Pro bono translation work

[Ivan S. Eubanks]

...the humanities in academia are frequently criticized for failing to 
produce graduates with marketable skills.  As long as translators work 
for free, their skills will remain unmarketable, however necessary they 
may be to international commerce and politics.

The thing that's so insulting about the pro bono translation project is 
that it's billed as an opportunity to that will somehow benefit the 
translator by "getting her work out there."  Advertising firms run the 
same game with visual artists on Craigslist, offering them 
"opportunities for recognition" in exchange for free logos or other 
types of designs.

Personally, it infuriates me, because the humanities in academia are 
frequently criticized for failing to produce graduates with marketable 
skills.  As long as visual artists work for free...

I'll stop now, lest I repeat myself to the point of apoplexy.  Suffice 
it to say that I sympathize with all of the people on this list who have 
expressed their opposition to working for free when those in our 
profession are often underpayed, usually underemployed, and widely 
underappreciated.

Dr. Ivan S. Eubanks
Co-Editor
/Pushkin Review / Пушкинский вестник/ <http://www.pushkiniana.org>

On 8/27/11 6:03 PM, Alina Israeli wrote:
> You are absolutely correct: doctor and lawyers do pro bono work and 
> there is absolutely no shame in it. In such cases they serve people 
> who cannot afford their services, just like disaster victims. But 
> generally speaking it includes destitute people. The US government (or 
> the Russian government) hardly belong to the destitute group.
>
> Aug 27, 2011, в 5:52 PM, Alexei Kutuzov написал(а):
>
>> Doctors do pro bono work all the time, and there seems to be little 
>> shame in that (far from it).  The remark about begrudgingly providing 
>> services for "disaster victims" is a bit disturbing, truth be told.  
>> Do you people think about what you say before you say it?
>>
>
> Alina Israeli
> Associate Professor of Russian
> LFS, American University
> 4400 Massachusetts Ave.
> Washington DC 20016
> (202) 885-2387     fax (202) 885-1076
> aisrael at american.edu
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------