A numbers game...
Aug. 31st, 2001 10:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alexpgpTranslators prosper - or not - based on word count, at least here in the U.S. In other countries (Germany comes to mind here), translators charge by the character. Overall, it's a terrible way to figure out how much to get paid for your services, especially if you hold yourself out to be a professional. Can you imagine any other professional charging essentially piece-work rates?
On the other hand, the word count works as a measure of how much work you've done... at least on a macro level. And trying to inflate one's payment with prolixity doesn't work, at least not if you want to have repeat customers.
The important thing is that today, I translated more words in my current project than I did yesterday. Both days were chock full of interruptions, including longish stints at the store (openings and visits during the day) and a couple of trips here and there and downtown to finally do things that could not be put off any longer.
I took advantage of the library's downtown location to drop in. I was surprised to find not one of the Jane's references in its inventory. And the one reference they did have on military aircraft was, um, rather deficient in its scope. Frankly, I've done much better doing research for my project on the Internet. On the other hand, they had a nice selection of paperbacks for sale, so I'm set for airplane reading.
Tomorrow will undoubtedly be killed largely by an effort to get ready to go to Houston, so I don't expect to get much translation done. If my ears do not deceive me, the washing machine (formerly of Houston) is churning away as I type, cleaning the clothes I will wear in the next few days. I need to pack this computer, a couple of dictionaries (for once, my disk-based dictionaries are falling short), and the usual stuff (camera, pens, badge, headset, etc.)
I didn't start today's stint on the project until almost 4 pm this afternoon, and took a couple of hours off for dinner and other activities, so I've been at it for about 4 hours. It makes me think that, if I'd applied myself these past two days, I'd be more than halfway though. Then again, that's a joke... much of the 'other' stuff I had to do, I had to do! I'll be putting this particular nose to that particular grindstone again on Sunday, and for more than 4 hours, I hope. After that, I'll have to fit the rest of the project into whatever time I have outside of my air-to-ground simo assignment.
I'm most certainly babbling. I need rest. Up and at 'em again, tomorrow morning.
Cheers...
On the other hand, the word count works as a measure of how much work you've done... at least on a macro level. And trying to inflate one's payment with prolixity doesn't work, at least not if you want to have repeat customers.
The important thing is that today, I translated more words in my current project than I did yesterday. Both days were chock full of interruptions, including longish stints at the store (openings and visits during the day) and a couple of trips here and there and downtown to finally do things that could not be put off any longer.
I took advantage of the library's downtown location to drop in. I was surprised to find not one of the Jane's references in its inventory. And the one reference they did have on military aircraft was, um, rather deficient in its scope. Frankly, I've done much better doing research for my project on the Internet. On the other hand, they had a nice selection of paperbacks for sale, so I'm set for airplane reading.
Tomorrow will undoubtedly be killed largely by an effort to get ready to go to Houston, so I don't expect to get much translation done. If my ears do not deceive me, the washing machine (formerly of Houston) is churning away as I type, cleaning the clothes I will wear in the next few days. I need to pack this computer, a couple of dictionaries (for once, my disk-based dictionaries are falling short), and the usual stuff (camera, pens, badge, headset, etc.)
I didn't start today's stint on the project until almost 4 pm this afternoon, and took a couple of hours off for dinner and other activities, so I've been at it for about 4 hours. It makes me think that, if I'd applied myself these past two days, I'd be more than halfway though. Then again, that's a joke... much of the 'other' stuff I had to do, I had to do! I'll be putting this particular nose to that particular grindstone again on Sunday, and for more than 4 hours, I hope. After that, I'll have to fit the rest of the project into whatever time I have outside of my air-to-ground simo assignment.
I'm most certainly babbling. I need rest. Up and at 'em again, tomorrow morning.
Cheers...
