Overpayment Scams, What does it mean to translators?

If you have been in freelance translating for a long, you might have experienced various forms of translation scams. If not, you must have read about them somewhere. OverPayment is an old technique that scammers have been using against freelance translators. This post is to alert fellow translators so they don’t get trapped in this scam.

What is an Overpayment Scam?

Overpayment scams work by getting you to ‘refund’ a scammer who has sent you too much money for an item you are selling.

What does an Overpayment scam mean to translators?

The scammers usually send an extra amount of money than the one specified in the invoice. They will ask for a refund later on.

The overpayment scam is also known as the “PUBLIC ORGANIZATION PROCEDURES RESEARCH PHASE 1” scam but it can have various forms.

Here is an article by Alex Levoff. He explains this scam explicitly. I found this article somewhere in a Facebook group. I am posting this here thinking that it will help other translators.

“PUBLIC ORGANIZATION PROCEDURES RESEARCH PHASE 1” scam

This morning I received an email with the request to translate a document. When I opened it I found the old and familiar scam “PUBLIC ORGANIZATION PROCEDURES RESEARCH PHASE 1”. I haven’t seen it for a while and was quite sure that the scam is long dead. Obviously, the scammers are still “phishing” with it. It means that some people are still getting caught.

If you are familiar with this scam you don’t have to read further. For those who are not, I will explain how the scam works.

You are receiving a document like this. It is about 40 pages long. The text is usually a handout material from one of the educational seminars. “Phase 1” is a tell, because it is essential for the scheme. They ask you to translate it from English to your language. The deadline is about 4 weeks and they offer good pay. In my case, they offered 18 cents a word. They offer to pay with a bank check. Note, that they never offer to pay with PayPal, credit card, or bank transfer.

You take the job, spend a lot of time on it, and send the translation. You will receive a check which you most probably will immediately take to the bank. The check will be for an amount twice the amount of your invoice. They will tell you that the other part is for the future “Phase 2”. They are so impressed with your work that they decided to pay upfront.

The next day you will receive an email telling you that “Phase 2” has been canceled, and they will ask you to refund the difference. If you believe them you will send them the difference in real money. In about a week the bank will return their original fake check. The bank will also charge you $30 for depositing an invalid check. So you will be out of the amount you’ve sent plus the bank charge. Of course, you will never find the culprits and return your money. Please be careful. These are trying times and the last thing we need is to deal with scammers.

There are different forms of scams targeted towards the translator. As a freelance translator, you have to be careful to avoid such scams as Alex Levoff has suggested.

List of job sites for a translator

You are interested in working as a translator but you don’t know where to search for translation jobs. Even if you are a busy translator, you might want to expand your services to include new clients. But where can you find the translation jobs? Are there any specific translation job sites?

Well, you can find many job sites for translators on the internet. I am not going to list all of those job sites. I will only list the popular translation job sites here.

List of job sites for a translator

Here is the list of job sites for a translator.

1. Proz

Although old, Proz is still one of the most popular among translation agencies and freelance translators. You can find a fair number of job posts posted daily on this website. The only drawback is that with a free account, you might not be able to apply to all job posts. This requires you to take a premium membership.

2. Translatorscafe

Translatorscafe is also popular among translation agencies and freelance translators. You can browse for available jobs according to your language pair by going to the Job board. What I like about Translatorscafe over Proz is that their user interface is simple. There are many restricted areas within the site in Proz. You have to get the premium account to unlock the access. Translatorscafe also has a premium membership but a free membership will do the job.

3. Translation Directory

Translation Directory is an online Portal for translators, translation agencies, and Translation jobs. Although not as popular as Proz and Translatorscafe, you will find an adequate number of existing jobs here. Translation Directory also provides a premium membership. With the premium membership, you can email your resume to a number of translation agencies. This is a good way to start your translation career.

4. Upwork

Upwork is a popular choice for freelancers to finding freelancing jobs. Although it is not a dedicated platform for translation jobs, we can find a number of translation jobs on this website. Upwork used to have free and paid plans but it has removed its free plan currently. So, this job site might not be perfect for you if you are just starting your translation career.

Other Popular Job sites For Translators

1. Gengo
3. OneHourTranslation.com
4. Unbabel
5. TextMaster
6. Freelancer.com

Well, there are many job sites for the translators that could make it to the list. But the websites listed above you are special. Proz and Translatorscafe are my favorites. They have many ongoing jobs for various language pairs. Once you apply for a translation job and if you are accepted, you will have a direct relationship with the translation agencies. This ensures that they might hire you in the future as well.

This was the list of job sites for a translator. If you have or know any website that offers translation jobs for translators. Please, feel feel to list them in the comments section.

Best Remote Video Interpreting programs for interpreter

As a Remote Video Interpreter, you have to use different visual and video conferencing programs and applications for carrying out the interpretation jobs. There are many programs and video conferencing tools that will meet the needs of interpretation and interpreters. These programs come with a certain cost for you. The good news is that most of the translation agencies provide you these programs at no cost to you. Here are some of the best Remote Video Interpreting tools that can make your interpretation tasks easier.

Best Remote Video Interpreting programs for an interpreter

  1. Zoom: Zoom is certainly one of the best and popular video communications applications used by various companies around the globe. It provides an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars. The zoom platform is a video conferencing platform with an interpreting add-on. It is NOT a “conferencing” platform with full interpreter functionality. If you want full-function interpreting programs, Kudo, Interprefy, Interactio & VoiceBoxer can be your choice.
  2. Voiceboxer: VoiceBoxer is a dedicated program for video interpreting. It is a multilingual web platform for presentations, video conferences, and webinars that lets you reach an audience in any language—anywhere, anytime, and in any setting.
  3. Kudo: KUDO is a multilingual web conferencing platform with human-powered simultaneous interpreting. It streams real-time interpretation of your live conferences. Kudo can provide you a truly multilingual conference with full interpreter functionality.
  4. Interprefy: Interprefy has all the essential features to provide remote simulates interpreting. Through Interprefy’s platform, interpreters can work from anywhere, removing the need for event organizers to hire and deploy specialized hardware, interpreting booths, or pay for interpreters’ travel and accommodation expenses.
  5. Interactio: Interactio brings an easy-to-use simultaneous interpretation without hassle. You can use your smartphone, laptop, or tablet to attend the interpretation!

Well, most of these Video Interpreting programs provide you a demo or trial version. You can use the demo first. If you are satisfied and if it meets all your interpretation needs, you can go for it.

The tutorials for these programs are available on their respective websites. Please, browse through their websites.

Must-read books for translators

The translation is an interesting and lucrative career option these days and you might want to become a translator. However, translation is not an easy task. There are many things you should consider before starting a translation career and reading is one of them. Here are the books that can help you succeed as a translator.

Books That Translators Should Read

1. Jeremy Munday’s “Introducing Translation Studies”

2. Lawrence Venuti’s “The Translation Studies Reader.”

2. Routledge’s collection of books on Translation Studies

3. Mona Baker: In Other Words

4. Jiří Levý’s The Art of Translation

5. Anthony Pym’s Exploring Translation Theories

Further Reading For Translators

While the book listed above is for translators beginning their career, the below-listed books can be used for further reading.

Baker, M., In other words – A coursebook on translation

Bassnett, S., & Trivedi, H. (Eds.), Post-colonial translation: theory and practice.

Bassnett, S., Reflections on Translation

Cronin, M., Translation in the digital age.

Gopinathan, G., Translation, Transcreation, and Culture – Theories of Translation in Indian Languages.

The little book of transcreation: Insight into the word of creative translation.

Jiménez-Crespo, Translation and web localization

Kelly-Holmes, Advertising as multilingual communication

Landers, Literary Translation-A Practical Guide. Clevedon

Leppihalme, R., Culture Bumps – An Empirical Approach to the Translation of Allusions. Clevedon

Mason, I., Discourse in Translation – A Social Perspective.

Newmark, P., More paragraphs on translation

O’Hagan, M. & Magiron, Game Localization: Translating for the global digital entertainment industry

Pym, A., Exploring Translation Theories. (2nd ed.)

Samuelsson-Brown, A Practical Guide for Translators. (5th ed.)

Torresi, I., Translating promotional and advertising texts.

Wilson, R. & Maher, Words, Images, and Performance in Translation.

Well, we can’t just guarantee that you will become a translator just by reading these books. Some countries require that you should get a translation degree before you can work as a translator and there are other requirements as well. There is no doubt that these books will enhance your knowledge and will make your way easier but you should not completely rely on them. The most essential thing about becoming a translator is that you should have a passion for it and you should be good at reading and writing.

How to translate PDF file into English

If you want to translate a PDF file into English, you can translate it with the help of Google translate. Most of you know about google translate. Google Translate is a machine translation tool powered by Google. It lets you translate words, phrases, and web pages between English and over 100 other languages for free.

Today we will learn about how to translate PDF files into English by using Google Translate.

1. First of all, Open Google Translate in your web browser.

2. Second, choose your source and target language. For example, I have selected English as the source and Nepali as the target in the attached picture.

google-translate

 

3. To translate a PDF file into English, click on the documents tab found on the top left section of the window. Once you click on documents, you will get the option to upload your pdf file for translation. You will get the option to translate your PDF file into English after uploading the document.

translate PDF into English

Click on translate once you see the translate button for the uploaded document.

4. After that, It will take some time to translate your PDF files into English. After a while, you will be presented with a new window. Your PDF file has been translated into English now.

You can see the source text in the left column and the translated text in the right column in the right column. You can copy-paste the target column to Microsoft Word for further editing. You can create the PDF file from Microsoft once you finalize the translation.

Although Google Translate is not 100 percent accurate, it can translate a PDF file into English for free. If you want to use the PDF file for official use, it is wise to choose professional translation agencies. If you don’t prefer translation agencies, you should at least proofread or edit the translated PDF file using the service of a Professional Translator.

We have talked about translating a PDF file into English for free. If you face any problems during this process, please feel free to ask us.

How to avoid copyright infringement & plagiarism in translation

The Internet has given us many opportunities, both in terms of access to knowledge and dissemination of information. A large number of friends who are familiar with multiple languages have gradually increased their interest in translating and publishing popular articles or blogs on their websites. However, if you do not pay attention to the use of copyright during this process, it may raise the issue of copyright infringement and plagiarism. You can see many popular sites translating the content to their language and using it in their websites. So, how can we avoid copyright infringement and plagiarism and safeguard the rights and interests of the original author while translating an article?

Obtain the translation copyright and use it reasonably

Translation is the act of converting information from one language to another accurately. It is also a process of transforming a relatively unfamiliar expression into a relatively familiar expression. The content of translation includes text, graphics, and symbols. We can also say that the source language is translated into the target language in transition. This means that the copyright issues in translation is a relatively complex thing and it can be divided into two parts:

The use of copyright of existing content

Translation is an act of reprocessing existing copyrighted works, and the original copyright owner has the right to translate its creation. Therefore, when using the existing copyrighted works, the copyright or authorization of the author should be obtained. Otherwise, it might be called a copyright infringement. As translation is a process of re-creating the original work, the act of just obtaining the right to translate is just a waste. The translation that produces a meaningful application is more meaningful than just the right to obtain the copyright.

If you have noticed, the copyright and translation rights are quoted at the end of articles on websites and blogs. The translation right here is actually the right to republishing, disseminating, and converting. The actual meaning is created here. This is also an important part of protecting the legal rights of the author. Therefore, the translator should pay attention to these things.

You might also be interested in: How to become a translator?

Copyright in translated content

The translation industry often uses “source language” and “target language” in translation. The “source language” refers to the original text, and the “target language” refers to the processed text. Therefore, when an article, a book, or work is translated from one language to another, it becomes a new product. The copyright owner of this new product enjoys the copyright alone, and the original author cannot claim its copyright on the translated content. Let us take an example; If Shakespeare “Hamlet” was translated into Spanish. The translator has the copyright in the translated version, but he/she should respect the personal rights of Shakespeare and should retain the originality in translation. At the same time, the new copyright authorization should also be limited to the scope of the original copyright and should not be misused.

Copyright consent from the original owner and the owner of the translated content

It is sometimes necessary to obtain authorization from both the original copyright owner and the translation copyright owner.  latter. Before a certain work is translated and published, there might be other publishers who have also taken permission to translate this content. If a publisher has already translated content, other publishers should ask for the right to translate to the author and the publisher.

1. Reference the author & source properly.

No matter under what circumstances, the Copyright Law describes that you should not obtain the authorization of the original copyright owner if you indicate the source and quote the reference properly. A question may arise here regarding “quantity”. How much content can be used without copyright?  This is a difficult thing to judge, but this issue cannot be passed without judgment. For example, If an article of 100 words consists of 99 words from another article and the source has not been quoted, it will surely fall under copyright infringement. If there are only 10 words taken from another article, and the source and reference have been quoted, it should not fall under copyright infringement.

2. Infringement of translated works

Does translating someone else article into your language fall under copyright infringement? The “Copyright Law” prohibits plagiarism of other people’s art, but we don’t have a clear roadmap to judge such behaviors. It is generally believed that taking authorship of someone else’s work as own is definitely plagiarism. If the content is translated without the author’s authorization, without quoting the author, and by taking the authorship on somebody else article, will it be considered plagiarism? We can’t reach a universal conclusion here but the most important thing is that this act is not of respect. While translating such articles, the translator should at least quote the source and original author.

3. Infringement judgment of compiled works

We quote the name of authors and references while writing an article or thesis for exams. We use some of the excerpts or extract only a portion from it and add supplements and we will eventually write our own article. This type of article is called “compilation.” This kind of compilation, when not authorized by the author or without the source and references quote, might also be copyright infringement.

The Berne Convention is an international copyright protection convention. The EU members and the United States have copyright protection for the author’s life and death for 70 years. Such regulations do not conflict with the Berne Convention, and the international community also follows it. So, a translator translating content should also follow this principle.

5. Copyright issues of content that have exceeded the term of protection

As mentioned above, copyright becomes a public copyrighted work after the protection period, which means that anyone can use it without any authorization. If this type of work is collated, translated, assembled, or compiled, the author of the work after compilation will have the corresponding copyright. If the article is translated, it will also require the authorization and consent of the new author.

6. Discussion on copyright issues of online works

The development of the Internet has made content spread much faster. People like to see the same content in different languages. And, translation comes in handy here. But, how to avoid copyright infringement & plagiarism in translation? It is suggested that you should contact the author himself or at least obtain the author’s consent or authorization before translating the content. If you can’t contact the author or the copyright owner, you should at least quote the author’s name and website.

How to become a translator?

How to become a translator? This question might be coming to your mind if you want to start your career in the Translation Industry.

The translation is the process of converting one source language to another, retaining the meaning of the source language. The translation can be in written or spoken form. Today, We will provide some tips on how to become a translator and throw some insights on translation career.

The present time being the period of globalization and the increasing internet access in the world population has turned the whole world into a small village. The business houses are no more concentrated to a particular place or a country. So, when people with two different languages communicate and do the business together, the role of translation comes into place. Although translation has been made easier due to the arrivals of the computer, we cannot completely rely on machines for translation. At present, Machine Translation can translate as much as 70% of the text correctly while a real human being is required to make it 100% accurate. Machine translation is still developing while most of the organizations still prefer human translation for accuracy.

You might want to become a translator as the demand for translators is still high in the present time. The basic is that you must have an interest in a translation career and should develop yourself as a professional Translator. If you have a passion to read and write a bit, becoming a translator can be a good option for you. Moreover, The compensation provided to Translators is appealing.

CAREER IN TRANSLATION

In most of the countries, there is a good demand for translators in both the government and private sector and it is expected that the demand for translators will increase in the coming days. In this part, We will be talking about finding translation jobs, the first step of your translation career, which will ultimately help you become a translator.

Translation Jobs in Government sector

Almost all the government departments require translators for translating official and government documents. There are provisions in the constitutions/acts of many countries which makes it mandatory to translate all the government documents between National Language and English. Moreover, some countries even have provisions that mandate government authorities/bodies to provide English documents translated in the mother tongue language if asked by the citizen holder of that country.  In addition, the constitution of some countries gives special recognition to regional languages and there arises a need for a translator.

The translator can get career opportunities in media houses, security forces & banking in government sectors.

Talking about banks, they have a dedicated post for a translator to translate all their policies and rules. There is also a demand for legal translators to translate documents relates to acts, criminal cases & court orders.

Translation Jobs in the Private sector

There are many areas in the private sector that require a translator. Becoming a translator is easier in this sector as there are multiple job opportunities in this sector.

Translation Opportunities in Media/Publication houses

The media/publication house is incomplete without translation. They use translators to translate content from all over the world to deliver the latest updates to their readers. So, If you want to start your career as a translator, media/publication houses can be a good option but to remind you, most media/publication houses require a degree in Journalism. There are also many opportunities for translators in Publication houses as they also deal with the literary translation of popular stories, novels, books, essays and poems into English and another language.

Translation Opportunities in the Advertising industry

Nowadays, you might have seen the same Audio-Visual advertisement in multiple languages. Yes, this is the output of translators.  Translators have an important role in the Advertising and Marketing industry these days. They do this by translating the content in regional languages/foreign languages expanding the reach of Advertising and Marketing, which leads to more sales to the business houses. Translators are provided with very good compensation in this industry.

Translation Opportunities in the Movie Industry

In the past few years, movie dubbing and remake have increased tremendously. A movie is first recorded in a language and later is dubbed into multiple languages. When dubbing is not possible, subtitling/captions are used to translate the voice of the character. You might have seen English movies in your native language. This is the output of the translator and there is a good demand for translators in the movie industry.

Translation agencies – translation jobs in agencies

There are many translation agencies around the world, where you can work as a translator. Some agencies hire an in-house translator while some prefer freelance translators. These agencies are just not limited to a particular language pair. They have career opportunities for translators in multiple languages. You can apply for the role of translator in the translation agencies.

The Freedom To work

The translation is one of the best professions where you can work from home on a freelance basis. You have an internet connection, a laptop, and some experience, you can start working as a translator from home. There are many websites and resources online which can help you get Translation jobs. Some of the popular sites for finding online translation jobs are Proz.com, Translatorscafe, Upwork, Freelancer, etc.

Read Also: How to avoid copyright infringement & plagiarism in translation

The career option for translators looks bright but the most important thing about becoming a translator is that you should have good writing skills and you should have expert knowledge in the language pair you are working with.

List of translation companies in Nepal

Nepal, situated in South Asia is between the two giant economies of the world, India, and China. With this geographical advantage, we believe that Nepal can be a business hub and opportunity in southeast Asia.

Whether you are a new startup or a multinational company looking to explore the market in Nepal, you have to use a professional translation company to translate or localize your materials into Nepali.

List of translation Companies in Nepal

Here is a list of translation companies in Nepal that can provide you with a professional translation service experience.

1. Bhasa Nepal

Bhasa Nepal is probably the first registered language translation company of Nepal. It is especially proficient in the translations of South Asian languages, with native command over English Nepali, Bengali, and Hindi translation. It also provides translation and interpretation services into almost all the languages spoken in the present day all over the world.

Address: Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal

Phone Number: +9779841196811

Email: info@bhasanepal.com

Website: https://www.bhasanepal.com

2. Rupantar

Rupantar Net Solutions (P) Ltd. is a customer-focused Nepal based Translation & Localization company, led by the highly experienced and enthusiastic team members. It is one of the leading service providers of Translation & Localization services in English – Nepali language pairs.

Address: Anamnagar, Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone: +977-9851145157
Email: info@rupantar.net
Website: http://www.rupantar.net

Alliance Française de Katmandou

The translation department of the Alliance Française de Katmandou translates your written documents from French to Nepali (oral) and English, and from Nepali and English to French. It also offers interpreting services outside the conference situation when simultaneous translation.

Address: Ward number 4, Dhalko Bato, Pulchowk, Lalitpur

Phone: +97715009221/+9779808418422

Email: traduction.afk@gmail.com

Website: http://www.alliancefrancaise.org.np

4. Nepalaya Translation

Nepalaya Translation is one of the established translation company in Nepal. It has quality translators with proficiency in tackling translation complexities and developing a coherent pattern in unknown terminologies.

Address: New Baneshwor – Kathmandu

Phone: Not Available

Email: info@nepalayatranslation.com

Website: https://nepalayatranslation.com

5. Square Services

Square Services provide you with professional Nepali interpretation and translation services with a team of native language experts.

Address: Maharajgunj, Kathmandu

Phone: Not Available

Email: erica@nepalinterpreters.com

Website: https://nepalinterpreters.com

6. Media Chautari

Media Chautari offers translation services from Nepali to English and English to Nepali. It can assist you in certifying your personal and legal documents through government companies and the companies recognized by the government.

Address: Anamnagar, Kathmandu

Phone: +977-1- 5705376

Email: contact@mediachautari.com

Website: https://www.mediachautari.com

These are the list of translation companies available in Nepal right now. If you are looking for an Individual English to Nepali Translator, I also provide Nepali Translation on a freelance basis.

If you are interested in becoming a translator, Here is an article on How to work as a translator?

If you want to add your translation company to the list, please feel free to contact me.