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>From direct experience (because I'm doing a moderate size translation project now) there may be a silver lining to your costs.
The million dollar cost may well be close - but are you aware of common or repeated text within your own files.
As a ball park if, within 1,000,000 word 20% are repeated phrases then any translator using TM should charge you only 30% cost of repeated words - so
800,000 words at $ 0.12 per word = $96,000
200,000 repeated words at $ 0.12 per word x 30% = $7,200
Total = $103,200
Without TM
1,000,000 words at $ 0.12 per word = $120,000
But if you can use something like Flare and Lingo to deliver only the 800,000 unique words then your translation drops to only $96,000 and Lingo should do the rest for you.
BUT - only you have any idea about how much repeated text you may have in your project.
David
______________________________________________________________________
David Harrison |
Mold-Masters (UK) Limited | Global Hot Runner and Temperature Control Technology
Netherwood Road | Rotherwas Ind. Est.
Hereford | HR2 6JU | United Kingdom | Company Registration Number: 1912861
Tel: +44 (0) 1432 265 768 | Fax: +44 (0) 1432 263 782 mailto:dharrison -at- moldmasters -dot- com | www.moldmasters.com
______________________________________________________________________
Sent on 07.04.2011 12:20 by David Harrison
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+dharrison=moldmasters -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+dharrison=moldmasters -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Paresh Naik
Sent: 07 April 2011 10:26
To: McLauchlan, Kevin
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Translation costs?
Hi Kevin.
*Ball-park guesstimate:* About USD 1200000 (1000 topics * 1000 words each
topic * $ 0.12 per word)
*What might be the considerations regarding the source material that might
double (or halve) that guesstimate?
*- Actual word count (against what's assumes above)
On Thu, Apr 7, 2011 at 12:29 AM, McLauchlan, Kevin <
Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com> wrote:
> All,
> Our products are not sold to consumers.
> The people who would configure and administer our products would normally
> be technical - engineers, IT types, developers, etc.
>
> So far, we've not had to translate. I produce docs in English and that's
> what goes out the door, to every country.
>
> But there are rumblings.
>
> QUESTION: What might be a ball-park guesstimate of the cost to have (say) a
> 1000-topic WebHelp system translated to one other language, from English?
> Assume a European language or Japanese. Only a few illustrations have text
> embedded.
>
> What might be the considerations regarding the source material that might
> double (or halve) that guesstimate?
>
> Current docs are NOT done in Simplified or Controlled English.
>
> I just want the voice of recent experience to speak.
> I don't want solicitations - you'll just annoy me in case we ever DO
> develop a business case that demands translation.
>
> I haven't dealt with a translation company since ... um... a previous
> century, when we did no help and everything was printed.
>
> A rule of thumb would be helpful when the topic comes up at an early
> requirements discussion for an upcoming project.
> Yes, I know about translation memory, but it's helpful to mention that a
> second project can be 1/3 the cost of a first one, after the translation
> memory has already been developed, ONLY if you also say what that first
> project is likely to cost in 2011 dollars. Ballpark. SWAG. Nothing
> binding. Just a throwing-around number that the suits can wrap their heads
> around.
>
> No Mil-spec. Not medical industry. Not aircraft. Not nuke... so far. :)
>
> Anybody been through the grind recently? Saw the invoices? Got your heart
> successfully restarted after seeing the invoice?
>
> - kevin
>
>
>
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