August | 2023 | Musings from an overworked translator

BDÜ call to action – why can’t the ATA act like this on our behalf???? August 10, 2023

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in ATA, Business practices.
6 comments

I don’t know about you, but I am getting sick of the ATA just lying down and taking it when it comes to machine translation and post-editing. They should have been fighting this for years – not embracing or accepting it. I have spent 25 years watching the translation industry change for the worse, and I am sick of it. I am tired of having to fight this on my own at the individual level. We should have never had to! My former best client is now using MTPE on jobs that used to earn me thousands of dollars. They are paying $50-100 instead – and probably not earning much more than that themselves. The base word rates haven’t changed in 25 years and now they are whittling away at them again. Calculate the rates in terms of hourly rates, and you’ll see that it now often pays better to clean houses than to translate. That’s b.s. In a few years I hope the industry enjoys not having any competent translators left who have any self-respect once all this “technology” shows its true colors and the players stop gobbling each other up. I for one am looking at leaving and switching careers to another track altogether.

From the July newsletter of BDÜ (translation below):

Zunehmender Preisdruck durch „kreative“ Abrechnungsmethoden

Mit wachsender Sorge und Missfallen beobachtet der BDÜ neue und „kreative“ Abrechnungsmethoden seitens Agenturkunden, mit denen diese versuchen, alle Vorteile der Nutzung sämtlicher verfügbarer Übersetzungstools (inklusive CAT und NMÜ) für sich zu beanspruchen. Nach der – einseitigen – Veränderung der Wortgewichtungen zu Ungunsten der Übersetzer oder auch Einbeziehung von internen Fuzzy Matches in diese Abrechnung taucht nun eine sogenannte „dynamische Abrechnung“ auf, bei der MTPE-Jobs (Machine Translation Post Editing) zwar im Vorfeld mit einem bestimmten Volumen beauftragt werden, die finale Honorarhöhe jedoch erst nachträglich nach der Anzahl der tatsächlich bearbeiteten Wörter ermittelt wird. Auf diese Weise werden Honorare nicht nur für Übersetzer unkalkulierbar, sondern völlig unauskömmlich, sofern die gleichen Wort-Tarife angesetzt werden wie für herkömmliches MTPE.

Der BDÜ lässt derzeit die Rechtmäßigkeit solcher nachträglichen Absenkungen juristisch überprüfen und bringt die Problematik auch auf europäischer Ebene bei FIT Europe (Regionalzentrum des Weltdachverbands Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs) für eine mögliches gemeinsames Vorgehen ein. Alle, denen ähnliches Gebaren seitens Agenturkunden begegnet, sind aufgerufen, entsprechende Beispiele als Grundlage für weitergehende Aktionen an den BDÜ-Bundesvorstand zu kommunizieren (bundesvorstand@bdue.de).

Translation:

Increasing pressure on prices due to “creative” billing methods

The BDÜ has been observing with growing concern and displeasure the new and “creative” billing methods on the part of agency clients, with which they are trying to claim all of the benefits of using all of the available translation tools (including computer-assisted tools (CAT) and machine translation post-editing (MTPE) for themselves. After the – unilateral – change in word weightings to the disadvantage of the translators or also the inclusion of internal fuzzy matches in this accounting, they are now introducing a so-called “dynamic accounting” in which MTPE jobs are ordered in advance with a certain volume, but they then determine the final fee amount afterwards based on the number of words that were actually edited. In this way, fees become not only incalculable for translators, but also completely unaffordable if the same word rates are applied as for conventional MTPE.

The BDÜ is currently looking into the legality of these retroactive reductions and is also raising the issue at European level with FIT Europe (the European branch of the Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs) for possible joint action. The BDÜ is calling on anyone who encounters similar behavior from their agency clients to communicate any examples of this to the Federal Executive Board of BDÜ as a basis for further action. (bundesvorstand@bdue.de).

Announcing the Moravian Archives’ 2024 German Script Course August 2, 2023

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, German culture, Tools.
add a comment

Note from Jill: I took this in June 2023, and it was great. I arrived not even recognizing the text as being German and was sightreading it at the end of the two week course. I now have a skill that machine translation can’t touch, because most Germans can’t even read old German script! Register quickly. It will sell out fast. Space is limited to 15 students.

Register today for a two week intensive course studying, practicing and reading old German handwriting.

June 3, 2024 – June 14, 2024

The Moravian Archives is offering its well-known and successful German Script Course for the 55th year next Summer.

This is the only course of its kind in the country. The course is taught by Dr. Paul Peucker and Thomas McCullough, MA, MLIS, experts and experienced instructors in reading and writing German script.

COURSE FEES & GRANT OPPORTUNITY

COURSE FEES

The fee for the script course is $1,300 and includes the following instructional materials:

Color reproductions of German texts
Handouts
Writing pads
Binder for storing instructional material
Quills
Textbook: Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents by Roger P. Minert (2nd ed., Woods Cross, Utah 2013)
Coffee, tea, and snacks during breaks

Accommodations are not included in the cost of the course. Please see below or visit our website for more information.

GRANT AVAILABLE
Two slots are reserved for graduate students at a rate of 50% of the regular course fee. Grants are available to students who are not fully employed and who do not qualify for reimbursement of the course fee. Grant applicants must be registered for the course and have made the deposit payment.
Please visit our website for more information about this exciting opportunity.

COURSE INFORMATION

methode

STUDY METHOD

Class begins each day at 9:00 am and runs until 12:30 pm, and is divided up into two sessions.

The morning sessions are devoted to writing the individual letters. During the late morning sessions texts are read within the group with everyone taking turns deciphering the texts.

There are no organized classes during the afternoons. This time is devoted to preparing for the next day’s lessons; most students choose to do their ‘homework’ in groups. Thus, the course combines classroom learning, group study and individual preparation. The preparation time in the afternoon will take about four hours. It is not recommended to plan other activities during the course.

PREREQUISITES

In order to successfully follow the course, a good reading ability of modern German is needed; two years of college German or the equivalent has proven to be a minimum. Conversational German ability is not required and prior knowledge of German script is not necessary. All instruction is conducted in English, but we advise students to have access to a quality German-English dictionary.

HOUSING

DORMITORY HOUSING (SOUTH SIDE BETHLEHEM)
Housing is available at Lehigh University’s apartment-style dormitories (location to be announced later). Lehigh University is located on the south side of Bethlehem, about 1.7 miles away from the Moravian Archives. Script students may walk, drive/carpool, or take a ride share to come to class each day.

HOUSING AT THE HOTEL BETHLEHEM (NORTH SIDE BETHLEHEM)
If students are interested in staying in Historic Downtown Bethlehem, standard hotel rooms are available at the Hotel Bethlehem. The hotel is located 0.8 miles away from the archives.
Breakfast/meals and parking are available on premise for additional fees. Click here for more information about the Hotel Bethlehem.
—-

There are also various other hotels, Airbnbs, and guest houses in the Bethlehem area.
Please note that the registration for housing is separate from registration for the course.

TESTIMONIALS
Our 2023 Script course graduates are using their new skills in unique ways! Check out how students have utilized what they learned during the course!