Poll: When no CAT tools are required, how do you calculate your rates? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "When no CAT tools are required, how do you calculate your rates?".
This poll was originally submitted by Susanna Martoni. View the poll results »
| | | | | Other (it depends) | Jul 19, 2021 |
Most of my customers are charged by source word, but there are exceptions: a media group is charged by character; a medical equipment customer is charged by target word and two food producers are charged a fixed rate per label. Since I started translating things have changed a lot: in the beginning I charged by page, then by line, some years ago I moved to by word and now I prefer charging a flat rate per project. I always charge editing per hour (take it or leave it!).
| | | | Jianrong Sun 
China
Local time: 00:01
Member (2019)
English to Chinese
+ ...
| My practice/ Translation community practice | Jul 19, 2021 |
For EnglishChinese translations where the word count of the source document can be accurately calculated (identifiable/editable documents), it is generally charged by the word count of the source document.
For EnglishChinese translations where the word count of the source document cannot be accurately calculated (non-identifiable/non-editable picture, such as Chinese to English translation of various certificates), it is generally charged by the word count of the target document (En... See more For EnglishChinese translations where the word count of the source document can be accurately calculated (identifiable/editable documents), it is generally charged by the word count of the source document.
For EnglishChinese translations where the word count of the source document cannot be accurately calculated (non-identifiable/non-editable picture, such as Chinese to English translation of various certificates), it is generally charged by the word count of the target document (English) or by the number of pages. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | What Makes More Sense To Me... | Jul 19, 2021 |
...is for the translator, once she or she has proofread and edited the translation, to actually charge by the target word, instead of by the source word. After all, isn't the former what the translator actually produces? Isn't that what could be called the end product, i.e., what is actually sold to someone else?
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| On the contrary | Jul 19, 2021 |
Barbara Cochran, MFA wrote:
...is for the translator, once she or she has proofread and edited the translation, to actually charge by the target word, instead of by the source word. After all, isn't the former what the translator actually produces? Isn't that what could be called the end product, i.e., what is actually sold to someone else?
For me, it is the number of words there are in the source, irrespective of how many these will translate in the target. After all, you are still translating them all, whether that means more or less words in the target then.
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 13:01
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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Translations are calculated by the source text. Revisions, by the target text.
But "when CAT tools are required" is funny. If the client doesn't require the use of a CAT tool, will you not use one? Are you kidding? I use my CAT even to transalte a business card.
[Edited at 2021-07-19 23:52 GMT]
[Edited at 2021-07-20 14:06 GMT]
| | | | | CAT tools vs human translations | Jul 28, 2021 |
Mario Freitas wrote:
If the client doesn't require the use of a CAT tool, will you not use one?
[Edited at 2021-07-19 23:52 GMT]
[Edited at 2021-07-20 14:06 GMT]
Mário, here in Europe, translations that require CAT tools are paid less than those with good old 100% human translations – matches etc. (I was in house for years in 2 different agencies, both had 2 separate sets of translators for their main languages, one for each). I suspect they would not be happy to learn that they expected a human translation from you and gave you appropriate longer time to do it, and later found out you just did it the cheap way.
| | | | | How to Do Translations 101 | Jul 28, 2021 |
Antonio Tomás Lessa do Amaral wrote: Mario Freitas wrote:
If the client doesn't require the use of a CAT tool, will you not use one?
[Edited at 2021-07-19 23:52 GMT]
[Edited at 2021-07-20 14:06 GMT] Mário, here in Europe, translations that require CAT tools are paid less than those with good old 100% human translations – matches etc. (I was in house for years in 2 different agencies, both had 2 separate sets of translators for their main languages, one for each). I suspect they would not be happy to learn that they expected a human translation from you and gave you appropriate longer time to do it, and later found out you just did it the cheap way.
Well, here in the US, and in Europe before I moved here, I charge(d) for my translations irrespective of how I arrived at them.
It's the quality of the end product that counts.
And another thing: That poll title almost sounds like without CAT tools, you couldn't possibly calculate your price. You're helpless.
Or, that CAT tools are usually required and that prices are being calculated based on some fuzzy word counting scheme the translation agency employs.
Don't submit to fuzzy word counts if you want to be a professional.
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| Charge by the hour | Jul 28, 2021 |
Mario Freitas wrote:
Translations are calculated by the source text. Revisions, by the target text.
But "when CAT tools are required" is funny. If the client doesn't require the use of a CAT tool, will you not use one? Are you kidding? I use my CAT even to transalte a business card.
[Edited at 2021-07-19 23:52 GMT]
[Edited at 2021-07-20 14:06 GMT]
Why charge revisions by the target text? You mean proofreading without reading the original?
I don't ever do that.
Charge by the hour. And don't be cheap.
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[quote]Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
I charge(d) for my translations irrespective of how I arrived at them.
It's the quality of the end product that counts.
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Or, that CAT tools are usually required and that prices are being calculated based on some fuzzy word counting scheme the translation agency employs.
Don't submit to fuzzy word counts if you want to be a professional.
These agencies I worked inhouse had different: rates, turn-around times and quality expectancy depending on (known) usage of Cat tools or not
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