I wonder if it happens in any profession. I wonder if we, translators, are the only ones. My point is how sad and upsetting it is to be taken for granted in this serious, painstaking and yet unfairly paid work we do.

It has always happened, but I feared this would become “a rule” someday, and it did. Clients are now expecting more, in much less time, and at even lower rates. If you don’t do it, someone else will, they say. You know what’s even worse? They eventually get it, regardless of consequences.

I’m sick of all the Whitney Houston impersonating translators who say “It’s not right, but it’s okay. I’m gonna make it anyway.” If it’s not right, it should not be okay, and it should not be done. Geez… I felt like writing the “F” word here!

That what we do is not easy and effortless as many people think. Quoting Alexander Pope, “to err is human, to forgive divine.”, but we are regarded as an exception to that. If a client will never forgive us for a minor, rush-led error, shouldn’t we charge accordingly?

Betty Writght used to be right when she sang “no pain, no gain”. Now I still feel the pain, but where the “f” is the gain?

This is not an expression of my personal beliefs, but just a report of what I have seen happen. How much do you agree with all of this? Leave your thoughts.