| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | I got a weird phone call Thread poster: Nina Khmielnitzky
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Hi,
I just got a weird phone call from a guy called Mohammed who said he had an urgent 600 words translation for me. He talked like he was hundreds miles away and running, I could barely place a word.
I still don't know which agency he's working for. He seemed to already have my email address, because he said he'd send the document to me. End of the conversation.
Weird, huh?
Nina
| | | | Nina Khmielnitzky 
Canada
Local time: 20:52
Member (2004)
English to French
TOPIC STARTER | It was an agency after all | Mar 12, 2006 |
It's registered on the BB, but it's not rated. Still, the document seems official enough and it's short, so I'll give it a go.
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Hi Nina,
I know you're in a different time zone, but isn't it Sunday in Canada too?
I'd never pick up the phone on a Sunday, even if I was working.
Sylvain
| | | | Nina Khmielnitzky
Canada
Local time: 20:52
Member (2004)
English to French
TOPIC STARTER | My husband picked up the phone | Mar 12, 2006 |
It's our residential line and I never get work related phone calls, all is done by email.
Still, it's short and I agreed to do it.
Nina
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| "Sunmondays..." | Mar 12, 2006 |
Well... some weeks I can´t tell the difference between Sundays and Mondays... (luckily not today... as my only job is taking care of my injured cat).
Perhaps this Mohamed called you because he needed the text translated by Monday, could it be?
Nice weekend, mates...
Francisco
| | | | Dusica Cook
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 02:52
English to Bosnian
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| could be this one! | Mar 12, 2006 |
a few months ago, i received a mail - he found me through teh database - and offered me to translate something small (i think it was about the same quantity), for an organisation in UK... i did it, delivered on time... received receipt confirmation and sentence "yeah, you will be paid"
than waited, waited, waited... days, weeks... no reply, and nothing else...
some 2-3 months later i sent him a mail asking for the payment (we are not talking about a lot of money, but..... See more a few months ago, i received a mail - he found me through teh database - and offered me to translate something small (i think it was about the same quantity), for an organisation in UK... i did it, delivered on time... received receipt confirmation and sentence "yeah, you will be paid"
than waited, waited, waited... days, weeks... no reply, and nothing else...
some 2-3 months later i sent him a mail asking for the payment (we are not talking about a lot of money, but...) then i got conditioned to do some more work before he paid anything. i refused and received a rather violent mail from him. so, i am not going to get paid, but i have not done any more work for him!
his name was mohamed khalifa, uk language service ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nina Khmielnitzky
Canada
Local time: 20:52
Member (2004)
English to French
TOPIC STARTER | Test translation | Mar 12, 2006 |
It was a test translation and it's from an agency in the US.
| | | | sarahl (X)
Local time: 17:52
English to French
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A test translation on a Sunday? Now, that's a new one on me. I agree with Francisco that a client might call you on a Sunday because he needs something by Monday, but a test for crying out loud!
Was he rehearsing his April 1st routine, or what?
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| A 600 words test translation? | Mar 12, 2006 |
And on Sunday... that's pushing it a bit, isn't it?
| | | | Nina Khmielnitzky
Canada
Local time: 20:52
Member (2004)
English to French
TOPIC STARTER | I guess you are right | Mar 12, 2006 |
A 600 word test translation is a bit weird. At least, it's paid. I know for a fact it's not a translation, as it's a press release dating from November. But I'll mention that to them, that a test translation that long is indeed not normal.
| | | | Rosa Maria Duenas Rios (X)
Local time: 20:52
| Paid in advance? | Mar 13, 2006 |
OTherwise, I would be very suspicious...
| | | | | pretty suspicious | Mar 13, 2006 |
Urgent TEST translation on Sunday? No BB record? Sounds VERY suspicious to me. As Rosa Maria suggests, you might want to ask for the payment in advance. I know I would!
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Huw Watkins
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:52
Member (2005)
Italian to English
+ ...
I can't see why an agency wouldn't have a test translation to carry out over the weekend. Furthermore, I often carry out translations of in XS of 600 words that are test translations - a couple of sentences often doesn't suffice to test style, accuracy, ability to work to deadlines etc (needless to say that they are paid).
As for the running thing, two scenarios come to mind:
1) Big US corporate boss image from the movies, where business is conducted even when on the ... See more I can't see why an agency wouldn't have a test translation to carry out over the weekend. Furthermore, I often carry out translations of in XS of 600 words that are test translations - a couple of sentences often doesn't suffice to test style, accuracy, ability to work to deadlines etc (needless to say that they are paid).
As for the running thing, two scenarios come to mind:
1) Big US corporate boss image from the movies, where business is conducted even when on the treadmill...
2) Maybe he was taking the concept of working to tight deadlines a bit far and was making a 'Carl Lewis-like' dash to the fax machine, whilst organising a translator...
I'm just trying to be positive in the hope that you get paid.
Best of luck,
Huw ▲ Collapse
| | | | Huw Watkins
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:52
Member (2005)
Italian to English
+ ...
| Third scenario | Mar 20, 2006 |
Another one has just come to mind:
3) Maybe he is asthmatic?
It may be fairly amusing to dedicate an entire forum to trying to suss out this running thing. It is most bizarre...
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Huw Watkins wrote:
Another one has just come to mind:
3) Maybe he is asthmatic?
It may be fairly amusing to dedicate an entire forum to trying to suss out this running thing. It is most bizarre...
I laughed my heart out on this comment It made my write my first post in this forum.
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