Unpaid translation work

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Cori Weiner wrote:

> As promised, here is the backstory to the request for pro bono
> translation work:
>
> The State Department had interest in undertaking a project to improve
> relations between Russia and the US.  However, as mandated by
> Congress, it receives only a small percentage of the financial
> backing required -- which is where Social Sphere comes in.  SS
> volunteered its own time to take on this project, and they have, in
> turn, requested that others, including translators, volunteer their
> time for the greater good as well.
>
> It's true that what some of you may consider the 'outsourcing' of
> translation is forcing your field to sacrifice, but it's one of the
> sacrifices that will help the project roll.  If during the soft
> launch, they encounter problems along the lines of peregruzka, and if
> an editor (needed mostly to catch egregious errors rather than issues
> of style) does not correct them, they may very well decide to pay
> translators out of their own pocket.
>
> This is a complicated situation, and I'm only the messenger, but if
> you would like for me personally to continue this dialogue, I would
> be happy to off-list. (For the record, Mr. Gallagher, I also feel
> that the government wrongly undervalues soft power in favor of
> warfare.)

Thank you for the update.

It's no surprise to me that Congress with its current makeup has 
underfunded this program, but the reasons for that are beyond the 
purview of this list, and my analysis would likely be offensive to list 
members on the other side of the aisle.

-- 
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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