| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Under what circumstances do you accept assignments in fields unrelated to your primary expertise? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Under what circumstances do you accept assignments in fields unrelated to your primary expertise?".
This poll was originally submitted by Iulia Parvu. View the poll results »
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 11:20
Spanish to English
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I'm not sure if I know what my "primary expertise" would be. I tend to simply look at potential translation jobs to see if I think I can have a bash at them, whatever the field or knowledge area. And most of the time I can handle anything I take on board. For example, I've never been great at mathematics-related stuff, but I have both translated and proofread texts on machine learning and fuzzy logic, which I knew absolutely nothing about.
In the past couple of decades, I think ther... See more I'm not sure if I know what my "primary expertise" would be. I tend to simply look at potential translation jobs to see if I think I can have a bash at them, whatever the field or knowledge area. And most of the time I can handle anything I take on board. For example, I've never been great at mathematics-related stuff, but I have both translated and proofread texts on machine learning and fuzzy logic, which I knew absolutely nothing about.
In the past couple of decades, I think there may have been one or two occasions when I might have bitten off more than I could chew. And nowadays I try to avoid anything to do with finance and/or accounting whenever possible, simply because I'm not fond of these areas. ▲ Collapse
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I started out as a generalist and as a consequence my specialist fields are still varied, though over the years a lot has been abandoned (today I wouldn’t touch with a barge pole some subject matters I translated at the beginning…). I work mainly on EU issues: education, social affairs, youth, economy, third countries’ development, migration, human rights…
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:20
Member (2008)
Italian to English
"Under what circumstances do you accept assignments in fields unrelated to your primary expertise?"
Only when a regular client pleads with me to do them because they know I'm a good and punctilious translator. But I dislike doing them because straying outside my field means I have to do a lot more checking, looking up terminology, etc.
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expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 10:20
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
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I don't accept tasks in fields that I'm not competent.
Also, I don't translate into languages other than my native language. If and when asked to do it, I always send the translations to a native speaker to be checked.
| | | | Tanja Oresnik 
Slovenia
Local time: 11:20
French to Slovenian
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I accept such assignments when I have ample time to do my research and especially when I know an expert in the field, because it allows me to progress and grow as a professional translator. I took up translation in aviation this way, for example. I still regularly consult my reliable contacts who work in aviation to make sure my translation is on point, and my knowledge of the subject grows with each new project.
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neilmac wrote:
I tend to simply look at potential translation jobs to see if I think I can have a bash at them, whatever the field or knowledge area.
What neilmac said.
I do the same as I do for assignments in fields that are related to my primary expertise: I look at the source text (or sample) and decide whether I can do a good job or not.
I won't accept a job from a new client without at least having a look at the source material, no matter what the client says. I've been offered jobs that clearly involve translation of legal documents but have been classified as "medical" simply because they contain a reference to a drug or other medical product.
On the other hand, I've occasionally been offered jobs that were clearly outside my areas of expertise, but were related to such niche areas that the same would be true for any other translator the potential client might approach (I remember one that had something to do with security measures for casinos - how many translators specialise in that?). In such cases, I might consider taking the job on if it looks interesting enough, after telling the client honestly about my potential limitations.
| | | | | Very very very well paid | Sep 4, 2023 |
Then I contract someone specialised to do it, haggle over their rate and keep the difference.
Or better, I play dead after delivery and don't pay him/her.
Philippe
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| Money, money, money | Sep 4, 2023 |
If I need the money, Karen, and the rate is good, I will endeavour to produce a translation and strain myself to do more research, or ring up my native-speaking buddies.
I don't charge the heady heights of 30-40 cents per word for legal translation (a rate which I can't get my head around), so I simply make do. I do wonder what the difference would be between a translation by me (end client rate of 0.12-18) and someone charging 0.40.
I digress... and I need to continue ... See more If I need the money, Karen, and the rate is good, I will endeavour to produce a translation and strain myself to do more research, or ring up my native-speaking buddies.
I don't charge the heady heights of 30-40 cents per word for legal translation (a rate which I can't get my head around), so I simply make do. I do wonder what the difference would be between a translation by me (end client rate of 0.12-18) and someone charging 0.40.
I digress... and I need to continue translatoring.
ciao ciao 4 now ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 11:20
Member (2006)
German to English
| I do not do it | Sep 4, 2023 |
If it is not in my field, I do not take it on because there are others that would / could do it better.
| | | | | I usually don't | Sep 4, 2023 |
My main field of expertise is in technical translations (I have an engineering degree). Within this, I specialise in railway translations and renewable energy. Most of my work falls within these fields.
If a job is generally technical but not in a field I know about specifically I will have a look and assess the content.
I would avoid financial, legal or medical translations as I don't think I know enough to assess the content - there may well be things I don't even kno... See more My main field of expertise is in technical translations (I have an engineering degree). Within this, I specialise in railway translations and renewable energy. Most of my work falls within these fields.
If a job is generally technical but not in a field I know about specifically I will have a look and assess the content.
I would avoid financial, legal or medical translations as I don't think I know enough to assess the content - there may well be things I don't even know I need to know about.
Of course, most documents have some degree of crossover, so I might end up translating legal or financial sections in a technical document anyway. This tends to be fairly standard material though. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Growing my experience | Sep 4, 2023 |
Tanja says:'
"...my knowledge of the subject grows with each new project."
Each project gives me more experience. That was how I developed my areas of expertise. There has always been a question of who is best: the one who has an expert in the field, or the translator who had experience in many fields. There is no sure answer, but a translator who with a lot of experience can usually work it out with research unless it is the text is highly specialized.
In 60 years, I o... See more Tanja says:'
"...my knowledge of the subject grows with each new project."
Each project gives me more experience. That was how I developed my areas of expertise. There has always been a question of who is best: the one who has an expert in the field, or the translator who had experience in many fields. There is no sure answer, but a translator who with a lot of experience can usually work it out with research unless it is the text is highly specialized.
In 60 years, I only turned down one job. It was a doctoral thesis in an academic field I wasn't familiar with. ▲ Collapse
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Dler Piran
Iraq
Local time: 12:20
Member (2023)
English to Kurdish
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| Morals matter | Sep 4, 2023 |
If the subject is something I think I can manage, I would do it. I don't take subjects that go against my morals. I have rejected offers for projects about gambling and gasino & smoking & cigarettes because they are among the subjects that go against my morals.
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 11:20
French to English
I have the maximum number of fields listed in my profile, because I really have translated in a lot of very varied fields. It's one of the things I like about my work, I'm always learning new things. It's now a family joke, any time I start talking knowledgeably about something, one of the kids will say "oh I suppose you did a translation on that" and it will invariably be true.
I won't do anything legal (beyond terms of sale or run-of-the-mill employment contracts) medical (except... See more I have the maximum number of fields listed in my profile, because I really have translated in a lot of very varied fields. It's one of the things I like about my work, I'm always learning new things. It's now a family joke, any time I start talking knowledgeably about something, one of the kids will say "oh I suppose you did a translation on that" and it will invariably be true.
I won't do anything legal (beyond terms of sale or run-of-the-mill employment contracts) medical (except vulgarisation) financial or too technical. I recently accepted a text about renewable sources of energy being introduced in shipping, and found that the text was considerably more complex than anything I had ever previously translated. My son works in the field, and was able to help me, but when the client came back with more I turned it down, because I just don't understand it well enough and at my age I don't think my brain can suddenly start understanding things it never has grasped. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | If the field is interesting + I believe I will be able to do a good job | Sep 4, 2023 |
I would do it if it's a field I want to learn more about and if I believe I will be able to do a good job by doing a lot of research and reading up on the subject matter.
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