover all your needs. Find out which hourly rate would help you achieve that. Yes, it is not a steady income, being a freelance professional involves that risk unfortunately, but it is an income nevertheless, and only treating it as one will help you evolve.

Most new professionals think that offering lower rates will bring them more clients, which may be true, but what they fail to see is that offering lower rates also diminishes the value of their time and efforts. Furthermore, constantly working with a handful of clients with low rates might prevent you from finding other clients with higher rates. Not to mention that always working with lower rates will most probably make it hard for you to make ends meet. Always keep an eye in the future, and evaluate your relations with your clients based on the long-run. Is booking all your time worth what you might be losing from trying for new clients with higher rates? Are you going to burn out yourself whilst working for low rates, when you could have been working less hours and earning more money? Think about that beforehand.

 

In addition, do not be afraid to negotiate. Negotiating is generally expected in all types of business, and negotiating does not make you look unprofessional. Rather the opposite. You should charge what you think you are worth. Not too high to drive yourself out of the market, but not too low either. You can leave a margin, for example to be competitive, but you do not want to look cheap either. Because, let’s face it, some professionals who charge too low make most clients suspect that they do so just because their services are not good enough to justify a higher rate. Or, that they will finish the project they are assigned very quickly and sloppily, just to get more work, because their rates are so low. On the opposite side, charging too high might make your potential client think that you are over-reaching, and unless you are one hundred percent sure of your abilities, they will find some flaw in your work that will make them question you and your professionalism. Discuss with your client the rates you would like to receive and you will see that with dialogue you might earn more than you initially thought to ask for.

One more thing you can do is develop rates for each client individually. Not all clients can offer the same, and not all clients demand the same, so adjust your rates based on who your client is and how much you think they can pay. Offering discounts for steady workflows or large volumes is a good strategy too; negotiate with your client and ask them to send work exclusively to you for a lower rate, but remember that your quality must remain as high as it would be for a higher rate, otherwise you will appear unprofessional and they will not want to work with you again. Also, in that effort, try not to harm your colleagues by offering an extremely low rate, thus “breaking” the market. Even half a cent is a decent offer; think about the general conditions of the market before making your bid.

Also, remember to always ask for the details of a project. Learn before you start working on a project what it involves, try to determine the amount of effort that will be required on your part, the time you will have to spend on it, the difficulties it might present, and then you can set your rate according to what you think is fair. You can even ask for a sample, if there is one available. Remember that, most clients have a background in this industry and are well aware of how much your services will probably cost them, so do not try to be sneaky, just be honest. And, of course, negotiate!

Keep in mind that you do not have to have a set pricelist. You can increase or decrease your rates depending on the client, the project, the type of work you are required to do. But always be honest, it is the best policy. Telling a client that you can lower your rates if they send you more work is not something to be embarrassed of. It’s just good business tactics. Lowering your rates because you are simply afraid is not. Do not ask for a rate change in the middle of a project, it is unprofessional, even if you found out that the project is more difficult than expected. You can mention it to your PM, but simply asking for a higher rate is not polite. And on the flip side, do not be afraid to ask for more, from before beginning the project, if you see that it requires more than what your usual rate covers.

 

Finally, know that you can either charge by the hour, or the word, per source or target word, or per 16 pages or any way you want. The parameters vary, the methods vary, and the negotiations between you and your client can influence your decisions. Do some research, decide what you want, ask colleagues and professional associations (like www.peempip.gr, for example, the Panhellenic Association of Professional Translators Graduates of the Ionian University, or any other professional association in your country) about their methods, and you will find what you need.

In general, rates vary significantly. Lately I heard of agencies in Greece offering to freelancers as low as €0.015/source word to translators, which is simply ludicrous and, I dare say, unprofessional. €0.035 is a good place to start, if you are a student and need the experience. From there, you can go as high as you can convince your client to give you, based on your quality, professionalism and experience. A good translator will not easily lower their rates just for the sake of working, because they have put a lot of time and effort in becoming what they are: Good translators. In Greece and in the current market (unfortunately), €0.04 is a decent rate to start and work your way up. Anything lower than that is just a waste of time if you are a professional who values their time, and in my opinion, it only puts a crack in the foundations of what we all want and strive for: fair rates for our good work.

Some examples of methods of charging that I have seen in this industry are listed below. Note that this list is not exhaustive, nor can it be considered a standard, the volumes can vary significantly:

• Simple Translation -> Per source word, or per page (1 page ≈ 250-300 words).
• Technical Translation -> Per source word
• Technical Translation, Software strings -> Per source word or per hour
• Literary Translation -> Per 16 standard book pages
• Glossary translation -> 30-35 terms per hour (medium difficulty terminology)
• Editing (or “Review”) -> Mostly per source word (on the total of words), but sometimes per hour, at a rate of approx. 1000 source words/hour
• Proofreading -> Per hour, at a rate of approx. 2000 source words/hour
• QA checks, engineering -> Per hour

LSO (Linguistic sign-off), LQA (Linguistic Quality Assurance), FQA (Formatting Quality Assurance), etc -> Per hour, at a rate of approx. 2500 source words/hour (or 15 pages/hour)

*This is only an informative article. The writer assumes no responsibility for any misunderstandings

Popie Matsouka is currently the Senior Project Manager and Lead Medical Translator and Editor of Technografia. She also holds the position of Quality Assurance Specialist, having specialized in translation and localization QA software technology. She is the resident tech/IT expert, and after having worked as a localization tools trainer, she recently also became a beta tester for SDL Trados Studio. Her education includes being an Apple trained Support Professional, plus a PC/MAC and LAN technician, apart from being a CAT tools expert. She also volunteers for the Red Cross, and is a firm believer that if we all work together we can make a great difference in this world, combining our professional and our personal strengths.

Repost: Are you a professional translator? If so, do NOT lower your translation rates!

Are you a professional translator? If so, do NOT lower your translation rates!

By Marcela Reyes, MBA on March 7, 2010

When was the last time you asked your doctor or your lawyer to give you a discount on his/her fees? Unless your doctor or lawyer is a relative or good friend, it’s very likely you wouldn’t dare ask such a professional service provider to give you a discount, would you? So, if you consider yourself a professional translator, how come you continue to allow others to ask you to reduce your rates? But this fact is not the worst part of the situation. Many professional translators are lowering their rates in a desperate attempt to get business.

Clients are asking for discounts, and translators are honoring their requests more and more every day. When you provide a discount on your services, you are giving permission to others to think your services are not worth much. And, unfortunately, this trend is adversely affecting the entire translation and localization industry.

Price your services right. The price you set for your services must be determined by the value perception your clients are getting in return for their money. Are you meeting your clients’ expectations? What are they walking away with? Why should they buy from you and not your competitors?

Learn to say “no.” When you reduce your rates, you are sending a distress signal, not just about you but also about the entire industry. When you reduce your rates even just one time, it’s going to be very difficult to say no the next time this same client comes back. One of my dearest copywriters told me once when I asked him to come down on his price that he would feel very uncomfortable with himself if he were to reduce his rates. I loved his professional approach to standing behind his work.

Focus on your promise of value. When you know and have proof that what you are offering is of great “value” to your clients, make sure this is consistently displayed in your service delivery. Rather than discounting your rates to match competitors, focus on value-added features. Think about ways you can bundle in certain supplementary services, or create various offerings at various price levels so you can accommodate your client’s budget.

Improve your service offering. In today’s economy there are so many products and services that the market is simply oversaturated. Translation is seen by many as a commodity for the simple reason that everybody is focusing on the same “attributes.” Translation should never follow product-marketing models. In the service business it’s all about that “special touch” you add to your offering. Your clients are simply looking for someone they can trust. They want to make sure you are reliable, that you are consistently delivering good value to them, and that you are always there for them. Benefits and service features are always good selling points. But a great relationship with your client is your best selling point.

Focus on your target market. If you are continually being asked to lower your rates, it is very likely you are targeting the wrong clients. Ask yourself if you are wasting your time trying to attract clients that are not willing and able to pay what you are worth. When you decide to focus on a niche market, it is important you understand what your clients’ practices and preferences are. Furthermore, make sure you have the capabilities and competencies to do an excellent job of delivering a high-value translation offering.

Create a strong brand. Just as big corporations develop their brands, translators can also develop a strong, differentiated brand. When you concentrate on developing a strong brand, you will not only become easily recognized but also create an emotional connection with your clients. Your competitors can try to replicate your processes, business model, technology, etc., but it will be very difficult for them to reproduce those beliefs and attitudes that you have established in the minds of your clients.

Remember, when we are selling a product or service, it’s not about us. It’s about our clients. Focus on your clients’ needs and wants, and always look for ways to enhance the relationship. In the absence of value, price becomes the only decision factor. Do not reduce your rates; instead, increase your competitiveness and the value-added features to your services.

via Are you a professional translator? If so, do NOT lower your translation rates!.

L’articolo è stato tradotto da Antonella

Sei un traduttore professionista? Se lo sei, NON abbassare le tue tariffe di traduzione

— archiviato sotto: Materiali di consultazione

Questo contributo della collega Marcela Jenney spiega i motivi per cui le tariffe dei traduttori devono essere rispettate al pari di quelle di altri professionisti. La traduzione non è una merce, ma un servizio.

Quando è stata l’ultima volta che hai chiesto al tuo medico o a tuo avvocato di farti uno sconto sul loro onorario? A meno che il tuo medico o il tuo avvocato sia un parente o un ottimo amico, è molto probabile che che non oseresti chiedere a uno di questi fornitori di servizi professionali di farti uno sconto, vero? Quindi, se ti consideri un traduttore professionista, com’è che continui a permettere agli altri di chiederti di ridurre le tue tariffe? Ma questa non è la cosa peggiore della situazione. Molti traduttori professionisti abbassano le proprie tariffe nel tentativo disperato di ottenere del lavoro.

I clienti chiedono sconti e i traduttori onorano le loro richieste sempre di più ogni giorno. Quando fornite uno sconto sui vostri servizi, concedete agli altri il permesso di pensare che i vostri servizi non valgano poi così tanto. E, sfortunatamente, questo trend si ripercuote negativamente sull’intero settore della traduzione e della localizzazione.

Date il giusto prezzo ai vostri servizi. Il prezzo che impostate per i vostri servizi deve essere stabilito dalla percezione del valore che i vostri clienti hanno nel rapporto fra ciò che ottengono e ciò che pagano. Soddisfate le aspettative dei vostri clienti? Con cosa se ne tornano a casa? Perché dovrebbero acquistare da voi e non dalla concorrenza?

Imparate a dire “no”. Quando riducete le vostre tariffe, mandate un segnale di sofferenza, che non riguarda soltanto voi ma l’intero settore. Quando riducete le vostre tariffe, anche solo una volta, diventa molto difficile dire di no la volta successiva a questo stesso cliente che ritorna per un altro lavoro. Uno dei miei più cari copywriter una volta mi ha detto quando gli ho chiesto di abbassare il prezzo che si sarebbe sentito molto a disagio con se stesso se l’avesse fatto. Ho apprezzato molto il suo approccio professionale alla base del suo lavoro.

Concentratevi sul vostro impegno a fornire valore. Quando sapete e avete la prova che ciò che state offrendo è di grande “valore” per i vostri clienti, accertatevi che ciò sia chiaramente visibile nella vostra fornitura di servizi. Invece di fare sconti sulle vostre tariffe per allinearvi alla concorrenza, concentratevi sulle caratteristiche a valore aggiunto. Pensate a dei modi con cui potreste fornire un pacchetto di servizi supplementari o creare varie offerte a vari livelli di prezzo in modo da venire incontro al budget del vostro cliente.

Migliorate la vostra offerta di servizi. Nell’economia odierna, vi sono così tanti prodotti e servizi che il mercato è semplicemente saturo. La traduzione viene vista da molti come una merce per il semplice motivo che tutti si concentrano sugli stessi “attributi.” La traduzione non dovrebbe mai seguire i modelli di marketing dei prodotti. Nell’offerta di servizi, la cosa importante è il “tocco speciale” che aggiungete alla vostra offerta. I vostri clienti cercano semplicemente qualcuno di cui potersi fidare. Vogliono accertarsi che siate affidabili, che forniate un lavoro di valore in modo costante e che ci siate sempre per loro. I vantaggi e le caratteristiche del servizio sono sempre dei fattori positivi di vendita. Ma un ottimo rapporto con il vostro cliente è meglio.

Concentratevi sul mercato di destinazione. Se vi chiedono di continuo di abbassare le vostre tariffe, molto probabilmente vi state rivolgendo ai clienti sbagliati. Chiedetevi se state perdendo tempo cercando di attirare clienti che non vogliono o non sono in gradi di pagare ciò che valete. Quando decidete di concentrarvi su un mercato di nicchia, è importante comprendere quali siano le preferenze dei vostri clienti. Inoltre, accertatevi di possedere le capacità e le competenze per fare un lavoro eccellente nel fornire traduzioni ad alto valore.

Create un marchio forte. Al pari delle grandi aziende che sviluppano il proprio marchio, anche i traduttori possono sviluppare un marchio forte e distintivo. Quando vi concentrate sullo sviluppo di un marchio forte, non solo diventerete facilmente riconoscibili, ma creerete anche un collegamento emotivo con i vostri clienti. La vostra concorrenza potrà tentare di replicare i vostri processi, modelli di lavoro, tecnologia ecc., ma sarà molto difficile che riproducano le convinzioni che avete stabilito nella mente dei vostri clienti.

Ricordate, quando vendiamo un prodotto o un servizio, non riguarda noi. Riguarda i nostri clienti. Concentratevi sulle necessità e sui desideri dei clienti e cercate sempre dei modi per migliorare il rapporto. In assenza di valore, il prezzo diventa il solo fattore decisionale. Non riducete le vostre tariffe; al contrario, aumentate la vostra competitività e le caratteristiche a valore aggiunto dei vostri servizi.

Articolo in lingua inglese comparso sul blog di Marcela Jenney.

antonella. (2010, June 09). Sei un traduttore professionista? Se lo sei, NON abbassare le tue tariffe di traduzione. Retrieved January 21, 2014, from antotranslation.com Web site: http://www.antotranslation.com/materiali/sei-un-traduttore-professionista-se-lo-sei-non-abbassare-le-tue-tariffe-di-traduzione.