Poll: Serious errors in a source text usually make me:
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Sep 22, 2018

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Serious errors in a source text usually make me:".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 05:37
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other (make me smile and nervous) Sep 22, 2018

Some typos make me smile or even laugh but in general errors in the source text make me nervous because I always read it before accepting to translate and it will mean that I didn’t notice them! Anyway, I’ll e-mail the client right away and offer him/her a tentative solution. This has always been accepted with thanks…

 
Ventnai
Ventnai  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 06:37
German to English
+ ...
Indifferent Sep 22, 2018

I just point them out and the client is usually grateful (or indifferent)

Muriel Vasconcellos
 
Vuka Mijuskovic
Vuka Mijuskovic  Identity Verified
Serbia
Local time: 06:37
English to Serbian
+ ...
fully empathic Sep 22, 2018

I translate research reports a lot and I hate the mechanism of chase for academic points which is truly exhausting for research team leaders and their associates.

 
Elif Baykara Narbay
Elif Baykara Narbay  Identity Verified
Türkiye
Local time: 08:37
German to Turkish
+ ...
Furious! Sep 22, 2018

I wonder why the patent writers produce such terrible texts, really.

The last patent I have translated was a very very long one written in German. Not 20% of the text is correct.

I am not looking for a flawless text. Everyone makes mistakes. Even after thorough proofreading, there may be mistakes. I am OK with that. But the text is full of terrible mistakes in spelling and wording, and even more sadly, content-wise (I am also a chemist and I am proficient in assessing
... See more
I wonder why the patent writers produce such terrible texts, really.

The last patent I have translated was a very very long one written in German. Not 20% of the text is correct.

I am not looking for a flawless text. Everyone makes mistakes. Even after thorough proofreading, there may be mistakes. I am OK with that. But the text is full of terrible mistakes in spelling and wording, and even more sadly, content-wise (I am also a chemist and I am proficient in assessing the content). It is like a nightmare!

And this is not the first time. I have written several notes to my client (an agency in this case) and gave numerous examples, with no avail.

After I deliver this one, I will not accept patent translation jobs from this client anymore.

Ah! Few more hours and I am free!
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Mike Sadler (X)
Mike Sadler (X)  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:37
Spanish to English
+ ...
Annoyed Sep 22, 2018

They take longer to sort out than carefully written text and take up time while bringing no reward.

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Gianluca Marras
Gianluca Marras  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 06:37
English to Italian
angry Sep 22, 2018

for 2 reasons:
1) some mistakes are so silly that just a bit of attention could prevent them from being written
2) for the kind of texts I translate, if I made such mistakes I would be in trouble

So the wrong source text is accepted but a wrong translation isn't


neilmac
Amir Arzani
Debora d'Amato (X)
Caroline Rösler
 
José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 02:37
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
Other: careful Sep 22, 2018

As I see that the source text was carelessly drafted, and possibly not reviewed, I get extra careful to ensure that my translation makes sense.

I learned the lesson from a somewhat famous dubber and dubbing director. He said, "If the original person/character onscreen stutters, gasps, mumbles, or changes subject in the middle of a phrase, it's their right. However in dubbing this is unacceptable, we must make it perfectly straight and clear, as we have the chance to redo it as many
... See more
As I see that the source text was carelessly drafted, and possibly not reviewed, I get extra careful to ensure that my translation makes sense.

I learned the lesson from a somewhat famous dubber and dubbing director. He said, "If the original person/character onscreen stutters, gasps, mumbles, or changes subject in the middle of a phrase, it's their right. However in dubbing this is unacceptable, we must make it perfectly straight and clear, as we have the chance to redo it as many times as necessary."
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Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 02:37
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other: several different reactions, according to the situation Sep 22, 2018

I used to get angry only, with any such errors. In time, I learned that it's part of our job, above all in a world where the Chinese are so strong in the economy, as they surely don't give a damn about correct spelling, correct translation, etc.
Also, I work mainly in two areas that present lots of undue originals: Law and Technical/engineering. So, we have

1. Chinglish: full of errors all over, but mostly funny instead of irritating. You can "decipher" most of them. Most term
... See more
I used to get angry only, with any such errors. In time, I learned that it's part of our job, above all in a world where the Chinese are so strong in the economy, as they surely don't give a damn about correct spelling, correct translation, etc.
Also, I work mainly in two areas that present lots of undue originals: Law and Technical/engineering. So, we have

1. Chinglish: full of errors all over, but mostly funny instead of irritating. You can "decipher" most of them. Most terms are Google translations.

2. Legalese: it's a problem because the authors believe they are real intellectuals and superior creatures, and they write the most ridiculous texts, using alternative terms to sound as such, and we are the ones to decipher what they meant. And the worst part is when the client expects you to keep the same ridiculous ornaments in the translation.

3. Technical/Engineering: well, language is certainly not a concern for these people. So the case here is not GT or ornaments. In this case, it's purely a fourth grade language with post-graduation knowledge and terms. So remaking that blend and transforming it into a decent text is sometimes a challenge.
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neilmac
Caroline Rösler
 
Debora d'Amato (X)
Debora d'Amato (X)  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 06:37
English to Italian
+ ...
Smile/snort Sep 24, 2018

I don't get angry if I come across mistakes. It depends on the mistake, for sure but, as already said, everyone makes mistakes.

If it's not too bad, I just smile and then point it out to the client.
The same when it's a little bit more serious: I snort and go on without cursing.


 


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Poll: Serious errors in a source text usually make me:






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