Translation practice Archives - Page 5 of 9

5 April, 2017

Feeding the translation robot

Everybody who has ever had their hands on a machine translation task knows that the output of a translation engine in most cases compares badly to the work of a human translator. But although the lack of quality in translation engine results can give reasons to laugh, translators can still influence future output. Considering the pathway and approach to great future results is not only useful for later but offers some insight into our current translation practices as well.

by Pieter Beens

Should poor paying translation companies have a second chance?

10 March, 2017

Translation practice

A second chance for defaulters?

Doing business means taking some risks. Although one freelancer might be more likely to take risks and others want to stay on the safe side, every freelance translator will find themselves in a position of financial troubles at least once. Sometimes these troubles are caused by one’s own financial mistakes while in many other instances they result from poor business and bookkeeping practices on the client’s side. Although these practices can have serious personal consequences, they are great moments to learn from. One interesting lesson is that patience sometimes can do more good than ending a customer relationship.

by Pieter Beens

24 February, 2017

Translation practice

P = (F+U)/N – Productivity and Fun in the Equation

Productivity is an important part of doing business, if not the most important part. Of course winning clients and jobs is great, but when one is not being productive it can result in earning too little money to work. On the other hand, productivity can put such pressure on freelancers that they almost become paralysed or even burn out. In both cases the fun factor of being a freelance translator gets totally lost.
In this article, which I planned to present at ELIA Together 2017, I share some thoughts on productivity and fun.

by Pieter Beens

Why translators should be more disruptive

8 February, 2017

Translation practice

Why translators should be more disruptive

The smart phone, the electric car and the digital camera differ widely at first glance, but they still have something in common. The introduction of these products led to an increase in similar products and sparked a great discussion about their right to exist and the future of their respective industries and competitor products. They were, in one word, disruptive. Disruption seems to be everywhere nowadays and is sometimes explained as the only way to survive. That raises the question of whether translators should be disruptive as well.

by Pieter Beens

When ending customer relationship might be a good idea

27 January, 2017

Translation practice

When ending a customer relationship is the best option

Starting and growing a company can be a long and cumbersome process. Not only do you need to find and attract clients, but once that important and complex step is taken you need to maintain the relationship with them. While having won clients does not necessarily mean that you have enough work to keep you busy for a whole week, sometimes losing a client is worth more than winning one. When is ending a customer relationship the best option? And how can you end a relationship politely?

by Pieter Beens

How to start a blog. Successful blogging as a freelancer in 2017.

13 January, 2017

Translation practice

How to start a blog: successful blogging as a freelancer in 2017

Blogging is popular among big companies and freelance translators alike. There are so many blogs that offer great content and discussions, that even the least creative writers aim to have one. However, having an idea to start blogging is one thing but continuing to write blogs (not to speak about great blogs) is something different. Many freelancers end up with writers block, disappointing results in terms of exposure and discussions or a recurring pressure to write at least something. This article covers the how’s, why’s and pitfalls of blogging and helps you to start creating a great blog in 2017.

by Pieter Beens

I will create new resolutions all year long - handwriting on a napkin - , a realistic alternative to New Year resolutions

27 December, 2016

Translation practice

December thoughts on New Year’s resolutions

It’s the last week of December and the end of the year is heading our way at a fast pace. No matter if it concerns personal or business matters, we are looking back at this time of the year. In many cases we try to remember and relive the best things that happened, such as new clients we won and massive projects we took on. At the same time we try to forget the worse things, like clients we lost or complaints we got – no matter how unjust they were. At the same time we look forward somewhat cautiously, not yet ready to accept the stress of a new year. So this is the right moment to talk about a somewhat uneasy subject: New Year’s resolutions.

by Pieter Beens

16 December, 2016

Translation practice

Translation Conferences 2017

Translation Conferences are great opportunities to learn, to network and to have fun. Furthermore they offer a chance to visit another country and to get to know different cultures and industry professionals. Although translation conferences can be exhausting, they are in the end very rewarding as you learn new perspectives, techniques and colleagues.
After the highly successful 2016 overview I herewith present the translation conferences 2017 overview, ordered by month.
Just check the different tiles and hover over them with your mouse for more information. Click at the ‘Visit website’ button on the backside of a tile to learn more about a particular translation conference in 2017.

by Pieter Beens

4 November, 2016

Translation practice

How many CAT tools should you need?

On my computer I have an incredible amount of translation software installed. There are Trados Studio (including 2017 for beta-testing purposes), MemoQ (different releases, which can be installed alongside each other), Memsource Editor (lightweight but powerful), Across (too heavy to work with on a regular basis), Transit NXT (required by a client but never used), Wordfast (license expired), Fluency (won in a contest but never used) and Idiom WorldServer (idle as I use MemoQ to translate these kind of files) to name a few. As a technology fan always eager to learn new things, I think I have many more CAT tools than the average translator. That raises a question: How many CAT tools should you need?

by Pieter Beens

28 September, 2016

Translation practice

The sense and nonsense of free test translations

Free test translations are a topic of hot debate nowadays. While it seems that more and more translators stand up against them, translation agencies sometimes defend them as their ultimate means of securing quality translators at the gate. There is a great chance that the topic of test translations will return in one form or another in any future period. Are translation tests reasonable requirements or are they don’t lead to anywhere?

by Pieter Beens

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