6 October 20183 February 2023 Nikki Graham - Tranix Translation & Proof-Editing Services

October 2018 Update of ‘Useful Links & Resources for Translators & Interpreters’ Page

Welcome to the latest update of the Useful Links & Resources for Translators & Interpreters page. This major update has been underway for a few months and I apologise that the “Back to top” has not been working during that time (fixed now).

Besides adding lots of new links to help you with your translations and running your business, I’ve divided the page into four main sections and added nine new categories.

The first section contains the general monolingual resources (now divided into three different categories to make links easier to find) and general multilingual resources.

New additions include British, Scottish, Canadian and American English dictionaries. With around 100 links in total in this section, there’s lots to explore.

4 July 201726 April 2021 Nikki Graham - Tranix Translation & Proof-Editing Services

When the unthinkable happens and giving up work isn’t an option

Sometimes life throws you a curveball and the unthinkable happens: a family member is struck with a long-term illness and you suddenly have to take on the role of carer. Caring for a loved one can be physically and emotionally draining and as time-consuming as looking after a baby, but often with none of the happy milestones marking a transition from one phase to another. Not only does caring take huge bites out of your available work time, it often does not put you in the frame of mind to focus when you finally do manage to sit down at your desk.

Giving up work entirely is not always a financially viable option for the family. In my case, I’ve had no choice but to cut down on my hours and learn to work smarter. Although my earnings have dropped by about 20% in the past two years I’ve been a carer, I reckon the time I spend translating, on admin and other work-related matters is 50% less. I now very rarely work in the evenings or at weekends and I certainly don’t always work a full day either during the week. My aim is to get back to the same level of earnings without increasing the number of my working hours. In this post I’d like to share a few of the ways I’ve managed to ensure that the unthinkable didn’t turn into a financial disaster for my family.

27 May 201511 February 2021 Nikki Graham - Tranix Translation & Proof-Editing Services

13 razones (más o menos) por las que podrías dejar de trabajar para una agencia

Corregidme si me equivoco, pero el principal factor causante de que los traductores finalicen su relación con una agencia es que no les paguen (es de cajón: seguir trabajando para un cliente que no te paga, sean cuales sean sus excusas o promesas, carece de toda lógica empresarial), y el segundo, que les paguen tarde. Por suerte, en todos los años que llevo traduciendo, esto ha ocurrido en contadas ocasiones. Una agencia unipersonal quebró justo después de haber acabado un pequeño trabajo para ella y nunca vi un céntimo, y otra no me pagó todas las palabras que había traducido porque no nos poníamos de acuerdo en la cantidad exacta. Sin embargo, se me ha pagado tarde más veces de las que me gustaría y he dejado de trabajar para varias agencias por este motivo, incluso para algunas con las que llevaba años trabajando. «Estaba de vacaciones en la otra punta del planeta y por eso no te pude pagar en agosto, y ahora no dispongo de fondos hasta que me pague mi cliente» no me vale.

27 May 201511 February 2021 Nikki Graham - Tranix Translation & Proof-Editing Services

Thirteenish reasons why you might stop working for an agency

543854_10201705191769907_326711284_n — Sometimes it’s time to sail away to pastures new

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the overriding factor causing translators to end their relationship with an agency is not being paid at all (no-brainer really, as continuing to work for a client that is not paying you—whatever their excuses and promises—just doesn’t make good business sense), and secondly being paid late. Fortunately, in all the years that I’ve been translating, I have seldom not been paid. A one-man band went bankrupt just after I completed a shortish job for him and I never saw a penny. Another agency didn’t pay me for all the words I’d translated as we disagreed on how many I’d actually done. However, I have received my money late more times than I care to remember, and I’ve stopped working for several agencies as a result, even some I had been collaborating with for years. “I was enjoying a wonderful holiday on the other side of the planet, so I couldn’t pay you in August, and now have no funds until my clients pay me” just doesn’t cut it.

23 May 201511 February 2021 Nikki Graham - Tranix Translation & Proof-Editing Services

Hora de abrir los ojos

La semana pasada acabé escribiendo una entrada motivada por una desagradable experiencia relacionada con la traducción automática (o, más bien, pseudotraducción automática) que quería compartir con todos vosotros. Esta semana me toca hablar de una nueva afrenta a nuestra profesión que por desgracia parece haberse vuelto bastante común a juzgar por las ofertas que recibo por correo electrónico y las entradas que leo en los foros.

Hablo de las herramientas TAO (traducción asistida por ordenador), los descuentos que se espera que ofrezcamos por usarlas y los ridículos plazos impuestos desde el convencimiento de que mejorarán nuestro rendimiento por arte de magia elevándolo a niveles que rozan lo sobrehumano.

23 May 201511 February 2021 Nikki Graham - Tranix Translation & Proof-Editing Services

Time to Get Real

Last week, I found myself suddenly rolling out a blog post because of an unpleasant experience involving machine translation (or should I say machine pseudo-translation), which I wanted to share with you all. This week I’m shaking my head at yet another affront to our profession, which sadly seems to have become rather commonplace judging by email job requests I receive and forum posts I read.

I’m talking about CAT tools, the discounts we’re expected to give as a result of using them, and the silly deadlines imposed in the belief they will magically improve our performance to near super-human levels.