Forums about proz.com » Poll Discussion »
Pages in topic:   < [1 2]
Poll: What do you do when you receive a message in a language you don't know?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Well... Mar 9, 2018

Kini iyọọda ti o ni. Kini ohun miiran ti iwọ yoo ṣe ṣugbọn lo Google Translate?
 
Samantha Payn
Samantha Payn  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:15
Member (2008)
Russian to English
+ ...
This. Mar 9, 2018

Thayenga wrote:

I don't reply simply because I wouldn't know what I might be replying to if I don't know the language at all. And then it goes straight to "File 13".


 
Henry Dotterer
Henry Dotterer
Local time: 18:15
SITE FOUNDER
Funny story! Mar 9, 2018

Diarmuid Kennan wrote:

I recently had a PM at a client write to me in French, which I don't speak.
I machine translated the e-mail (a request for a quote), and then machine translated my reply, providing a price/deadline.
The PM responded (in French), wishing to make sure that there was no misunderstanding: the translation should be to English, not French.
I responded, again in machine translation, that naturally I only translate to my native language, English.
The PM responded (in French) that that was fine, but they felt it necessary to confirm the language combination because my French was so good.
When I told them (once again in machine translation) that I have no French and was relying on Google Translate, I received a one word reply (in French), which this time I did actually understand: merde!

Thanks for sharing that one.
 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 19:15
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Reply in English Mar 9, 2018

I have received several messages in other languages, as the person automatically writes in their language without thinking much. The obvious solution is to try to understand as much as possible of the message (use GT if necessary), and reply properly in English, asking them to use English from then on.
The only language that every agency in the world supposedly speaks is English.
 
Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member for the following reason: Unedited since 10 days
Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member for the following reason: Original post removed long ago
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 15:15
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
This has not happened recently Mar 11, 2018

In the old days, before machine translation, I would delete them if I couldn't figure out the subject matter. But I never thought it was rude.

Even though we now have the advantage of online MT, I don't think I would go to the trouble of trying to figure it out. Like most people, I receive between 200 and 300 e-mails a day and it's all I can do to make sure I've seen the really important ones.
 
Pages in topic:   < [1 2]


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:

Moderator(s) of this forum
Jared Tabor[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Poll: What do you do when you receive a message in a language you don't know?






CafeTran Espresso
You've never met a CAT tool this clever!

Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer. Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools. Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free

Buy now! »
Trados Studio 2022 Freelance
The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.

Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

More info »