| Stran v tématu: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you prefer working alone or collaborating with other translators? Autor vlákna: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you prefer working alone or collaborating with other translators?".
View the poll results »
| | | | Lieven Malaise 
Belgie
Local time: 14:52
Člen (2020)
francouzština -> nizozemština
+ ...
I actually can't think of one single reason, as a freelancer, why on earth I would want to collaborate with other translators. The party that would mainly profit from this collaboration is the one that isn't or is less capable of finding and keeping their own customers.
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I prefer working alone but, over the years, I have established good relationships with some colleagues I trust, and occasionally I ask for their terminological advice or for a complete proofreading and I do the same for them. We have also collaborated in the translation of very long projects. So far, it has been a very fruitful, enjoyable, and successful collaboration.
| | | | Kay Denney
Francie
Local time: 14:52
francouzština -> angličtina
I like how working alone means I do it when I want.
But I do also like working with other translators.
And no, Lieven, it's not just a matter of the one that's less talented at finding customers being able to benefit.
Both can benefit, provided you don't take the attitude that everything you do is perfect.
I've always found that I can learn a lot from others, even when the other was an intern and me an experienced in-house translator who knows the client very w... See more I like how working alone means I do it when I want.
But I do also like working with other translators.
And no, Lieven, it's not just a matter of the one that's less talented at finding customers being able to benefit.
Both can benefit, provided you don't take the attitude that everything you do is perfect.
I've always found that I can learn a lot from others, even when the other was an intern and me an experienced in-house translator who knows the client very well.
I especially learned to only criticise if I could back it up objectively. ▲ Collapse
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Vera Schoen
Švédsko
Local time: 14:52
němčina -> švédština
+ ...
| Alone, but... | Feb 25, 2025 |
I prefer working alone and in almost all cases I would agree with Lieven.
However, I translated all the material (catalogue, audio guide etc) for an exhibition together with a very capable translator and even if it's almost 20 years ago, I still remember this as one of the most fun assignments I've ever had. There was no way a single translator could have managed the lot within the time frame and we read each other’s texts every evening to make sure no one could tell our texts apart (who... See more I prefer working alone and in almost all cases I would agree with Lieven.
However, I translated all the material (catalogue, audio guide etc) for an exhibition together with a very capable translator and even if it's almost 20 years ago, I still remember this as one of the most fun assignments I've ever had. There was no way a single translator could have managed the lot within the time frame and we read each other’s texts every evening to make sure no one could tell our texts apart (who did what). What made ist so much fun was that we were both very open for suggestions and improvements - and had some very good laughs as well. ▲ Collapse
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Kay Denney wrote:
I like how working alone means I do it when I want.
But I do also like working with other translators.
And no, Lieven, it's not just a matter of the one that's less talented at finding customers being able to benefit.
Both can benefit, provided you don't take the attitude that everything you do is perfect.
I've always found that I can learn a lot from others, even when the other was an intern and me an experienced in-house translator who knows the client very well.
I especially learned to only criticise if I could back it up objectively.
Well said, indeed. The day I stop learning is the day I take down my shingle.
"When I walk along with two others, they may serve me as my teachers. I will select their good qualities and follow them, and the bad qualities and avoid them."
Confucius
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugalsko
Local time: 13:52
angličtina -> portugalština
+ ...
I prefer to work alone, but experience tells me that working with professionals from other areas is a great learning and collaboration experience.
I've had the privilege of working with colleagues from the medical, automotive and legal fields and we've all learnt.
A linguist and a technician together can do a splendid job!
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugalsko
Local time: 13:52
angličtina -> portugalština
+ ...
| We would need to define "collaborating with other translators" | Feb 25, 2025 |
Lieven Malaise wrote:
I actually can't think of one single reason, as a freelancer, why on earth I would want to collaborate with other translators.
I don't know exactly the meaning of "collaborating" behind this poll, but in my case I've actually worked/work on several projects where collaboration with other translators was/is essential.
Some projects require translations into multiple languages, and coordination ensures consistency across versions.
Plus, working with others can help with terminology alignment, workload management, and even improving quality through peer review.
So, there are definitely good reasons if "collaborating with other translators" means this.
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Lieven Malaise
Belgie
Local time: 14:52
Člen (2020)
francouzština -> nizozemština
+ ...
Kay Denney wrote:
And no, Lieven, it's not just a matter of the one that's less talented at finding customers being able to benefit.
I didn't mean to imply that this would be the only matter.
But I believe that you would need a certain balance. I think most of us would agree that translation is a continuous learning process, resulting in the fact that starting translators are basically only half as good as seasoned ones (only talking about unexperienced and experienced translators that are taking their job, talent and business seriously, so you can already forget about half of the world's tranlators' population). This would make a collaboration between an unexperienced translator and a seasoned one hardly beneficial for the seasoned translator.
But of course everybody is free to do as they please. I wouldn't dream of putting the burden upon my shoulders of starting to collaborate with other translators, not even with more experienced ones than me. Human translation editing is already a form of collaboration and I hate it intensely because of the horrible quality approach of way too many colleagues (not talking about complex translation issues, but about simple things like not even bothering to use a spellchecker).
| | | | Ikram Mahyuddin
Indonésie
Local time: 19:52
angličtina -> indonéština
+ ...
| Collaborating | Feb 25, 2025 |
Collaborating gives me another way to interact with other translators and to strengthen friendship among translators, but i seldom have the opportunity.
| | | | Denis Fesik
Local time: 15:52
angličtina -> ruština
+ ...
| Extra tiring | Feb 25, 2025 |
Every single time I had to collaborate with others on a project (which didn't happen often, maybe about a couple dozen instances in total), I was the only person who kept dropping translation ideas into the group chat to share them with others. Others would just ask questions or accept whatever I typed in. It's always done through a chat, btw. Is it even possible today to bring all the collaborators into the same room? Anyway, being the only contributor makes me tired, so I prefer to work alone.... See more Every single time I had to collaborate with others on a project (which didn't happen often, maybe about a couple dozen instances in total), I was the only person who kept dropping translation ideas into the group chat to share them with others. Others would just ask questions or accept whatever I typed in. It's always done through a chat, btw. Is it even possible today to bring all the collaborators into the same room? Anyway, being the only contributor makes me tired, so I prefer to work alone. Sharing ideas directly through an online TM is, of course, a viable option if everything is working smoothly. In my case, all shared TM experiences have been a nuisance because of how things work online, how updates get saved, how long you have to wait for certain actions to complete, and how the online workspace behaves in general. I work fast, and anything that gets in the way of fast workflow pisses me off. It would be good to find myself among proz from whom I could learn, but again: is such a gathering even possible with the way our market is set up? ▲ Collapse
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugalsko
Local time: 13:52
angličtina -> portugalština
+ ...
| I have to agree on that | Feb 25, 2025 |
Lieven Malaise wrote:
(only talking about unexperienced and experienced translators that are taking their job, talent and business seriously, so you can already forget about half of the world's translators' population).
horrible quality approach of way too many colleagues (not talking about complex translation issues, but about simple things like not even bothering to use a spellchecker).
Yes, I have to agree on that.
Sometimes I think this is much worse than the threat of AI!
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Kay Denney
Francie
Local time: 14:52
francouzština -> angličtina
Lieven Malaise wrote:
starting translators are basically only half as good as seasoned ones ... This would make a collaboration between an unexperienced translator and a seasoned one hardly beneficial for the seasoned translator.
And yet I managed to learn plenty from my interns. They probably learned more from me, but sometimes their fresh look pointed them in a direction I hadn't thought of. Sometimes they'd be aware of new expresssions and buzzwords and would help to freshen up my style. If we're working on a text about rap music, they are more likely to be able to think up examples of English-language songs or artists to be cited instead of the French ones the native English speaking readership wouldn't know of.
And even without all that, it's beneficial for the soul to help youngsters starting out.
| | | | Dan Lucas
Velká Británie
Local time: 13:52
Člen (2014)
japonština -> angličtina
expressisverbis wrote:
Sometimes I think this is much worse than the threat of AI!
It is probably the (kind of) people who don't run their text through a spellchecker who are actually threatened by AI.
Dan
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosna a Hercegovina
Local time: 14:52
angličtina -> francouzština
+ ...
| I will quote my friend | Feb 26, 2025 |
I will quote my friend, who is a senior graphic designer: “The team work is great if you have great people in the team.”
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