Urgent! Your opinion about this job offer, please

[tokyo]

I have an urgent question, as I want to sent an answer soon.

 

I had some sort of job offer for translating a couple of things. I'm not a professional translator, but my English is not too bad. I translated one page and the guy gave me a medium grade. I personally think he has no clue how difficult translating is, also this was not a simple text, but some stuff with officialese and some technical terms. He said they would take me if I was one grade better. The grading was done by his wife who supposedly speaks very well English and who probably also works with him. He sent me a short email back, told me the grade and said I should try harder. I feel irritated.

 

It's not that easy translating things, especially if they contain difficult vocabulary and I'm not a professional translator and I will very likely not get paid like a professional translator, so my question is:

 

Should I still try to get this job and work my butt off? I would need some money, it's just, I feel irritated that he tells me to try harder. Damn, that's not that easy. Most people wouldn't know how to translate this stuff. Maybe I could find some translations for the technical terms on the internet, but it's hard. I also find some of the corrections not really much better than my own translations. Should I swallow my pride? Should I consider this a challenge? Honestly, I feel more like: "Hey, it's good enough, what else do you expect, get a regular translator and leave me alone", but I know I have a bad temper.

 

Any opinions, words of encouragement, support, etc, please?

[tiki]

Tell him to f*ck go himself.

 

If he is paying you well, you do have the internet (and LS) at your fingertips.

 

You could always give it a shot!

[alphamale]

Originally posted by kooky

Any opinions, words of encouragement, support, etc, please?

 

yes KOOKY, I think this couple is using the "translator" job as a ruse to hide the reality that they want to use you in a threesome!

 

No, but seriously I think you should take it if you think you can get along with this ass-clown. Ask him for more $$$ too.

[laRubiaBonita]

i wish i could translate..... i think it would be a very cool job!

 

why not brush up your skills.

[tokyo]

I have no clue about the payment. I know professional translators are expensive. They usually get paid for words or lines, so the more time I need, the less it's worth it. It's just to produce something really good, I would have to spend a lot of time researching on the internet and I feel that he shouldn't complain about my work. I'd like to have this job, but not to his conditions.

 

Am I unreasonable?

[tokyo]

Alpha, he obviously wants proof that I can do better. I do not want to give more proof. I just want the job and him to leave me alone to do it.

[laRubiaBonita]

no you are not unreasonable. is he a pro? or just using your services? or would you work with them?

 

it seems like a great opportunity to at least get your foot in the door of the tranny-field!

[tokyo]

LRB, he's got a small company and I can do the job at home.

[shamen]

Kooky,

 

I get offered translation jobs a lot and I almost always say no, because it is an incredible amount of work! If you've got the time and could use the money, do it. Otherwise, I'd say no way. Doesn't sound like it'll be any fun.

[alphamale]

Originally posted by kooky

Alpha, he obviously wants proof that I can do better. I do not want to give more proof. I just want the job and him to leave me alone to do it.

make a deal with the ass-clown. tell him you'll work at a reduced rate for 2 wks and if he is unhapy with your work then it is over. if after 2 wks (or whatever period you agree on) he thinx your work is OK then you go up to full hourly rate and get the job permanently.

[tokyo]

Shamen, I do need money. And I'm aware that translating is difficult especially if it's not into your own language. I'm not sure now, if I should swallow my pride or not. Sometimes I think I have too much of an ego. I once got fired from a job, I could have maybe saved something if I had decided to talk to my boss, I just thought they treated me unfairly and I just didn't want to. I considered this offer for a talk as an absurdity, because if there was anything to be resolved it should have been done before. Anyway, then I thought it was ok, now I'm not sure. The job was really well paid and I lost it, because I was so incredibly stubborn. I'm wondering if I'm not too stubborn with some things and instead should just give in a bit.

[tokyo]

Hey, Alpha, did you just have a good idea? That doesn't sound too bad. Thanks!

[shamen]

OK, Kooky, you need the cash. Next question, do you have the time?

[alphamale]

Originally posted by kooky

Hey, Alpha, did you just have a good idea? That doesn't sound too bad. Thanks!

OK but u have to be nice to me from now on KOOKY

[tokyo]

Yes. I'm just sitting at home right now.

[tokyo]

Originally posted by alphamale

OK but u have to be nice to me from now on KOOKY

I am ALWAYS nice.

[shamen]

Kooky, if you've got the time and you need the money, then maybe Alpha's suggestion is a good one! Only problem is, who gets to rate the translation job?

[tokyo]

Well, probably the wife whose English is supposedly so good.... I don't know who else read the text.

[shamen]

But then couldn't she just say that the translation wasn't so good so you wouldn't get paid what it's worth in your time?

 

Maybe you need to come up with either a) someone else who can rate the translation that would be a more objective rater or b) a rate ahead of time. One that's based on a translator's rates. Per line, per page. Whatever. Per hour probably wouldn't work because you are not a professional translator.

[tokyo]

Did I say that he thinks he's some sort of elite? I mean, he's good and so on. It's just as if I have to try to get accepted into his elitist club and I'm not really in the mood for this. Could I be better and am just too lazy?

[tokyo]

Shamen, I looked it up on the internet and I think professional translators get paid by words or lines which makes more sense. You don't want to pay someone by the hour for thinking, but for the visible results. That would also mean, the more time I spend looking up words on the internet to make the translation really perfect the less my jobs pays.

[shamen]

Originally posted by kooky

Did I say that he thinks he's some sort of elite? I mean, he's good and so on. It's just as if I have to try to get accepted into his elitist club and I'm not really in the mood for this. Could I be better and am just too lazy?

 

Kooky, I don't really get this post. He's an elitist?

 

 

In regards to the other post, yeah, they do get paid by words/lines/sometimes pages. But, I am worried about Alpha's suggestion esp. in regards to the guy's wife doing the rating for the reduced rate...

 

Are you thinking about making this your permanent job? Or just a temporary one? I assume the latter. If it is the latter, than it might make more sense to just cut a rate up front.

[alphamale]

Originally posted by shamen

In regards to the other post, yeah, they do get paid by words/lines/sometimes pages. But, I am worried about Alpha's suggestion esp. in regards to the guy's wife doing the rating for the reduced rate...

 

I still think they want KOOKY for a threesome.

[tokyo]

I'm saying "elitist" as in he's really professional and ambitious, he expects good work and good employees, etc. I hate it when people have all sorts of expectations on me, I feel stressed and I'm wondering if I'm just subconsciously avoiding the stress by saying that I think he expects too much of me even though I could do a better job. Is my argumentation as far as now reasonable that he expects too much?

 

The job is just a temporary one.

 

Oh well, I think I will just send him an email and tell him how it is, either he accepts me or he doesn't.

[prisoner]

i hire translators all the time for work.

 

they get paid by the word or the day. mostly the word. they get ten or twenty percent up front (depends on the length) and they do not have to give over all the work until they get paid in full. we usually accept 95 percent. pay them and then get the last 5 percent of the work.

 

also, get the payment structure in writing and have them make it clear HOW they want the work back. contracts are always worth the trouble in freelance work.

 

as for grading: it is subjective.

 

as for not being a pro: i hire amateurs all the time. first of all how do people become translators if they do not try it and second, sometimes the language the pros use is too formal.

 

nothing like some colloquialism and local colour to make the work brighter.

 

good luck