Poll: Have you ever translated for free, or volunteered in a no-fee translation project?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Sep 15, 2009

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you ever translated for free, or volunteered in a no-fee translation project?".

This poll was originally submitted by Ziad Alghamdi

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time
... See more
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you ever translated for free, or volunteered in a no-fee translation project?".

This poll was originally submitted by Ziad Alghamdi

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629
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Oleksandr Kupriyanchuk
Oleksandr Kupriyanchuk  Identity Verified
United States
Member (2009)
Russian to English
+ ...
Volunteered and translated for free. 100's of times Sep 15, 2009

I volunteered and translated/interpreted for free in the UK for many compatriots,
in Ukraine and Russia -- for scientists, engineers, "exchange" professionals and students. Sometimes - for expats and tourists.

I translated even research papers, dissertations, patents, and business documents for free - especially in the times of severe crisis in Ukraine, when the inflation rate was a five-digit figure.

Sometimes doing free work is just as enjoyable as receiving a
... See more
I volunteered and translated/interpreted for free in the UK for many compatriots,
in Ukraine and Russia -- for scientists, engineers, "exchange" professionals and students. Sometimes - for expats and tourists.

I translated even research papers, dissertations, patents, and business documents for free - especially in the times of severe crisis in Ukraine, when the inflation rate was a five-digit figure.

Sometimes doing free work is just as enjoyable as receiving a good fee. Agree?

On the other hand, there is a lady and a company who owe us money, and naturally we want to recover that (and we will), because we did not do their work for free.

[Edited at 2009-09-15 14:41 GMT]

[Edited at 2009-09-15 14:51 GMT]

[Edited at 2009-09-15 15:03 GMT]

[Edited at 2009-09-15 15:09 GMT]
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Christina Bergmann
Christina Bergmann
Germany
Local time: 03:42
English to German
+ ...
Yes Sep 15, 2009

Translated the website of a handicapped 6-year old boy called Noah from German into English.

The English version should be up shortly.

Until then all German-speaking people interested in Noah's story can visit his website at
www.noahs-delfine.de



[Bearbeitet am 2009-09-15 12:27 GMT]


 
Cristina Heraud-van Tol
Cristina Heraud-van Tol  Identity Verified
Peru
Local time: 21:42
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Yes Sep 15, 2009

The website of the Lady of all Nations into Spanish -> http://www.de-vrouwe.net

 
Andrea Brumma
Andrea Brumma
Spain
Local time: 03:42
English to German
+ ...
Translations for orphaned parents Sep 15, 2009

I offer translations of memorial websites and similar from parents who have lost their children during early or late pregnancy or after birth due to an illness or accident. It is a very moving experience; the texts are so full of love. It is wonderful to see that couples who had children with fatal diseases like anencephaly have the force to write about their experience and support other parents with the same fate. Although I offer those translations for free, many people insisted on paying me a... See more
I offer translations of memorial websites and similar from parents who have lost their children during early or late pregnancy or after birth due to an illness or accident. It is a very moving experience; the texts are so full of love. It is wonderful to see that couples who had children with fatal diseases like anencephaly have the force to write about their experience and support other parents with the same fate. Although I offer those translations for free, many people insisted on paying me at least a small amount for my time and the delicacy with which I handled the texts about their beloved children. I receive an unbelievable (sad) amount of requests per year and I am not sure if I will be able to handle all requests myself in the future, but I’ll try to help where I can and I have a colleague who helps me out where needed.Collapse


 
Paola Prodan
Paola Prodan  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 23:42
English to Spanish
+ ...
Yes! Sep 15, 2009

I translated the CVs of all my friends for free and also some medical docs. for the mother of a friend of mine and some brochures for a non-profit organization.

Oh! and a lot of docs. for my husband (I think I should charge him from now on...)

Happy translating!
Paola


 
Francesca Grandinetti
Francesca Grandinetti
Italy
Local time: 03:42
Member (Dec 2024)
German to Italian
+ ...
Indymedia Sep 15, 2009

Yes, used to give some free help for translations on Indymedia, a few years ago

 
Simon Cole
Simon Cole  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:42
Member (2008)
French to English
Oh yes Sep 15, 2009

When you ask "for free", I presume you mean knowingly free.
Yes, I did site for someone who was starting a business making realistic dolls of babies for people who want to remember their children as newborns.

Of course I have also done "tests" for organisations such as Human Rights Organisation, who farm out 400 word sections to translators as tests and then presumably compile them all together to make a finished document.

As opposed to "unknowingly free" - 10k
... See more
When you ask "for free", I presume you mean knowingly free.
Yes, I did site for someone who was starting a business making realistic dolls of babies for people who want to remember their children as newborns.

Of course I have also done "tests" for organisations such as Human Rights Organisation, who farm out 400 word sections to translators as tests and then presumably compile them all together to make a finished document.

As opposed to "unknowingly free" - 10k euros of work for an agency group that went broke through bad management and I never got paid.
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Gianluca Marras
Gianluca Marras  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 03:42
English to Italian
for friends Sep 15, 2009

I have sometimes, for friends, or colleagues who had problems with deadlines.
not in big projects, as I have never been asked to do it


 
Andres Larsen
Andres Larsen
Venezuela
Local time: 22:42
Spanish to English
+ ...
I translated for Rotary without charging Sep 15, 2009

As a former member of Rotary (1995-2003) I translated two concurrent projects for free during 2002. The first involved a donation from the Wheelchair Foundation (www.wheelchairfoundation.org) in California, of a container with 200 wheelchairs manufactured in China. The second a cochlear implant in a geology student who had been totally deaf since the age of 4 because of meningitis. The Alabama Ear Ins... See more
As a former member of Rotary (1995-2003) I translated two concurrent projects for free during 2002. The first involved a donation from the Wheelchair Foundation (www.wheelchairfoundation.org) in California, of a container with 200 wheelchairs manufactured in China. The second a cochlear implant in a geology student who had been totally deaf since the age of 4 because of meningitis. The Alabama Ear Institute (www.alabamaearinstitute.org) performed this implant surgery and donated this implanted hearing device free of charge.Collapse


 
Frances Leggett
Frances Leggett  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:42
Italian to English
+ ...
yes for friends Sep 15, 2009

I often translate CVs or letters and do proofchecking for friends for free.

I also did a big job 14 months ago for a company and am still waiting for payment from that company, needless to say that translation was not for free although I think the clients would have liked it that way and legal proceedings are going ahead... slowly...


 
Valérie Catanzaro
Valérie Catanzaro  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 03:42
English to French
+ ...
Before being a freelancer... Sep 15, 2009

I did some free translations for Freelang.com mainly from English and Italian to French,
and others from Japanese to French about music for a J-music website.

It was very interesting. =)


 
Muriel Vasconcellos (X)
Muriel Vasconcellos (X)  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 18:42
Spanish to English
+ ...
For charities and for my husband Sep 16, 2009

I used to be more generous with my time than I am now.

My late husband was a prolific writer, and I have translated some of his writings for publication in English. In fact, I feel guilty that I haven't translated more, and until I assuage that guilt anything else takes a back seat.

[Edited at 2009-09-16 03:24 GMT]


 


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Poll: Have you ever translated for free, or volunteered in a no-fee translation project?






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