| Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | Poll: Would you turn down a job offer because it is poorly written (grammar/spelling errors)? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Would you turn down a job offer because it is poorly written (grammar/spelling errors)?".
This poll was originally submitted by Hege Jakobsen Lepri. View the poll results »
| | | | Natalia Pedrosa
Spain
Local time: 18:22
Member (2012)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| I have replied yes but... | May 1, 2012 |
If it is about an editing job, that is actually your job, ain't it?
Regards to all.
Natalia
| | | | Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 18:22
English to French
+ ...
Such a challenge is part of the fun! I may make (a few) notes though
| | | | Thayenga 
Germany
Local time: 18:22
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Whether or not I would turn down a poorly written document depends on who has sent it and on the subject. If it's an interesting subject and both the price and the deadline are okay, I will accept it. Such a challenge is half the fun.
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 18:22
Spanish to English
+ ...
Maybe not proofing/revising, but a translation job, definitely, yes.
I generally have a good opinion of the quality of my work, and expect a similar degree of diligence from my clients.
I also quite enjoy the schadenfreude of pointing out poorly drafted texts, especially to certain "professionals" who I sometimes think need reminding of their condition as mere mortals. Like one yesterday who couldn't distinguish (in his own language) between a page trailer and the kind you hitch to... See more Maybe not proofing/revising, but a translation job, definitely, yes.
I generally have a good opinion of the quality of my work, and expect a similar degree of diligence from my clients.
I also quite enjoy the schadenfreude of pointing out poorly drafted texts, especially to certain "professionals" who I sometimes think need reminding of their condition as mere mortals. Like one yesterday who couldn't distinguish (in his own language) between a page trailer and the kind you hitch to a tractor ... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mary Worby
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:22
German to English
+ ...
Providing it was understandable, I'd happily take it on.
The ones I struggle with are those which are deliberately incorrect grammar. For example, I once translated a document without a single capital letter in it. I could not bring myself to recreate that in English and (with my agency client's approval) submitted a gramattically correct version. I figured it would be easy enough to get rid of the capitals if they really didn't want them there, but putting them in is far more diffi... See more Providing it was understandable, I'd happily take it on.
The ones I struggle with are those which are deliberately incorrect grammar. For example, I once translated a document without a single capital letter in it. I could not bring myself to recreate that in English and (with my agency client's approval) submitted a gramattically correct version. I figured it would be easy enough to get rid of the capitals if they really didn't want them there, but putting them in is far more difficult! ▲ Collapse
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I read the question as if "it" referred to the offer, not the job itself. Most of the posters here seem to have read it the other way.
I answered "other" meaning that if the offer was badly spelt, I wouldn't automatically reject the job but I would look a lot closer at the agency before accepting it.
If "it" refers to the source document, I think I would still have answered "other" as it would depend on just how bad it was. As long as it was comprehensible, I would prob... See more I read the question as if "it" referred to the offer, not the job itself. Most of the posters here seem to have read it the other way.
I answered "other" meaning that if the offer was badly spelt, I wouldn't automatically reject the job but I would look a lot closer at the agency before accepting it.
If "it" refers to the source document, I think I would still have answered "other" as it would depend on just how bad it was. As long as it was comprehensible, I would probably accept it. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ditte Duclert
Spain
Local time: 18:22
Member (2011)
English to Danish
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I'm too busy to mind read, and I have received some source documents that required just that... It depends on how bad it is, though.
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DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
| negotiating with the client | May 1, 2012 |
should explain most essential thing, then I would either accept the job and charge extra for guessing and/or correcting or just say goodbye--it depends on the client's attitude and willingness to work together.
| | | | Tim Drayton
Cyprus
Local time: 19:22
Turkish to English
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| No ... but ... | May 1, 2012 |
No, but in an ideal world we should be able to charge more for such work.
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 01:22
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
Vagueness and ambiguity are intrinsic parts of the Japanese language:
generally no subject, objects left out, can't tell whether an assumed object is subject or plural, etc., etc.
A lot of guesswork is involved.
Which means that, in the majority of cases, you can't tell who's doing what to whom. Even in a semiconductor functional specifications manual where everything is supposed to be crystal clear!  ... See more
| | | | Luca Tutino
Italy
Member (2002)
English to Italian
+ ...
Julian Holmes wrote: As the joke over here goes, most engineers choose sciences and engineering because they're useless at Japanese language and grammar. And these are the people writing manuals in the first place! 
I am afraid this is an almost universal truth in most technical fields and elsewhere.
I usually tell my clients at first, but they tend to ignore my warnings, keep sending updates in the same "style", and give me the impression that if I insist pointing out their flaws will risk loosing my source of income.
The worst case is when they also mix my translation with their own target language "in-house translations" consistent with their style, and then send the results back as "reference materials" or TM for the next update...
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Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 09:22
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
I like going on adventures with long-term and trustworthy clients. This weekend my favorite agency and I managed the translation and typesetting of three brochures because some new client guy spontaneously had to go to Europe to meet with a potential customer.
The source text wasn't even ready when I made the deal with my long-term agency. We got our adrenaline going. The source text was only a draft, was crawling with typos, sucked, no time to proofread. The translation was cool, the edi... See more I like going on adventures with long-term and trustworthy clients. This weekend my favorite agency and I managed the translation and typesetting of three brochures because some new client guy spontaneously had to go to Europe to meet with a potential customer.
The source text wasn't even ready when I made the deal with my long-term agency. We got our adrenaline going. The source text was only a draft, was crawling with typos, sucked, no time to proofread. The translation was cool, the editor was fast, the PM did one heck of a typesetting job, I did the final check - and we sent this guy off to Europe to meet his hopefully new friend somewhere in Berlin. With three gorgeous brochures.
I love my profession. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I did it last month | May 1, 2012 |
It was a very short text and I didn't really reject the translation but asked the "author" to correct it so that I could translate it. There was no problem, he undestood and sent me a decent text to translate.
| | | | | International Agency websites | May 1, 2012 |
It depends!
I am a bit wary of agencies whose websites are in poor English, or translatese.
What are their proofreaders going to do to my English texts?
Any experience?
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