| Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | Poll: What is your worst translation-related nightmare? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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It was when I had to turn down a literary project offered by an author that I really liked working with in the past, and who has gone out of his way to recommend my services, in one or more ways, because I was in the middle of another book translation. I also feel bad when I have to turn down, for the same or another reason, others I have worked for in the larger arena of the industry, and who have personally promoted my career in more than one way. I would rather work for them, more than for a... See more It was when I had to turn down a literary project offered by an author that I really liked working with in the past, and who has gone out of his way to recommend my services, in one or more ways, because I was in the middle of another book translation. I also feel bad when I have to turn down, for the same or another reason, others I have worked for in the larger arena of the industry, and who have personally promoted my career in more than one way. I would rather work for them, more than for any agency or PM who thinks of me as just another name in a translator database.
[Edited at 2022-04-12 22:58 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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No Internet connection or even worse a general power cut.
| | | | danya
Local time: 11:52
English to Russian
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| a personal hell for everyone | Apr 12, 2022 |
As an interpreter, my worst nightmare would be when you hear (for the first time, so you're unprepared) the person you are supposed to interpret there and then and realise that you do not understand a _word_. I experienced this once with a fast-spoken Scotchman, it was a total fiasco and a walk of shame for me.
As a translator, the most dreaded situation is when you have not saved the document you translated (or a large chunk of your work) and close the file (unintentionally, e.g.,... See more As an interpreter, my worst nightmare would be when you hear (for the first time, so you're unprepared) the person you are supposed to interpret there and then and realise that you do not understand a _word_. I experienced this once with a fast-spoken Scotchman, it was a total fiasco and a walk of shame for me.
As a translator, the most dreaded situation is when you have not saved the document you translated (or a large chunk of your work) and close the file (unintentionally, e.g., with an awkward pressing of hot keys) or your computer crashes. Even in my third decade of translating, sometimes I find myself working in an unsaved file and rush to click the Save icon and wipe my brow of cold sweat after that: "Whew, that was close!" ▲ Collapse
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| Delivering a confidential file to the wrong client | Apr 12, 2022 |
I have never done it, but before I send a file anywhere, I check and double check that it is the right file!
On several occasions I have sent the source file, or a file from an earlier job for the same client, but AFAIK I have never sent translations to the wrong client. I have sent the wrong invoice at least once, would you believe! 
Some of my jobs go straight on the Internet when I have fini... See more I have never done it, but before I send a file anywhere, I check and double check that it is the right file!
On several occasions I have sent the source file, or a file from an earlier job for the same client, but AFAIK I have never sent translations to the wrong client. I have sent the wrong invoice at least once, would you believe!
Some of my jobs go straight on the Internet when I have finished them, but others are highly confidential, and it is, of course unprofessional and unethical to let others see them. (Not to mention any NDAs calling down fire and brimstone, the wrath of lawyers and powerful litigation on me!) ▲ Collapse
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 09:52
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
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| Other, beyond a power cut | Apr 12, 2022 |
To forget the delivery of a large translation project, which fortunately has never happened until now and which I hope will never happen!
[Edited at 2022-04-12 09:10 GMT]
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:52
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| My nightmare | Apr 12, 2022 |
My nightmare was translating a very long and complicated architecture book. The author was G.B., a fellow-architect with whom I had worked on various projects.
The translation took a very long time.
When I had finished it G.B. said he liked it very much - in fact he liked the English translation better than his own Italian original, and he began rewriting the whole book.
Then I had to translate it again.
I hope this never happens again. It was... See more My nightmare was translating a very long and complicated architecture book. The author was G.B., a fellow-architect with whom I had worked on various projects.
The translation took a very long time.
When I had finished it G.B. said he liked it very much - in fact he liked the English translation better than his own Italian original, and he began rewriting the whole book.
Then I had to translate it again.
I hope this never happens again. It was a dreadful experience- and I was only paid for the first translation. Fortunately or unfortunately G.B. passed away some months ago. I hope he isn't waiting for me in Purgatory with a new rewrite of his book.
[Edited at 2022-04-12 12:49 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Worst nightmare | Apr 12, 2022 |
When working as a simultaneous interpreter in Helsinki at the world meeting of laminate producers partecipants started insulting each other at the end of the meeting.
[Edited at 2022-04-12 13:10 GMT]
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:52
Member (2008)
Italian to English
"the world meeting of laminate producers" - must have been quite an event.
Not.
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Tom in London wrote:
"the world meeting of laminate producers" - must have been quite an event.
Not.
| | | | Robert Forstag 
United States
Local time: 04:52
Spanish to English
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| Real-life nightmares | Apr 12, 2022 |
In no particular order:
-- Unable to deliver translation on time because of no/faulty internet connection.
--Lost several hours of work because of failure to save.
--Abrupt cessation of contact by clients who had been sources of steady work.
--Realizing shortly into an extensive project I'd committed to that I found it both extremely difficult and numbingly uninteresting.
--Discovering only after completing a long project... See more In no particular order:
-- Unable to deliver translation on time because of no/faulty internet connection.
--Lost several hours of work because of failure to save.
--Abrupt cessation of contact by clients who had been sources of steady work.
--Realizing shortly into an extensive project I'd committed to that I found it both extremely difficult and numbingly uninteresting.
--Discovering only after completing a long project that the client I had done the work for was a notorious non-payer and late payer.
-Having painstakingly negotiated a collaboration on a project that was to take several days, being told an hour or so in that the project was cancelled.
--Being totally exhausted after working on a rush job for 6-8 hours as the clock strikes midnight - and realizing that I still have another few hours of translating to do.
--Having to spend hours defending my translation in multiple emails and Skype messages in the face of a torrent of illegitimate criticism on the part of a "proofreader" when the project manager did not know the source language.
[Edited at 2022-04-13 16:39 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | MollyRose
United States
Local time: 03:52
English to Spanish
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| conference interpreting | Apr 12, 2022 |
They were doing a slide presentation, and the person I had communicated with agreed that the speakers would say a sentence or so, give me time to interpret, and continue.
But what really happened was: The speaker said a whole lot of things that were not written on the slide, and every time I opened my mouth to interpret, she just kept on speaking, even when words started coming out of my mouth fairly loudly. I tried to get her attention by moving into her range of sight and usin... See more They were doing a slide presentation, and the person I had communicated with agreed that the speakers would say a sentence or so, give me time to interpret, and continue.
But what really happened was: The speaker said a whole lot of things that were not written on the slide, and every time I opened my mouth to interpret, she just kept on speaking, even when words started coming out of my mouth fairly loudly. I tried to get her attention by moving into her range of sight and using facial expressions, to no avail. So I had to wait silently until she was finished talking about the whole slide, and I couldn't remember ANYthing she said because I was so flustered. So I just told the audience that I didn't remember what she said but would just sight-translate the slide for them. This happened with every slide! Not only that, but the next speaker did the same thing. It was awful! I think they just wanted to get through it within a certain time limit and didn't care about the portion of the audience that didn't understand English. This was for a mixed audience of English- and Spanish-speaking parents at a school. ▲ Collapse
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Paul Dixon
Brazil
Local time: 05:52
Portuguese to English
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The market in Brazil is still very very bad. Few jobs and a lot of competition (due to unregulated market, people who just know a foreign language and lost their jobs elsewhere flood the translation market). The solution would of course be to regulate the market.
Worst nightmares would be: power cuts through lack of money, Internet cuts due to lack of money, bailiffs coming in to repossess the house or other assets.
| | | | Nikolay Novitskiy
Russian Federation
Local time: 13:52
Member (2018)
English to Russian
I drink tea when translating. I like it a so much, and... my very own worst translation nightmare was realizing that I ran out of my favourite Chinese tea blend. Right in the middle of a project! I had to go to shop and buy it, but it was late night and all the shops were closed.
I crossed the city on my bike to reach a distant Chinese shop. It was a cold winter night, and it snowed, and packs of wild dogs were hunting on occasional bypassers.
They sold me that tea blen... See more I drink tea when translating. I like it a so much, and... my very own worst translation nightmare was realizing that I ran out of my favourite Chinese tea blend. Right in the middle of a project! I had to go to shop and buy it, but it was late night and all the shops were closed.
I crossed the city on my bike to reach a distant Chinese shop. It was a cold winter night, and it snowed, and packs of wild dogs were hunting on occasional bypassers.
They sold me that tea blend, and I had a long journey home ahead. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 10:52
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
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Translating a very technical text --> realizing you need an extra day to finish the thing --> informing the client you need an extra day --> being very relieved the client grants you that extra day without further consequences
Then realizing you need another extra day.
Happened to me a couple of times in the past. Nightmare.
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