Confidentiality in the translation industry February 9, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Translation.6 comments
There is an interesting discussion right now on the ATA’s Business Practices listserv about confidentiality. The discussion originally started out as a discussion about payment issues and ethics and how some agencies should bear the risk of non-payment by choosing their translators carefully, employing editors and setting money aside to cover any problems that may arise.Interestingly enough, the subject soon turned to ethics and confidentiality.
Confidentiality is definitely something everyone in the translation industry (both translators and agencies) should think about. Riccardo at About Translation wrote a blog post just yesterday about an agency that sent a blanket e-mail to numerous translators and attached highly confidential and sensitive documents. He had never worked with the agency before and had therefore never signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement. If their client knew about this clear breach of confidentiality they would most assuredly not be pleased. Unfortunately this is often common practice in our industry. Agencies should really be more careful when sending out confidential documents to lots of translators.
Translators can be just as guilty of this when they agree to translate a job and then subcontract it out to a colleague either in whole or in part. I very rarely subcontract work, but when I do I always let the client know I am doing so. I recently had a large job just before Christmas that I split with a colleague because the volume was quite large and I wouldn’t have made the deadline on my own. I let the client know I was doing it and told them the name of the other translator. We agreed to just submit one bill to the client. The client was so thrilled with our quick turnaround that the project manager sent us cloth bags with the translation agency’s name on it and a very nice thank you note. I sent my colleague the bag along with my check for her half.
Behavior like this is a clear breach of ethics. We in the translation industry need to be more cognizant of the ethics involved in our field. Project managers, take a deep breath and really think about the documents you are sending out to a pool of translators. If they contain confidential information, it would be better to just send out a brief description of the text. Translators, the next time you consider accepting a job you can’t handle on your own, please think twice or at least let the client know you will be working with someone else. And you’d best make sure your colleague has signed a confidentiality agreement and keep it on file.
If anyone else wants to bring up confidentiality issues in our industry that bug them, feel free to comment. I look forward to the dialog!
TGIF: Things we (Americans) say wrong February 5, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, TGIF.3 comments
This video will probably make most native and non-native speakers’ heads spin, but I found it pretty amusing. As translators I hope you enjoy it as well. Enjoy your weekend! Thanks to Screw You!, an interesting blog for freelance writers that writes about bottom-feeding rates and the vendors who try to get away with paying freelance writers abominably low rates. One recent job that was featured offered $0.005 a word. And you thought translation job bids were bad!
On the swabish railway – EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger February 4, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, German culture.2 comments
Several of my German colleagues alerted me to this rather humorous piece in the Frankfurter Rundschau entitled “Well done, Günther: On the swabish railway.” Günther Oettinger is a German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union party (CDU). He was appointed as an EU Commissioner in the European Commission on October 24, 2009. He recently received a lot of criticism and ridicule when he announced that English would be the working language of the Commission – and then held an atrociously articulated speech in English that no one could understand. The joke in the article above is that he needs ghostwriters and that those ghostwriters also do a terrible job with English. The links below the article to other “speeches” are just as enjoyable. Enjoy!
Back in the land of the living – I mean overworked February 4, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings.12 comments
Sorry for the radio silence in the last month or so. I wish I could say it was due to being overworked, but alas it was due to being underworked. Since I wasn’t at my computer as often I didn’t have as much opportunity (or desire) to blog on life. My prediction for December and January was indeed correct, and it was pretty slow. Not to mention the fact that I had some problems getting customers to pay my invoices. At one point I had $4,000 in outstanding OVERDUE invoices (some overdue by 53 days, some by just a couple). A girl’s got to pay her rent, eat and pay the dog groomer, so I was glad I had a bit of a financial cushion to tap into. I now have to work hard to replenish that cushion. That really did a number on my mood though, so I wasn’t my usual chipper self, which in turn influenced my desire to blog.
Luckily all my customers have now paid their overdue invoices, and I am once again fairly solvent. Hint: it helps to tell customers you will be turning the invoice over to a bill collector in a couple days if they don’t pay. I was amazed at how quickly the checkbook finally opened up! The trick is to mean it and not be threatening. Just be firm and business-like. And mean it. I had a bill collector lined up.
Also, business has picked up again, and I am back in the swing of life as an overworked translator. I am housesitting and dogsitting for a friend at the moment, which brings a whole other set of problems with it. I lugged my work computer with me and am connected through my friend’s router. For some reason I can receive e-mail, but am unable to send e-mail from my mail program. I am forced to keep my ISP’s Webmailer open to send e-mail. I hope to have that fixed in a day or so. I was contacted by a new client this morning with a job request, and they sent me a Geheimhaltungsvereinbarung (Non-Disclosure Agreement). Since I don’t have a printer here I ended up inserting my digital signature and converting the Word file into a PDF.
Life is full of challenges and workarounds. We just need to be calm enough to come up with the solutions.
TGIF: German coffeemaker commercial January 29, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, TGIF.2 comments
If you are anything like me you have a deep appreciation for a fine cup of coffee. You don’t need to understand German to appreciate this commercial. Enjoy and have a great weekend! I promise to actually post a real blog post next week. I’ve been busy with life in the meantime…
Johnny Depp is not dead January 25, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings, Translation.add a comment
Rumors were flying today that Johnny Depp had died, and it turns out it is all due to a Dutch mistranslation. An article in Dutch reported how much Depp hated the paparazzi and the media, and the article was mistranslated, leading the media to believe that the very much alive actor was dead. With the Interwebs being as it is (every day it seems like there is a mistaken report of a celebrity death… Jeff Goldblum, Jon Heder, Eminem, Britney Spearks, etc.), some anonymous “source” also apparently dug up an old article from 2004 that reported he had been in a car crash in France, and the media went into a frenzy. No, Johnny Depp is not dead. He was just voted the Sexiest Man Alive. There’s a BIG difference.
You hear these stupid celebrity death rumors all the time, but this time it is because of a mistranslation and that makes it worthy to talk about here on my blog 🙂
TGIF: Israeli take on American airport security January 22, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, TGIF.5 comments
This clip made me laugh so hard that I wanted to share it with you all. Thanks so much to Rina Ne’eman for tweeting it the other day! Enjoy!
NAJIT Seeking Volunteer Interpreters and Translators for the Haiti Relief Effort January 20, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Translation.1 comment so far
From a NAJIT press release:
Volunteer Interpreters and Translators needed for the Haiti Relief Effort
By now we are all painfully aware of the situation in Haiti following the devastating earthquake last week. The National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators and the American Red Cross are seeking Haitian Creole and French interpreters and translators to assist in this time of great need.
Interpreters are needed for two types of assignments either at the American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington DC (immediate need) or on the hospital ship USNS Comfort off the coast of Haiti (anticipated future need).
Immediate Need
The American Red Cross wishes to identify and recruit a Haitian Creole and French interpreter and translator to work at its National Headquarters Office in Washington for periods of between one to three weeks. The volunteer will support the International Services Department (ISD) in response to the earthquake in Haiti by sharing information with Haitian Creole speakers in the United States, translating documents from various ISD offices and/or American Red Cross chapters around the country, may be called upon to record messages in Haitian Creole or respond to inquiries from Haitian Creole speakers by telephone or in writing. The qualifications for this assignment are below:
VOLUNTEER POSITION DESCRIPTION
International Services Department/ International Humanitarian Law and Chapter Support
Location: 2025 E Street NW; 3rd Floor; Washington, DC 20006
Position Title: Haitian Creole Translator/Interpreter
Purpose: Support International Services Department (ISD) in response to the earthquake in Haiti by sharing information with Haitian Creole speakers in the United States. The writer will translate documents from various ISD offices and/or American Red Cross chapters across the country. May be called upon to record messages in Haitian Creole or to respond to inquiries from Haitian Creole speakers by telephone or in writing.
Key Responsibilities:
* Willingness to support Red Cross Mission
* Translate written information into Haitian Creole
* Respond to inquiries from Haitian Creole speakers
Qualifications:
* At least three (3) years of demonstrated experience as a professional translator and/or interpreter
* Excellent writing, good interpersonal and some cross-cultural communication skills and experience.
* Advanced use of Microsoft Office for word processing.
Training:
* Orientation to American Red Cross
Reports to or Partners with:
* ISD/ International Communications Department
Length of Appointment
* Open
Time Commitment:
* 20 – 40 hours a week — flexible
Anticipated Future Need
Last week a request was sent out for the recruitment for interpreters for the USNS Comfort, a hospital ship that is scheduled to arrive in Haiti Tuesday night January 20 and will remain docked off the coast. Thanks to the American Red Cross chapter network, that need was filled quickly. NAJIT and the American Red Cross anticipate there will be a continued need for interpreters for the USNS Comfort over the weeks and months to come. Currently, the projection is that USNS Comfort will be deployed on this mission for 6-12 months.
At this time, in an effort to anticipate the ongoing and future need for interpreters, NAJIT and the American Red Cross are standing ready by identifying available volunteers for the next possible 30 day rotations. Volunteers will remain on the ship throughout the duration of the assignment and will not deploy to the mainland of Haiti.
Both assignments are on a volunteer basis and the American Red Cross will cover all travel expenses.
Because of the special American Red Cross and NAJIT partnership and our joint collaboration in recent years during major disaster response operations, NAJIT has been asked to coordinate the recruitment of interpreters for the Red Cross Haiti Relief Effort. NAJIT continues to serve as the direct link between interpreters and the Red Cross emergency response. In order to participate in the Haiti Relief Effort, interpreters must either be members of NAJIT or members of one of NAJIT’s organizational or institutional members.
We know that many interpreters and translators want to help in this time of great need, either by volunteering or making donations. Please be as generous with your time and resources as you can be. Thank you.
Please send all responses to christina@najit.org or phone 202-293-0342 for further information.
Déjà Vu drops its prices January 20, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Tools, Translation.add a comment
One of my colleagues sent the following e-mail to the GLD list this morning. I thought it interesting enough to share it with you all. Since so many people have been unhappy with the latest version of SDL Trados I think it is smart that other translation environment tool manufacturers are reaching out to attract new customers. I myself am thinking about WordFast, but this is definitely a tempting offer…
Atril has announced a significant decrease in price for two versions of DVX:
Déjà Vu Standard: EUR 250 (down ca. 50%)
Déjà Vu Professional EUR 660 (down ca. 30%)Fully functional evaluation version available for 30 day test period @ http://www.atril.com
Haiti relief efforts could use help of interpreters and translators January 14, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings.36 comments
Please note: I am just a freelance German-English translator with a blog. I am not looking for volunteers or organizing a team of volunteers!! The organizations specified below are. Please contact them directly.
From Haitivolunteer.org:
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD: The Red Cross looking for Kreyol-English translators to volunteer for 1 month. Must be able to get to Miami no later than Monday (tomorrow). Will be traveling and living on Navy medical ship. Contact jumaanedwilliams@gmail.com IMMEDIATELY!!! They want US citizens or Green Card holders.
Area of Expertise:
Language
Skill Needed:
Kreyol-English translator
Update: Doctors without Borders no longer needs any translation services. This blog is not set up to facilitate connections between my readers and relief groups. I am merely posting information. My language is German, so this is outside my field of expertise. Feel free to contact any of the groups listed below and post any other groups you may know about in the comments.
Numerous calls for aid are spreading around the world after Haiti’s devastating earthquake. They could use translators and interpreters to aid in the relief efforts. Many ATA members are stepping up and offering to help. Giovanna Lester sent the following e-mail to the ATA Medical Division today:
*IMIA Haiti Relief Efforts*
As many of you know, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti yesterday after 5 p.m. The news coming from Haiti is that this is a very serious earthquake and has wreaked havoc and devastation on the region. We know that millions of people in the region will be affected.
Many IMIA members and their patients have family in Haiti. Our thoughts are with them, the Haitian community and the people of Haiti. If you or your patients need information on relatives in Haiti, the US government has set up a hotline at 1-888-407-4747.
The IMIA Provider Outreach Committee is reaching out to international relief organizations to determine if there is an appropriate way or ways in which we can be most helpful as a trade association resource to the people of Haiti in their hour of greatest need. As we learn more, we will share the information on our web site. In the meantime, some of you have asked what else you can do. Please consider assisting one of the relief organizations below who are working now in Haiti. All these organizations are in dire need of medical interpreters and many of them offer lodging and a travel stipend for professionals willing to do field work. Please inquire and let us know if you are interested in doing immediate field work in Haiti.
They are not just in need of Haitian interpreters, but also primarily in need of Mandarin and Cantonese, Portuguese and French, among others, as these are primary the languages of the relief service providers.
– International Medical Corps:– Direct Relief International:– World Vision:– International Relief Teams: http://www.irteams.org/index.htm– Yéle Haiti: http://www.yele.org/– American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/– Operation USA: http://www.opusa.org/– CARE: http://www.care.org/– Catholic Relief Services: http://crs.org/– World Food Programme: http://www.wfp.org/– World Concern: http://www.worldconcern.org/disasters/haiti-flooding.htm– Save the Children: http://www.savethechildren.org/?WT.mc_id=1109_hp_logo– UNICEF USA: http://www.unicefusa.org/– Mercy Corps: http://www.mercycorps.org/– Operation Blessing International:– Shelterbox: https://alliance14.challiance.org/– Americares: http://www.americares.org/whatwedo/emergency/– Operation USA: http://www.opusa.org/– Doctors Without Borders: http://doctorswithoutborders.org/
Musings from an overworked translator 