How to deal with 2 different source files?
Thread poster: Daithi
Daithi
Daithi
Ireland
Jan 3, 2020

Source English. Client supplies 3 files.
1st doxt (word template),
2nd docs with source material,
3rd pdf also with source material

Occasionally the pdf and the doc are not entirely the same. One or the other could have an extra few sentences.

How would you deal with this issue?

I thought about opening the pdf in word and then comparing the documents? But it gets messy, as Words messes up the formatting of the PDF after importing.


 
VIP9N
VIP9N
Local time: 18:42
Russian to English
+ ...
Abbyy Comparator Jan 3, 2020

Daithi wrote:
...How would you deal with this issue?...


Hi, Daithi!

For the task that you described I would use Abbyy Comparator.

However, the idea of your client to mimic 100% the source document with the provided word-file using styles sounds kinda weird to me. As a translator, I have to translate, that is my task. Precise layout or applying translation to hundreds different further purposes is not the responsibility of a translator. Much less to modify further the translated document.

If your current job is a one-time task, you may contact me through my proz email by sending word and pdf files to be compared. I will do it for free, and you will see whether result is satisfying for you. If this client intends to send you such jobs in the future, then, you better buy a tool, which you will find the most suitable for this purpose.

Good luck


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 16:42
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Daithi Jan 3, 2020

Daithi wrote:
Client supplies 3 files.
1st doxt (word template),
2nd docs with source material,
3rd pdf also with source material


I assume you mean DOTX file. The DOTX file is a template file, which means that the file contains special fields and hidden codes that the client will use to process the file. If you create a new DOCX file (e.g. from the PDF file), the client won't be able to use the special features of the template file anymore. From the client's perspective, you'd be delivering a broken file.

This type of job requires manual work, unfortunately. You have to print out all three files, lay them on a large desk or dry kitchen table, and mark which sections go where using a pen or pencil. You could try to do this "marking" on screen, if you like. Then, you have to type the translation (or the source text, depending on what the client asked) into the template.

You can't do this entire job in a CAT tool. If you want to use a CAT tool, you can copy the source text to a text file (preferably one in which the chunks of text follow the same order as they would in the template file), and then translate the text file in the CAT tool, and then copy the translated pieces of text into the template.

Samuel



[Edited at 2020-01-03 10:18 GMT]


Michael Davies
Jorge Payan
 
Michael Davies
Michael Davies  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 16:42
Member (2009)
Danish to English
+ ...
Different styles in otherwise almost similar documents Jan 3, 2020

If this is a 1-off and the work involved is limited, I would accept this as an overhead "cost" (the time required) associated with this particular job. At the same time, I would include the task in your invoice so that it is visible to the client - with 100% reduction in the price of this task and a comment that this an exception to your usual invoicing policy (so that the client is made aware that it is not a regular part of your work).

If it is going to be a normal feature of work
... See more
If this is a 1-off and the work involved is limited, I would accept this as an overhead "cost" (the time required) associated with this particular job. At the same time, I would include the task in your invoice so that it is visible to the client - with 100% reduction in the price of this task and a comment that this an exception to your usual invoicing policy (so that the client is made aware that it is not a regular part of your work).

If it is going to be a normal feature of work for this client, you should try to negotiate a fee per hour (or some other basis according to your preference) for this 'DTP' (Desk Top Publishing) work, which is not a normal part of translation - assuming, of course, that you wish to continue to offer this additional service to your client.
Collapse


 
Daithi
Daithi
Ireland
TOPIC STARTER
Comparator Jan 3, 2020

VIP9N wrote:

Daithi wrote:
...How would you deal with this issue?...


Hi, Daithi!

For the task that you described I would use Abbyy Comparator.

However, the idea of your client to mimic 100% the source document with the provided word-file using styles sounds kinda weird to me. As a translator, I have to translate, that is my task. Precise layout or applying translation to hundreds different further purposes is not the responsibility of a translator. Much less to modify further the translated document.

If your current job is a one-time task, you may contact me through my proz email by sending word and pdf files to be compared. I will do it for free, and you will see whether result is satisfying for you. If this client intends to send you such jobs in the future, then, you better buy a tool, which you will find the most suitable for this purpose.

Good luck

I was browsing the internet and came across Abbyy Comparator and Finereader. It said Comparator was not for sale in my region. But by watching videos, Finereader seemed to do the same, and more, I think.

Thank you for offering to help. I'm actually not the translator but asking for family member. It is not a once off, but a steady supply and I think the price is stated before the job. So technically, you are paid for the entire job, not hourly or per word.


 
Daithi
Daithi
Ireland
TOPIC STARTER
Merging documents Jan 3, 2020

Samuel Murray wrote:

Daithi wrote:
Client supplies 3 files.
1st doxt (word template),
2nd docs with source material,
3rd pdf also with source material


I assume you mean DOTX file. The DOTX file is a template file, which means that the file contains special fields and hidden codes that the client will use to process the file. If you create a new DOCX file (e.g. from the PDF file), the client won't be able to use the special features of the template file anymore. From the client's perspective, you'd be delivering a broken file.

This type of job requires manual work, unfortunately. You have to print out all three files, lay them on a large desk or dry kitchen table, and mark which sections go where using a pen or pencil. You could try to do this "marking" on screen, if you like. Then, you have to type the translation (or the source text, depending on what the client asked) into the template.

You can't do this entire job in a CAT tool. If you want to use a CAT tool, you can copy the source text to a text file (preferably one in which the chunks of text follow the same order as they would in the template file), and then translate the text file in the CAT tool, and then copy the translated pieces of text into the template.

Samuel



[Edited at 2020-01-03 10:18 GMT]

I was thinking using a tool to compare the pdf with doc. Create a complete source document. Save as doc. Import the DOTX styles into the new document and fix the formatting. Use cat tool for translation.

Or possibly do the formatting on the target.


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 16:42
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Daithi Jan 3, 2020

Daithi wrote:
Import the DOTX styles into the new document and fix the formatting.


The DOTX file may also contain layout settings, fields and macros. So if you believe it would be easier to recreate the DOTX file, make sure you copy all of that over as well. But note: if the layout isn't the same as the file that the client sent you, or if the macros don't work (and you may not be able to test the macros yourself), then you'd be delivering a file to the client in a format that the client doesn't want.


 


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How to deal with 2 different source files?







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