ProZ.com Translation Forums

translating simple sentances | My understanding was

Zea_Mays — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:24:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: translating simple sentances
Poster: Zea_Mays
Post title: My understanding was

that he is translating _into_ English, hopefully I was wrong.

translating simple sentances | In that case...

philgoddard — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 19:54:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: translating simple sentances
Poster: philgoddard
Post title: In that case...

...you should post a question in English to Slovenian.

I'm surprised this doesn't exist in Slovenian -- it means it wasn't OK, but it is now.

translating simple sentances | Well...

Gregor Trebec — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:25:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: translating simple sentances
Poster: Gregor Trebec
Post title: Well...

[quote]philgoddard wrote:

Are you asking whether to word them differently in the target language?
[/quote]

"It is OK now" doesn't exist in Slovenian therefore i am asking what to do in this situation

translating simple sentances | Your question is difficult to understand...

philgoddard — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:14:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: translating simple sentances
Poster: philgoddard
Post title: Your question is difficult to understand...

...and I think some people may have misinterpreted it. It's not about English grammar.

Are these software strings in English, with different word orders but the same meaning?

Are you asking whether to word them differently in the target language?

[Edited at 2026-06-23 15:39 GMT]

translating simple sentances | @Zea

Samuel Murray — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 16:01:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: translating simple sentances
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: @Zea

[quote]Zea_Mays wrote:
[quote]Samuel Murray wrote:
Well, both options are grammatically correct in English, so I suggest you put the "now" in the position that occurs most frequently in the language.[/quote]
I'd also say it depends where you want to place the emphasis. [/quote]
Well, if I understand Gregor's question correctly, the sentence is given without any context about what the sentence means or where the emphasis might be, so the question is how to translate the sentence under those circumstances.

translating simple sentances | Rude

Gerard Barry — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:34:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: translating simple sentances
Poster: Gerard Barry
Post title: Rude

[quote]Cilian O'Tuama wrote:

It matters.

But you wrote before that you're a robot, so maybe not so much. [/quote]

Your post is unnecessarily rude.

translating simple sentances | There's much reading on the subject

kd42 — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:04:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: translating simple sentances
Poster: kd42
Post title: There's much reading on the subject

[quote]Zea_Mays wrote:[quote]Samuel Murray wrote:
Well, both options are grammatically correct in English, so I suggest you put the "now" in the position that occurs most frequently in the language.[/quote]I'd also say it depends where you want to place the emphasis. [/quote]
Yes, I'd recommend Karletto123 to read about theme and rheme.

[quote]
AI Overview

In linguistics, a Theme is the starting point of a message (what you are talking about), while a Rheme is the new information added about the Theme (what you are saying about it). Together, they form the information structure of a clause or sentence. [1, 2, 3]
Key Concepts
• Theme: Occupies the initial position in a clause or sentence. It often overlaps with "given" or known information.
• Rheme: Follows the theme. It carries the core development of the message and typically introduces "new" information. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
________________________________________
Structural Breakdown
1. Unmarked vs. Marked Themes (Declarative Clauses)
• Unmarked Theme: The expected starting point, where the Theme naturally aligns with the grammatical subject.
o Example: [The dog] (Theme) | [barked loudly in the yard.] (Rheme) [1, 2]
• Marked Theme: When an element other than the subject (like an adverb, prepositional phrase, or object) is placed at the very beginning for emphasis or stylistic effect.
o Example: [Suddenly] (Theme) | [the dog barked loudly.] (Rheme) [1, 2]
2. Types of Themes
Under systemic functional linguistics (SFL), themes can be broken down into three main categories: [1]
• Topical (Ideational): The main subject or participant (e.g., The cat sat).
• Textual: Conjunctions or connecting words (e.g., However, ...).
• Interpersonal: Words expressing attitude or viewpoint (e.g., Frankly, ...). [1, 2, 3]
________________________________________
Why It Matters
Understanding this dynamic helps analyze how texts build cohesion and flow. The way a writer links the Rheme of one sentence to the Theme of the next is known as Thematic Progression, which establishes the overall readability and texture of a passage. You can read more about its application in academic writing via this Thematic Progression in English Writing Study. [1, 2, 3, 4]

If you would like to explore this further, let me know if you want to:
•
• See examples of Thematic Progression patterns (e.g., linear, constant)
• Analyze a specific sentence or paragraph together
• Dive deeper into marked themes in interrogative or imperative clauses
Let me know how you'd like to proceed.[/quote]

translating simple sentances | emphasis

Zea_Mays — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 11:56:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: translating simple sentances
Poster: Zea_Mays
Post title: emphasis

[quote]Samuel Murray wrote:

Well, both options are grammatically correct in English, so I suggest you put the "now" in the position that occurs most frequently in the language.[/quote]

I'd also say it depends where you want to place the emphasis.

translating simple sentances | Go back to school, now.

Cilian O'Tuama — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:43:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: translating simple sentances
Poster: Cilian O'Tuama
Post title: Go back to school, now.

It matters.

But you wrote before that you're a robot, so maybe not so much.

translating simple sentances | Contraction more idiomatic

Taran Johnston — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 19:09:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: translating simple sentances
Poster: Taran Johnston
Post title: Contraction more idiomatic

Either is correct, but the subject and verb should be contracted to “it’s” so that the whole sentence is in the same register.

translating simple sentances | @Gregor

Samuel Murray — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 16:04:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: translating simple sentances
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: @Gregor

[quote]Karletto123 wrote:
How do you translate simple sentances for example:
- "It is ok now." or
- "Now it is OK."
Where do I put NOW in targeted text? Does it even matter? [/quote]
Well, both options are grammatically correct in English, so I suggest you put the "now" in the position that occurs most frequently in the language.

[Edited at 2026-06-19 16:05 GMT]

translating simple sentances

Gregor Trebec — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:56:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: translating simple sentances
Poster: Gregor Trebec

Hi,

I am getting confused here and I would like to ask you who are more experienced and specialized in translation. These sentances that i am getting in a project are not using standardized terms or anything like that.
How do you translate simple sentances for example:
- "It is ok now." or
- "Now it is OK."

Where do i put NOW in targeted text? Does it even matter?

Quoting deadlines | Long quoting deadlines are common — don't overthink it

Rodolfo Abachi — Tue, 12 May 2026 13:23:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Quoting deadlines
Poster: Rodolfo Abachi
Post title: Long quoting deadlines are common — don't overthink it

I wouldn't necessarily worry about a two-month quoting deadline being a red flag. As others have mentioned, clients often don't fully understand how the job posting system on ProZ works, and they may have set the deadline generously without realizing it.

That said, if you're genuinely concerned about whether the project is real, there are a few things you can do: check the client's Blue Board rating to see if they have a positive track record of paying translators, look at how many jobs they've posted in the past, and send a quick inquiry to the poster asking about the project timeline. A real client will respond.

Long quoting deadlines are more of a curiosity than a warning sign, in my experience.

Quoting deadlines | Well...

Gregor Trebec — Tue, 12 May 2026 05:53:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Quoting deadlines
Poster: Gregor Trebec
Post title: Well...

[quote]Zea_Mays wrote:

There can be various reasons for this, or a combination of them:
- long-term projects
- high turnover due to poor pay
- filling/updating their freelancer database
- getting an idea of the current average rates charged by translators
- ... [/quote]

I wonder, if the project in the job ad is even real or are they waisting my time?

Quoting deadlines | Well...

Gregor Trebec — Fri, 08 May 2026 17:40:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Quoting deadlines
Poster: Gregor Trebec
Post title: Well...

[quote]Samuel Murray wrote:

[quote]Gregor Trebec wrote:
Why is [the] quoting dea[d]line almost two months long? To me [it] sounds fishy or else why would they have an open job for that long? [/quote]
[/quote]

Thank you for proofreading it. :D

Quoting deadlines | Relativity

kd42 — Fri, 08 May 2026 14:29:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Quoting deadlines
Poster: kd42
Post title: Relativity

It's because two months here is three days on Magrathea. Check the poster carefully.

Quoting deadlines | Various reasons

Zea_Mays — Fri, 08 May 2026 13:44:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Quoting deadlines
Poster: Zea_Mays
Post title: Various reasons

There can be various reasons for this, or a combination of them:
- long-term projects
- high turnover due to poor pay
- filling/updating their freelancer database
- getting an idea of the current average rates charged by translators
- ...

Quoting deadlines | @Gregor

Samuel Murray — Fri, 08 May 2026 13:37:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Quoting deadlines
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: @Gregor

[quote]Gregor Trebec wrote:
Why is [the] quoting dea[d]line almost two months long? To me [it] sounds fishy or else why would they have an open job for that long? [/quote]
This can easily be explained that the client is not intimately familiar with ProZ.com's job posting system and may not realize what exactly the effect is of selecting certain options in the job post form. They may not be aware of how job notifications are sent to freelancers, and that most people who might apply for their job are likely to apply for it within a single day.

Quoting deadlines

Gregor Trebec — Fri, 08 May 2026 10:10:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Quoting deadlines
Poster: Gregor Trebec

Oy!
Why is quoting dealine almost two months long? To me sounds fishy or else why would they have an open job for that long?

An idea... | Approval

Lingua 5B — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: An idea...
Poster: Lingua 5B
Post title: Approval

Not sure why you need our approval. It costs you nothing to try.

An idea... | Bad idea

Lieven Malaise — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:22:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: An idea...
Poster: Lieven Malaise
Post title: Bad idea

A general piece of advice: never do things that might give the impression that you are desperate for work, even if you are desperate for work. It puts you in a weak position and it will never be a solution in the long term.

An idea... | Don't do it!

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:23:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: An idea...
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: Don't do it!

I see no point in offering a client a language they clearly have no need for. For example, I only translate into European Portuguese. Offering my services to a client looking for a Brazilian translator would not only be a waste of the client’s time but would also reflect badly on me.

An idea... | Don't do it

kd42 — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:07:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: An idea...
Poster: kd42
Post title: Don't do it

[quote]Gregor Trebec wrote:
Should i respond and offer them translation[/quote]

No, it is a waste of time. Even writers and pop singers know that.

[url removed]

[url removed]

An idea... | @Gregor

Samuel Murray — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:33:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: An idea...
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: @Gregor

[quote]Gregor Trebec wrote:
Should i respond and offer them translation in my - Slovenian language pair? [/quote]
If you have a genuine belief that they are probably interested in your language pair, then I don't see a problem.
[url removed]

An idea...

Gregor Trebec — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:22:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: An idea...
Poster: Gregor Trebec

Oy!
I noticed many times job ads are exluding my language pair. The poster is searching for pairs of all countries around me, but not mine! Probably it is because we are small in size...
Should i respond and offer them translation in my - Slovenian language pair? In fact, i once had a client that wanted to assign me two language pairs, even tho i signed up for one only.

Contacting the vendor himself | Couldn't agree more

Yasutomo Kanazawa — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 07:16:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Contacting the vendor himself
Poster: Yasutomo Kanazawa
Post title: Couldn't agree more

[quote]Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:

The only way I see possible to contact the end-client is if the agency goes bankrupt... [/quote]

The safest and smartest way without getting into trouble.

Contacting the vendor himself | Not even for info

Peter Motte — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:07:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Contacting the vendor himself
Poster: Peter Motte
Post title: Not even for info

It's even not appreciated if you contact the end client to ask something about the translation you're working on. Ask questions via your project manager or client.

Contacting the vendor himself | Because you did it all wrong

kd42 — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 18:11:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Contacting the vendor himself
Poster: kd42
Post title: Because you did it all wrong

[quote]Lingua 5B wrote:
So I coupled with two other affected translators and we started messaging end client employees on LinkedIn, also sending a bunch of emails to the end client company. Responses? Zero.[/quote] In similar circumstances I always write to Santa or bury a note under an oak at midnight. Works about the same, but is more fun.

Contacting the vendor himself | Not only that

kd42 — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 18:08:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Contacting the vendor himself
Poster: kd42
Post title: Not only that

[quote]Lingua 5B wrote:
It’s impressive how you believe you’re the only translator in your language pair providing exceptional results for an agency and how you are irreplacable. The amount of self-absorption is impressive. [/quote]
Not only that.
My inbox contains several messages of this sort:
Dear kd42!
The long dispute is over, after you jointed the discussions and offered your patient and clear explanations the client admitted that this is the best option, and they relaunch their XXX and asked us to allocate more resources for future orders.
--
Additionally, I don't make spelling errors in the word "ireplasable".

Contacting the vendor himself | Again, not necessarily true

Rachel Waddington — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:55:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Contacting the vendor himself
Poster: Rachel Waddington
Post title: Again, not necessarily true

[quote]Peter Motte wrote:

[quote]Rachel Waddington wrote:

[quote]Peter Motte wrote:
A big client is not interested in the services a single translator can offer, because they usually have lots of language combinations to deal with. It's not translations they want, it's translation management.
Some of my end-clients ask for more than a dozen target languages. Contacting something as big as Coca-Cola is a waste of time. Even if they have different departments. [/quote]

That's not necessarily true. One of my direct clients is a very large and well-known company. They do all the things that agencies normally do themselves and just outsource the translation work. Working for them is rather like working for an agency. [/quote]

... but of course, in that case they won't have hired an agency, which means they won't be the end-client of an agency, which means no translator will try to skip the agency with which they're working.
So, the question whether you're allowed to contact them directly after you have worked for them via an agency, is not an issue.

[Edited at 2026-03-02 14:08 GMT] [/quote]

Also not necessarily true. I know the company I have in mind also outsources to agencies at times. You can't assume that just because a company is dealing with agencies they don't also use freelancers. (Not that I recommend poaching your clients' clients).