Published 2010-09-16

Should translators buy work? The Lionbridge example

Some of the developments on today’s translation markets are devilishly hard to interpret. Companies that claim to put quality first scramble to position themselves on the low end of the market, where no one should want to be. Others proudly flaunt their numerous quality certificates while fending off complaints from unsatisfied customers. And some national markets have seen self-proclaimed translator certification companies emerge overnight, all too eager to sell certificates of questionable credibility. In others, employers have been known to demand new collective bargaining agreements with one hand while organizing workshops on how to prevent company unionization with the other.

Against a backdrop where things aren’t what they are claimed to be, some intermediaries have dreamt up a new source of revenue: charging their suppliers a fee for the privilege of working. Under one pretext or another, certain companies are asking their free-lance translators to pay to appear in their corporate databases. Is Lionbridge on this track? On the occasion of the International Day of Translation, Asetrad, in conjunction with the undersigned associations of translators, editors and interpreters, is organizing a seminar to address this issue.

Date: September 30, 2010
Time: 19.00-21.30
Place: Sala Monedero, Tr. Andrés Mellado (semi-esq. Guzmán el Bueno, 55), 28015 Madrid

Admission will be free of charge.

The seminar will be moderated by Alicia Martorell, translator and translation professor. The speakers will be Margaret Clark, president of Asetrad, Emilio Abraham and Maximino Álvarez, translators, and a Lionbridge representative (to be confirmed).

Participating associations:

Asociación Aragonesa de Traductores (ASATI),
Asociación Galega de Profesionais de Tradución e da Interpretación (AGPTI),
International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters (IAPTI),
Associació Professional de Traductors i Intèrprets de Catalunya (APTIC),
ACE Traductores (ACETT),
La Unión de Correctores (UniCo)

http://www.asetrad.org/index.asp?op=13&detalle=65