The myth of market price in translation

 

[best price*]

The issue of ideal pricing is of great interest to all business people, including freelance translators. For the latter, many seek the market price as it were the holy grail (and bewail those that "break" it. In one sense, it is similar to that holy object: it does not exist (no offense to those of religious faith). While in economic theory, supply and demand intersect over time to determine the proper price, the conditions for that convergence do not exist in the freelance translation business due to the lack of information by both the purchaser and provider. This darkness leaves the players to follow Candide’s advice: il faut cultiver son jardin [you must cultivate your own garden].

In order to understand the mechanics of the freelance marketplace, I will first describe two markets where supply and demand do affect pricing directly. The first is a retail purchase of a standard physical product. A consumer wishing to purchase a Black and Decker 4-volt electric screwdriver at an attractive price can check the advertised price in local stores and compares them to prices available from online outlets, taking into account transportation and shipping costs, as applicable. Within a short period of time, the careful consumer has a clear picture of how much the item should cost. On the other side of the fence, the retailers also have full access to the price of their competitors, both physical and online, and are fully aware of their inventory and when it was purchased. If a given store finds itself with excess inventory that is not moving, it generally can announce a sale and clear it out for more profitable items. This action in practice changes the price situation and affects consumer behavior. Thus, both sellers and buyers can identify an ideal price or at least such a range.

The interaction involved in providing a service, such as a lube and oil shop, can also create a market price. Car owners can easily check listed price for this car maintenance service. Taking into account physical distance and perceived quality of service, they can identify the best deal and have their car serviced. A garage owner, seeing a drop in the number of service calls and significant downtime by its employees, can choose to lower its price for such a service and thus increase its volume, or alternatively raise the price if the volume or price comparison indicates that its rate is too low. Again, each side of the transaction exerts constant pressure on the price level.

Freelance purchasers do not enjoy such transparency or knowledge. A translation agency may have created a list of freelance translators and their rates but elements of this year may be and quite often are quite outdated. They are certainly not shared with other translation agencies. In practice, only when an agency is required to recruit additional service providers does it discover that rates have decreased or increased. Furthermore, only experience can determine whether the translation quality is sufficient for their purposes. End customers such as consumers or non-translation companies generally have no or very little knowledge of translation rates and must base their decision on a very small sample, possibly 3 quotes, or a discussion with a few colleagues on their experience. It is essentially impossible to do a market survey as most agencies do not nor cannot post the actual cost on their sites, but only ranges, while the fast majority of translators either choose not to or may not post rates. Since the translation business is Internet based and thus unaffected by physical geography, a local survey is irrelevant to the issue. Thus, purchasers of translation are obliged to make a poorly educated guess of rates.

On the other side of the coin, freelance translators are completely in the dark. They simply do not know what purchasers are paying or competitors are charging. The only proof of successful pricing is the confirmation of an order but that notice does not indicate whether their bid was very high or very low nor how much other bidders offered, if relevant. In many countries, including Israel, it is illegal for service providers to discuss prices as such an act is considered “price fixing”.  Even if legal, most freelancer are loath to openly discuss their rates out of fear that theirs are way out of line or of losing business to a colleague. Since translators live throughout the world, standards of living vary extremely, often rendering any such comparison irrelevant. In practice, freelance translators work in the dark not only in terms of typing away in isolation in their homes but also in terms of almost no awareness of market price, previous and current. In such conditions, it is impossible for them to influence the market price as they are unaware of both supply and demand.

As we do not live in ideal world, as Voltaire reminded us in Candide, freelancers essentially decide the best policy for themselves given their place of residence, choice of life style and financial situation. They choose rates based on the income they expect and need to earn, not what is actually possible. Thus, Chinese and Indian translators can earn sufficient income from 0.04 USD a word while European and North American ones find that impractical. Purchasers of translation do not generally survey rates, meaning that the quality of the service is the most important factor over the long term as long as the rate is in line with their budget. Of course, agency conglomeration and machine translation affect the industry but these are long- term dynamics with a very long tail. Freelance translators define their own market.

This chaotic pricing situation is not negative in itself. It provides freelancers with freedom of choice and the ability to create niches to survive, even thrive. However, any talk of “market price” for a translation product has no or very little meaning. As my father would say, the value of an item is what a person is willing to pay for it. The best option for translators to find customers that are willing to pay more for it.

* Captions are a vital tool for the blind in accessing the Internet.

Picture credit: Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=374404">Gerd Altmann</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=374404">Pixabay</a>

Looking glass image? - Being intererviewed by Andrew Morris of Proz.com

I was honored to be interviewed by Andrew Morris of Proz.com. Here is his post:

Face to Face with Stephen Rifkind

Andrew Morris

Many a translator ends up living in a different culture, far from home. That’s often part of the deal. But few are those, it could be argued, who don’t feel at home until they reach and settle in that second country. It’s as if they were simply born in the wrong place, and had to pack their bags and journey across borders or even continents to find the right one…

Such was the case of Stephen Rifkind, born into a Jewish family (American father, French mother) in Los Angeles, but who has spent the last 33 years in Israel. His childhood took place in a multilingual home, in which emotional discussions tended to be in French, while money matters were always in English. His maternal grandmother was a Pole who spoke Yiddish, so it was not unusual for intra-family communication to feature sentences containing all three languages jumbled together. Meanwhile, Stephen was packed off to Hebrew school on the weekends, as part of his (non-religious) Jewish education, to complement his regular attendance at a state school. Modern Hebrew was a key part of the weekend curriculum, and – apart from a brief teenage rebellion against the language – the tuition set him up for his move later in life. But the main aim at the time was not to prepare for emigration – in societies like the USA and Australia, made up largely of immigrants (not forgetting indigenous peoples of course), it’s common for people of all backgrounds to want to maintain and even exaggerate their culture. That might find expression in a variety of ways, whether religious, political, social or linguistic – but it all adds up to the dual identity that is the reality of many Americans. If that extra effort is not made, however, the danger is that within three generations you lose all sight of your roots and simply become “an American”.

 

Still there was something that nagged at Stephen, who felt that he didn’t quite fit in. He knew he was Jewish, even though he never quite understood what that meant. Later in life, he came to formulate a theory that “home is where you feel good” – and realized that he felt good in Israel. He still has family back in LA but sees it now, from a distance, as a money-based society, where you’re judged by your home or your car. In Israel, he says, the realities of life (and death) are omnipresent, which puts things into perspective. It’s an intense place, even in the small town of Karmiel in the Galilee with few traffic jams to speak of, and you can walk around safely at night.

 

His story as a linguist began back in college where he chose to indulge his gift for languages by studying Russian. However, this was the 1970s, and Stephen suffered from a problem that enjoyed scant recognition back then: dyslexia. Given that the technology of computers and hence spellchecking and other tools barely existed in those days, that seemed to rule out the prospect of becoming a translator. After a brief flirtation with studying Law, Stephen became an English teacher, working up to 30 hours a week with students from all over the world.

 

And yet the idea of translation wouldn’t quite go away. What’s more, Stephen’s daughter was a toddler at the time, and in his bid to teach her Hebrew, he translated the first three books of Harry Potter in their entirety – orally and spontaneously – while reading to her at bedtime. He never wrote down a word, thereby depriving the world of a masterpiece, but that’s the way these things go…

 

Around that time he decided he’d had enough of teaching at night, and sat down to do an inventory of his skillset. Armed with an MBA gained in 2002, he knew enough about business, had a grounding in law, and spoke several languages. It was time, he thought, to put them all to good use. This was 2004, and of course computer technology was now a part of everyday life. In setting up his new business as a translator, he decided on three core principles: doing good work, always being on time, and remaining polite in conversation at all times – all of which have stood him in good stead ever since. Boiled down to a single axiom, it’s all about treating the client as you would like to be treated – as simple as that.

 

Translation was not Stephen’s primary income yet, so it took a couple of years for him to make mistakes, learn from experience, and understand how the industry worked. Not connected to a network of translators at the time, he acquired his knowledge through trial and error, or what we might grandly term the “heuristic method”. “I did it my way,” he says, looking back. Within ten years he had made the slow transition from part time to full-time, although he still likes to teach a few classes, simply to keep himself young and go out and meet some real human beings from time to time (in addition to his wife, who is also a translator). Not to mention to keep abreast of developments in everyday English…

 

The multilingual thread continues to this day. Hebrew is the language of Stephen’s home – after this time he’s perfectly fluent “though with an accent”. English dominates the workplace, and he still regularly reads French, having lived in Paris. However, his Russian has become somewhat dated – having learned it in the 1970s, he refers to what he knows as “Brezhnev Russian”, and also has plenty to say (not all of it positive!) about the way modern Russian has become affected by English.

 

Stephen’s translations are from Hebrew to English – his written Hebrew would not permit working in the opposite direction – and focuses on legal and financial texts, along with plenty of certificates. Now an established practitioner, he recognizes nevertheless that the market is constantly changing. Conglomeration has come to affect the agency world, with a predictable impact on pricing. His journey has therefore led him to work with more direct clients – and to incline towards charging project prices. No low bids, no competing on price, no subcontracting. Medium-sized jobs which keep the money coming in, and keep the couple busy. The perfect combination for what is, after all, an expensive country to live in.

 

So what makes Stephen return time and again to this community, and share his insightful blog posts from time to time? Well, he finds the culture here tolerant and open, lacking the intellectual arrogance of certain groups he’s visited in the past. It’s good to disagree, he says, but not to trash people. Perhaps a recognition that we all see only part of the picture is in order – like the proverbial blind men and the elephant. His writing work he sees as a personal challenge: he’s not (he claims) a natural writer, but he sets himself the goal of synthesizing knowledge for the benefit of others. “This is what I see, here let me share it and find out if you agree” best sums up his approach. If he can make people think, then his work is done.

 

And in his free time? Well, many of us have interesting and often unpredictable hobbies, but Stephen’s particular variety certainly stands out: for years he was a member of a Balkan dance troupe, no less, and has performed in front of audiences of many thousands around the country. The complex rhythms, the chance to lose yourself in movement, the physicality and utter lack of intellectual tension, all help him discover his alter ego. Perhaps the perfect solution for the cerebral translator: losing yourself as the music plays and the limbs twirl…

To contact Stephen, go to:

ProZ.com Profile

LinkedIn

Topics: translator, interpreter, facebook, interpreting, face to face

Written by Andrew Morris

French to English translator, Translation Mastermind founder, ProZ.com staff.

Getting there – in English

 

[moving figure*]

The greatest difficulty in mastering English is not understanding its grammar, as many students believe, but learning and applying its vocabulary. To clarify, most concepts in English have multiple words, often coming from different roots. Each word has its own subtext, with connotations that may or may not be relevant in a given situation. Some years ago, I wrote a post about the various words for eating. Today’s post deals with locomotion, specifically walking, running and driving.

[couple walking]

Walking varies in lengths and purposes. To take a walk is rather vague term, implying neither length or goal. By contrast, to get some fresh air implies a short trip outside to clear one’s head. While taking a stroll may not be specific in length, it does express a sense of pleasure, generally social. The purpose of taking a constitutional is to improve one’s physical condition, a matter of discipline, not necessarily enjoyment. If people choose the option of walking when alternatives exist, they hoof it. In places of natural beauty, taking a hike involves several hours, even a whole day, and involves uneven ground while taking a trek is a multiday experience. There is nothing like moving your legs.

[woman jogging]

Of course, some people prefer more energetic movement, specifically running. Jogging involves a slow pace that can be maintained for a long distance, without any specific destination in mind. Trotting is bit faster, ideal when a certain place has to be reached fairly quickly. The fastest form of running is sprinting, whether in a formal race or emergency situation, when speed is of essence. A quick sprint to a specific destination, such as a store before it closes, is a dash and may involve running. Running seems to involve exhilaration of one kind or another.

[poodle in driver's seat]

Alas, in the modern word, most of us by need or choice drive a car to get anywhere. Traveling to and from work is called commuting, which may involve 4-5 hours a day in some cities. Running errands is more local and involves enriching shops and services. In an emergency and at a track, a person may race, driving as fast as possible. With all the unavoidable time behind the wheel, it is surprising to know that many people enjoy taking a drive for the pleasure of seeing something beautiful. In some places, young people cruise, i.e., drive up and down the street in order to be seen by their peers and have their cars and significant others admired. In the past, Van Nuys Blvd. in Los Angeles used to be the site of weekly cruising. At the end of a visit, you may need to hit the road before the traffic gets too bad, which is to say “leave”. Even after all this driving stress, some people believe that the best way to relax is to take a road trip for extended time and see greener pastures. When it comes to driving, to each his own.

Thus, a native speaker naturally knows which terms will apply in any context and uses the right word. By contrast, people whose English is only through formal learning often struggle to be sure what word to use. Alas, the only truly effective to fully master English vocabulary is to live in an English-speaking country. However, through movies and some explanations, it is possible to attain a better understanding. Getting there can takes some effort.

* Picture captions help the blind access the Internet.

All pictures via Pixabay.

In reconsideration – Karen Tkaczyk on editing and proofreading

 

[edited document*]

As part of a series of podcasts, Paul Urwin of Proz.com interviewed Karen Tkaczyk, an experienced editor and translator. As the podcast is not a formal workshop but instead a series of questions and answers, Karen was unable to go into depth on many of the important issues she raised. I wish to add some thoughts on three matters that are of importance to both translators and editors, specifically the obligation to proofread, the time involved and criteria for editorial intervention.

[eye chat & glasses]

Both Paul and Karen were very polite and understated in their statements that translators must include proofreading in their translation process. At minimum, this QA involves spellcheck and a quick rereading. Ideally, they recommended use of a QA tool, whether one intrinsic to the CAT tool and/or an external program such as Xbench. Ideally, a second pair of eyes, as required by ISO standards, would read the text but freelancers often find this step impractical due to time or budgetary factors. However, clearly failure to apply any proofreading process leads to substandard work. In my experience, far too many translators, even experienced ones, expect someone else to perform this step. While it is very challenging at best to produce a perfect translation, that difficulty does not excuse translators from the obligation to strive to do so as much as circumstances allow. Proofreading and editing are an essential step in a proper translation process.

[results, not excuses]

The next issue is how long this QA should take. In their discussion, Paul and Karen mentioned three percentages, all relevant. If the translator of the specific documents reviews the document, it should take around 20% of the translation time. An external review of a properly proofed translation should take around 30-40% while for poorly written texts, revision can reach 50% or even, in the worst cases, justify a retranslation. These numbers are relevant to both translators and agencies. For translators, rates and deadlines need to reflect this time. An overly tight deadline may not allow proper proofreading, which results in a poor translation. Regardless of whether the translator informs customers of such a risk, they are often unhappy with the result, resulting in a lost client. It is far better business practice to refuse impossible deadlines. In freelancer relations with agencies, many project managers are not very realistic on how long it takes to properly review translations, especially long ones that require several sittings. Often but not always education and insistence develop their awareness of the required QA time. Again, it is far better to deliver early than to make excuses for late delivery or fail to properly review the text. In summary, linguists must insist on sufficient time for proofing but the amount is variable.

[3-face customer satisfaction]

The final matter discussed was the essence of the revision process itself. Both Karen and Paul made the point that the task of reviewers was to identify errors, not to produce their ideal text. To clarify, as no two people write the same way, no two people produce the exact same translation of the identical text. One translation may be partially or completely superior to the other in some criteria but both express the content and serve the purpose. Therefore, the appropriate role of reviewers is not to impose their phrasing or linguistic tendencies but to identify and correct issues that would interfere with the message of the text. Admittedly, there is a fine line between mandatory and preferential changes but editors need to make evert effort to be on the right side of that line. Not only do unnecessary changes poison the atmosphere between translators and reviewers, they waste everybody’s time and money. Overzealous editors often spend hours unnecessarily rewriting acceptable translations and then cause the anguished translators to spend hours justifying their original choices. Time is money. The host mentioned that one cause of this extraneous effort was editors’ need to justify their existence. As a frequent reviewer of translation, I have never had any negative feedback in writing that the translation is fine and making at most a few minor changes. I can also attest how difficult it is to switch hats from translator to editor. However, the effort of distinguishing the tasks is much less than the effort required by the all parties in the case of unnecessary rewriting. Reviewing is a fundamentally different task from translation.

Overall, I enjoyed the podcast and hope to find time to view more in the future. Both new and experienced translators and reviewers can profit from a review of the fundamentals and discussion of the specifics. The podcast reinforced the notions that translation review is a necessary, time-consuming and distinct task. Any translator can profit from listening to it in full and reconsidering their attitude and approach to proofing and editing.

* Picture captions allow the blind to fully access the Internet.

Picture credits: Pixaby