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Poll: If you could have one translation-related superpower, what would it be?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Feb 25, 2017

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "If you could have one translation-related superpower, what would it be?".

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Philippe Etienne
Philippe Etienne  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:47
Member
English to French
Other Feb 25, 2017

I'm no longer 8 years old.

Philippe


 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 10:47
Spanish to English
+ ...
Flexible deadlines Feb 25, 2017

Normally I would have put "Other", and said all of the above, but it's the weekend, and for once I'm not snowed under with work, so let's not be churlish. First of all, let's forget about the perennial obsession with rates.

As a translator, one of my biggest regrets is having to refuse work from perfectly good clients simply due to them wanting the text back in unrealistic timeframes. Wouldn't it be nice if clients regularly factored in plenty of time so that we didn't have to jugg
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Normally I would have put "Other", and said all of the above, but it's the weekend, and for once I'm not snowed under with work, so let's not be churlish. First of all, let's forget about the perennial obsession with rates.

As a translator, one of my biggest regrets is having to refuse work from perfectly good clients simply due to them wanting the text back in unrealistic timeframes. Wouldn't it be nice if clients regularly factored in plenty of time so that we didn't have to juggle things all the time, or pass up on interesting projects simply because the deadline is too tight?

Apart from that, I think I may already have most of the other "superpowers" mentioned
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Julian Holmes
Julian Holmes  Identity Verified
Japan
Local time: 18:47
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
Other Feb 25, 2017

A teflon-coated exterior to automatically deflect the idiocy of some quick polls

 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
All of them Feb 25, 2017

Looks like I might also need the ability to turn grumpy people into smiley happy people with a wave of my magic wand...

 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 09:47
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
All of them! Feb 25, 2017

images

 
Jennifer Forbes
Jennifer Forbes  Identity Verified
Local time: 09:47
French to English
+ ...
In memoriam
On being 8 years old Feb 25, 2017

Philippe Etienne wrote:

I'm no longer 8 years old.

Philippe


Really, Philippe? I've been 8 years old ever since I reached the age of 30 which was many years ago now.
Quiz question: Which famous play am I sort-of quoting here? Valuable prizes on offer.


 
Magdalena Balibrea Vich
Magdalena Balibrea Vich  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:47
Member
English to Spanish
+ ...
Twilight Feb 25, 2017

Jenny Forbes wrote:

Really, Philippe? I've been 8 years old ever since I reached the age of 30 which was many years ago now.
Quiz question: Which famous play am I sort-of quoting here? Valuable prizes on offer.



“How old are you?”
“Seventeen,” he answered promptly.
“And how long have you been seventeen?”
His lips twitched as he stared at the road. “A while,” he admitted at last.”


 
Elizabeth Tamblin
Elizabeth Tamblin  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:47
French to English
Other Feb 25, 2017

Invisibility, of course!

 
Mónica Algazi
Mónica Algazi  Identity Verified
Uruguay
Local time: 06:47
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
Supernaturally Feb 25, 2017

sharp, clear eyesight.

 
Lucas_venceslau
Lucas_venceslau  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 06:47
English to Portuguese
Super Translators Feb 25, 2017

Dear all,

We are not 8 yo, but we are not dead yet, so let's not get mad at a quick poll. It is some fun for me here working during the holidays. I would like to have a client refresher (it's like having mana refresher, and it's enough because the power to translate we already have. But I can also see many interesting combos, like client refresher plus instant translation! Think about making a game out of this, Mr.). No invisibility or whatever works without having words to translat
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Dear all,

We are not 8 yo, but we are not dead yet, so let's not get mad at a quick poll. It is some fun for me here working during the holidays. I would like to have a client refresher (it's like having mana refresher, and it's enough because the power to translate we already have. But I can also see many interesting combos, like client refresher plus instant translation! Think about making a game out of this, Mr.). No invisibility or whatever works without having words to translate. We are heroes in this crazy translation industry, already. I think all we need are words to translate and people willing to pay for it.
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Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 06:47
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
A variation of "instant translation" Feb 25, 2017

The task that makes me waste more time is looking for the best term within the context/jargon and avoiding literal translations. So I'd love to have an "instant translation" of the technical terms considering the jargon of the specific area I'm working with. But not a full "instant translation" because it's healthy to work and have a regular activity, so you don't really want to watch TV as your super power does all the work for you. You'd be depressed or crazy very fast.

Philippe Etienne wrote:
I'm no longer 8 years old.
Philippe


... which is why you should be able to get into the mood as an adult and participate in the pool with a bit of humor. It would do you no harm as it did not to all other participants who actually answered with maturity and not as children.


 
Daniel Rabinovich
Daniel Rabinovich  Identity Verified
Israel
Local time: 11:47
Member (2018)
English to Hebrew
+ ...
Know a thousand languages Feb 25, 2017

Technical terms and all

 
Elizabeth Tamblin
Elizabeth Tamblin  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:47
French to English
hmm Feb 25, 2017

Mario Freitas wrote:

... which is why you should be able to get into the mood as an adult and participate in the pool with a bit of humor. It would do you no harm as it did not to all other participants who actually answered with maturity and not as children.


Well, it varies from day to day - sometimes it's cool to slag off the poll, sometimes not, apparently...


 
Ricki Farn
Ricki Farn
Germany
Local time: 10:47
English to German
Other Feb 25, 2017

I would like the superpower to interpret from/to the languages of animals. All of them. For instance, I would really love to let the world know why capybaras are so zen, and what ants have to say about productivity.

 
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Poll: If you could have one translation-related superpower, what would it be?






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