A word to the wise is sufficient, but only sometimes;
a kick in the ass makes a far greater impression. As a case in point, this week
I made an apparently unsuccessful proposal on a translation project. In retrospect,
I could have and should have handled it differently and will do so in the future.
The project in question was the translation from
French into English of a 45-page real estate purchase contract containing nearly
25,000 words. The document posed several challenges, including PDF formatting
and quite precise legal vocabulary. Furthermore, the customer required a signed
statement of accuracy, which would entail even more QA time to ensure that demand.
Due to the extensive time required because of the document’s length and complexity, the quote involved four figures (in euros) and a long deadline. I
received a polite but understandable “I will let you know when relevant”. It
was clear from the start that the customer was neither expecting or willing to
pay such an amount. To be fair, I was not surprised but stood by my quote as I
knew how much time and effort such a translation involves.
Looking back, I see that I had another option, one
that I know about and had forgotten. Specifically, I had heard Naomi Shenkar, a
respected Israeli attorney and translator, say that, for long documents, she provides two quotes: one for human translation
and one for AI + editing. The first is based on standard human translation
elements while the second quote is contingent on the quality of the AI output.
She also noted that most customers ultimately prefer the human translation. In
this matter, she provides the potential buyer with a choice, an unequal one in many
respects, but at least an option.
I now recognize that I should have done the same. If I
had offered to edit an AI version, the customer may have considered and
understood the human translation proposal. While I am not particularly fond of
AI or any machine translation, for longer documents for which the time and
financial investment may be beyond the customer’s situation, it can provide a
reasonable alternative. Furthermore, I would have created a win/win solution.
Shorter projects create income and allow the translator to help other customers.
When I began translating some 22 years ago, I promised
myself that I would limit myself to one time per mistake. I have been fairly loyal
to that vow. The next time I have the opportunity to make a proposal on a long
legal document, I will provide an AI option. Better late than never.
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