Poll: In extreme urgency, how many words can you translate in 24 hours? থ্রেড পোস্টার: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "In extreme urgency, how many words can you translate in 24 hours?".
This poll was originally submitted by Daniel Frisano. View the poll results »
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In over 40 years I never had an extreme urgency!
| | | | Gregor Trebec
স্লোভেনিয়া
Local time: 12:54
ইংরেজি থেকে স্লোভেনিয়ান
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I very probably wouldn't accept a job like this. Nothing comes out decent in the last minute.
| | | | Danielle Coleman 
যুক্তরাজ্য
Local time: 11:54
2020 থেকে সদস্য
ফেঞ্চ/ফরাসি থেকে ইংরেজি
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It all depends ... is it a routine document with many repetitions? Or is it technical or legal, involving a lot of research and tracking down references? Is it a continuation of something else I have translated previously, where I am familiar with the context and terminology? Is extremely precise translation required, or just the 'gist'? If the latter, I wouldn't take the job, as that type of translation doesn't interest me.
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| I know it's often a lame response, but "It depends" | Jan 9 |
The answer depends A LOT on the nature of the text to be translated
Does it have a lot of repetitions? Is it, generally, literal, journalistic, straightforward, transparent language? If these answers are yes: 12,000?
Does it require extensive research? Is it poetic, subjective, highly specialized, nuanced, complex, confusing, poorly written, etc.: 3,000?
Will I take an extremely urgent job? Sure. Of course, if it falls more in the first category. Otherwise,... See more The answer depends A LOT on the nature of the text to be translated
Does it have a lot of repetitions? Is it, generally, literal, journalistic, straightforward, transparent language? If these answers are yes: 12,000?
Does it require extensive research? Is it poetic, subjective, highly specialized, nuanced, complex, confusing, poorly written, etc.: 3,000?
Will I take an extremely urgent job? Sure. Of course, if it falls more in the first category. Otherwise, it's simply impossible. I mean, I'll stay up all night, for the money ... but I won't promise something I can't deliver. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Text type and experience | Jan 9 |
To me, even 5000 words a day sounds an exaggerated number. But, I'm a beginner and don't have much experience in the field.
As other comments rightly addressed, the number of words that can be translated in just 24 depends a lot on the text type and, also, I dare say the experience of the translator.
But, again, I'm too naïve to judge this matter.
S
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For me, it really depends on the text type and quality expectations. In extreme urgency, around 5,000-6,000 words is manageable without compromising accuracy.
| | | | Thayenga
জার্মানি
Local time: 12:54
2009 থেকে সদস্য
ইংরেজি থেকে জার্মান
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...several factors, the field, my condition that day, whether there are any interruptions, how many times I might have to go back to check a certain sentence or word and, the most important one, I'm usually too busy working in order to finish the project in a timely manner. Consequently, there's no time to keep track of how many words I translate in 24 hours. And no, when I finish the translation I don't check how many words I did translate. ... See more ...several factors, the field, my condition that day, whether there are any interruptions, how many times I might have to go back to check a certain sentence or word and, the most important one, I'm usually too busy working in order to finish the project in a timely manner. Consequently, there's no time to keep track of how many words I translate in 24 hours. And no, when I finish the translation I don't check how many words I did translate.
[Edited at 2026-01-09 15:16 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Mario Chávez
যুক্তরাষ্ট্র
Local time: 06:54
ইংরেজি থেকে স্প্যানিশ
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| No such thing as extreme urgency | Jan 9 |
Let's consider the phrase “extreme urgency” for a moment or two. Terms like that, and “urgent“ or “rush or “ASAP” are intended to elicit an emotionally charged response. I work for a children's hospital. My colleague and I faced rush, urgent and ASAP translation requests (nothing like 5000 words!) during our first months on the job last year.
We decided to put a stop to it. How? Intrahospital translation requesters use an online form, which contains timeframe op... See more Let's consider the phrase “extreme urgency” for a moment or two. Terms like that, and “urgent“ or “rush or “ASAP” are intended to elicit an emotionally charged response. I work for a children's hospital. My colleague and I faced rush, urgent and ASAP translation requests (nothing like 5000 words!) during our first months on the job last year.
We decided to put a stop to it. How? Intrahospital translation requesters use an online form, which contains timeframe options. We had the rush, urgent, ASAP, and within 72 hour options removed. Pushback was very little. Now the most “urgent” requests involve 1 week. Further inquiries reveal that a requester is okay with a longer timeframe. It's all in the asking and the dialogue.
Human beings aren't machines and should reject any manipulations to behave like such. It's not a question of self worth, personal values, your own feelings or what have you. Let's be pragmatic: even the fastest-thinking interpreter can't speak faster than a certain number of words per minute to remain intelligible. Likewise, even the fastest-thinking translator can't think and type faster than a certain rate. Different translators perform at different, shall we say, speeds. We should respect that.
And we should demand others respect our own speed, period. We aren't slaves or machines.
Needless to say, the range of words in the original question is preposterous, but I've known colleagues who claim to translate 10,000-12,000 words a day. Yeah, well, not of a publish-ready nature, I'm certain.
MC ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Why can responders only openly agree or ignore? Shouldn't there also be a disagree option? | Jan 10 |
World crazy.
| | | | | Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member for the following reason: Daryo asked to delete | Daryo
Local time: 11:54
সার্বিয়ান থেকে ইংরেজি
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| About 30 'standard pages' of legalese | Jan 10 |
which would be about 30 x 1820 = 54600 characters or around 7-8K words. In the pre-PC pre-Web era, working in pair.
Of course that CAN NOT be done using 'normal' translation techniques. Even today.
It was a contract it took me about two weeks to translate the first time around - double checking every single term in legal paper dictionaries (yes, it was that long ago). That was done while I was working for that company.
Few months after I walked out o... See more which would be about 30 x 1820 = 54600 characters or around 7-8K words. In the pre-PC pre-Web era, working in pair.
Of course that CAN NOT be done using 'normal' translation techniques. Even today.
It was a contract it took me about two weeks to translate the first time around - double checking every single term in legal paper dictionaries (yes, it was that long ago). That was done while I was working for that company.
Few months after I walked out of that company I heard from other freelance translators about a company that needed a large contract translated ASAP - as in 'if you can do it overnight name your price' - and no one daring to take the offer.
Out of curiosity I asked to take a look at it - and lo and behold! - it was my 'old company' asking for the translation of that same contract! In fact a repeat contract with the same buyer for similar goods, but different prices and delivery schedule.
I paired with my 'partner in crime' at that time - and we DID translate the contract overnight. Carefully checking for (the very few) differences took us some time, the rest was used on simply retyping (on a mechanical typewriter) the old contract anew. And we of course 'named our price' - to be paid cash on delivery. The best joke was that I knew exactly in which drawer in which desk there was another copy of my first translation gathering dust waiting to be reused - but then if that company was organised enough to also know that, I wouldn't have walked out ...
In any other more usual circumstances 'No such thing as extreme urgency' would apply, as per previous post by Mario Chávez.
Last detail: if anyone is tempted to object that what we have done with that contract shouldn't count as 'translating' 30 standard pages in one night, then I would suggest taking first a good long look at what is labelled as 'translating' nowadays. ▲ Collapse
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I have no idea. Jobs that claim "extreme urgency" are automatically dismissed - I even used to have a filter on my email inbox that sent anything with "urgent" in the subject line directly to my spam folder.
[Edited to correct typo in subject line]
[Edited at 2026-01-10 06:44 GMT]
| | | | Samuel Murray
নেদারল্যান্ড
Local time: 12:54
2006 থেকে সদস্য
ইংরেজি থেকে আফ্রিকানস
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Daniel Frisano:
"In extreme urgency, how many words can you translate in 24 hours?"
If I can use machine translation, and the job is in my usual field, and all the stars align (i.e. no surprises and a source text that is ideally suited for translation), I think I would be able to do around 50.000 words in 24 hours. I'll likely work only around 15-17 hours. And I would be dead to the world for the next 4 days. If I can't use machine translation, and the same conditions apply, I suspect I would be able to achieve about 5.000 words. Of course, I would not be able to *promise* that many words, because anything can happen which may make the translation take longer than expected. The most words that I can *promise* with the same conditions would be around 10.000.
[Edited at 2026-01-11 13:07 GMT]
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