Desperately need help with translation

mademoiselle_r · 22-06-2015 4:43pm #1

Hi,
my colleague did me a favour and in return she asked me to translate some irish for her. i thought it would be easy because I know some Irish, but it turns out it is a 9000 word document on safety precautions.

Can anyone help or does anyone know where I can find help? I have to have it done by wednesday noon and I don't know what to do.

It's important that I do it because I'm looking for a raise.

stephenl15 · 22-06-2015 4:46pm

mademoiselle_r wrote: »

Hi,
my colleague did me a favour and in return she asked me to translate some irish for her. i thought it would be easy because I know some Irish, but it turns out it is a 9000 word document on safety precautions.

Can anyone help or does anyone know where I can find help? I have to have it done by wednesday noon and I don't know what to do.

It's important that I do it because I'm looking for a raise.

Why would you say you can do something before actually knowing what exactly it is. And to think you could translate a little bit because you know some Irish? Did you expect to be able to do it?

9000 words to translate on top of your regular job by Wednesday seems a little absurd to me especially if you are not fluent so it seems very unreasonable on the part of your colleague also.

Just go back to her and explain that you didn't realise how much it was and that you are unable to do it.

mademoiselle_r · 22-06-2015 4:49pm

stephenl15 wrote: »

Why would you say you can do something before actually knowing what exactly it is. And to think you could translate a little bit because you know some Irish? Did you expect to be able to do it?

9000 words to translate on top of your regular job by Wednesday seems a little absurd to me especially if you are not fluent so it seems very unreasonable on the part of your colleague also.

Just go back to her and explain that you didn't realise how much it was and that you are unable to do it.

She's helped me in the past and I wanted to return the favour. She said it would be easy for me. If anyone is willing to help me I can send money by paypal.

stephenl15 · 22-06-2015 4:51pm

mademoiselle_r wrote: »

She's helped me in the past and I wanted to return the favour. She said it would be easy for me. If anyone is willing to help me I can send money by paypal.

Well clearly it's not. How can she just assume that. Just tell her that. Don't go wasting your money.

mademoiselle_r · 22-06-2015 4:53pm

stephenl15 wrote: »

Well clearly it's not. How can she just assume that. Just tell her that. Don't go wasting your money.

I suppose your right. I'm shy but I guess I'll have to WOman up and tell her I can't do it.

webpal · 22-06-2015 4:55pm

can you not use an online translation tool? e.g. google translate

Tefral · 22-06-2015 4:55pm

mademoiselle_r wrote: »

She's helped me in the past and I wanted to return the favour. She said it would be easy for me. If anyone is willing to help me I can send money by paypal.

Could you use google translate? The grammer would be a mess but if you went through it afterward and correct that yourself to what makes sense?

stephenl15 · 22-06-2015 4:55pm

mademoiselle_r wrote: »

I suppose your right. I'm shy but I guess I'll have to WOman up and tell her I can't do it.

Of course it's not my decision so do what you feel is best. Just offering my opinion but I do think it's very very unreasonable by your colleague to expect you to do that esp. without clarifying exactly what it was.

mademoiselle_r · 22-06-2015 4:57pm

cronin_j wrote: »

Could you use google translate? The grammer would be a mess but if you went through it afterward and correct that yourself to what makes sense?

That's what I'm thinking now. Wouldn't have to manually put in all the fadas either.

mademoiselle_r · 22-06-2015 4:59pm

stephenl15 wrote: »

Of course it's not my decision so do what you feel is best. Just offering my opinion but I do think it's very very unreasonable by your colleague to expect you to do that esp. without clarifying exactly what it was.

I think I'm going to use google translate and change around what I see is wrong, grammar wise and just tell her that that's what I've done and it's the best I can do. I haven't university level knowledge of Ireland. My languages are French and German.

Insect Overlord · 22-06-2015 5:01pm

Absolutely do NOT use Google Translate. I had to correct a number of 2000 word essays this spring that had been mangled by that tool. It is not worth the hassle.

Translating a document that big is not a "favour". Tell your contact to look for a professional service for a document like that. You'd need a full two days to translate it and proof-read it yourself, even if you were a confident Gaelgeoir.

mademoiselle_r · 22-06-2015 5:05pm

An File wrote: »

Absolutely do NOT use Google Translate. I had to correct a number of 2000 word essays this spring that had been mangled by that tool. It is not worth the hassle.

Translating a document that big is not a "favour". Tell your contact to look for a professional service for a document like that. You'd need a full two days to translate it and proof-read it yourself, even if you were a confident Gaelgeoir.

thanks that's what I'm thinking. I'll see what I can do. I got an A2 in HL LC but to write about safety is another thing.

nikkibikki · 22-06-2015 5:27pm

mademoiselle_r wrote:

That's what I'm thinking now. Wouldn't have to manually put in all the fadas either.

Do you mean going over what you typed with a pen, putting in the fadas that way?? FYI if you hold the Alt Gr key and press the letter you want to put a fada on, that'll do it for you.

9,000 words by Wednesday? Way too much. Stay well away from Google Translate.

Desperately need help with translation

Comments