Chinese Whispers in Translation Project Management

Anglicity's previous blog was inspired by Rob and Nick Carter's art collection after Warhol. In many ways, the comparison of translation with the Chinese Whispers game was too obvious. Comparison with translation project management practices may actually be more relevant today.

Direct contact

The current translation business model closely resembles Chinese Whispers. Translation companies are very reluctant to allow freelance translators and clients to speak to each other directly. They fear that either the client will take the translator, or the translator the client. There are times in a project when the translator is the best person to speak directly with the local office.

Multiple links

Many clients are unaware of how many links there are in a translation agency production line. In some agencies, translation project managers act as little more than a mailbox. Often agencies employ other agencies. There may be a marketing agency in the mix too. The translator's project manager may be very distant from the end-client too. Even the translation agency's client may have several internal "stakeholders" behind him. So a message will pass from person to person as in Chinese Whispers and get distorted. If a translator asks a question, the message may pass through many hands and interpretations.

Anger on both sides

As a client, I often felt frustrated that my brief obviously hadn't been passed on to the translator. When I first turned freelance, I was very surprised at how angry some translators are with their unseen clients. I fear that much of this may be the result of the "Chinese Whispers" effect. 

Positive experience

Wherever agencies allowed their freelancers to contact my country managers directly, the experience was generally positive. It was a pity that this was only generally permitted in the event of a complaint. As long as the translator has the right personality and training, the experience leads to greater respect and understanding on both sides. Both parties need to ensure the project manager is kept informed at all times.

Fears and risks

What of the risks? Most marketing departments simply do not have the resources, headcount, expertise or interest to deal with numerous freelance translators. The project manager remains the most important liaison point.

Brand guidelines

There is a risk that brand guidelines are eroded in a "secret deal" between the translator and the local office. This can be monitored. And a few "infractions" can usually be tolerated if justified for cultural reasons and goodwill.

Content agency freelancers

And what of the translator? No risk at all for some. A large number of translators seem quite content to work only with agencies. They can rely on them for marketing, proofreading, a regular supply of work and income.

Client poaching?

Agency agreements can prevent any client poaching. Stealing a client could result in expensive and time-consuming litigation. In the translation community, everyone seems to know everyone else. A freelancer who gains a reputation for poaching clients will soon find their work dry up. It is simply not worth the risk.

Translator poaching?

As a client, it is simply not worth the hassle of upsetting a good multi-language vendor for the sake of a single freelance translator. Agency fears seem overstated. Often clients would like the translator to come into their offices, but remain on the agency's books.

Combined role or extra planning?

If they allow translators to work more directly with their clients, should today's project managers fear redundancy? Some translators are already very competent at combining project management and translation roles. There is nothing new here. Projects for use on multiple devices are becoming increasingly complex. Tomorrow's project manager will have an even greater planning burden. The best project managers spend time upfront to prevent problems down the line.

SME Clients

Clients who are new to translation buying need a lot of hand-holding and cultural advice. The larger companies are increasingly unable to deliver this type of service. They prioritise large multinationals. SMEs do better to work with groups of freelancers or small agencies.

Let's make professional translators more visible to clients. If more clients work directly with professionally trained project managers and translators, the status and reputation of the whole community can only improve. Fears and risks seem overstated. 

Let's reduce the Chinese Whispers.

If you would like to reduce the Chinese Whispers and work directly with a freelance translator and experienced project manager, contact karen@anglicity.com.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is a
French to English
translator, content writer
and marketing consultant.
In this blog, Karen draws
upon her experiences of
working with agencies
and freelancers as a client,
translation buyer and project
manager.

Chinese Whispers from art to translation

In the game Chinese Whispers, a message is passed from ear to ear. The message gets more and more distorted with each whisper. The more ears in the line, the greater the final distortion. London's Fine Art Society is currently displaying a fascinating art collection called Chinese Whispers. The traditional view of translation is glaringly obvious, but all is not that simple.

Art after Warhol

Rob and Nick Carter based their pictures on the works of pop artist, Andy Warhol. The Carters chose some 20 Warhol artworks. They commissioned small reproductions by professional Chinese artists. A second Chinese artist then copied the picture again in a different workshop. The process continued over and over again. Each new picture after Warhol is formed from 30 such pictures. In the case of Warhol's Last Supper, there are no fewer than 50 black and white replicas.

This "photocopying" leads to small changes from picture to picture. If you compare picture 1 in the top left corner to picture 30 in the bottom right, the original after Warhol is sometimes totally unrecognisable.

The Carters' Last Supper begs the question about distortions in the Bible. The Bible's stories were passed down by word of mouth after all. Certainly, Christ's features were already lost in picture 4. The table survived longer. I couldn't help wondering if culture played a part. Would a Western artist have done a more exact replica?

The Five Dollar Bill in the gallery window seemed good from a distance, but poor on closer inspection.  The Won Ton lettering on Campbell's Soup Can reproduced fairly well. The Studebaker Silver Hawk passed relatively unscathed. It just had a bit of a fender bender. The Still Life two jugs with glasses and fruits after Warhol had seen better days. Some overindulgence by the Chinese artists maybe?

Translator, traitor?

The Chinese Whispers exhibition cries out that famous Italian saying "Translator, Traitor" (Traduttore, tradittore). It suggests an inevitable loss of meaning and culture from the author's original work. Individual features may well be lost in the transfer of meaning from one language to another. The Carters' have created a fascinating new collection of artwork after Warhol. A professional translator creates a new work, respecting the original's meaning, style and tone.

Art of translation

If anything professional translators get a bad press. Many commercial translations are improvements on the original. Chinese Whispers in reverse? Now how could the Carters' depict that? 

Invisible contributors

One final thought: Warhol and the Carters are credited. The individual Chinese artists remain unnamed and invisible... just like translators.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is an
entrepreneurial French
to English translator,
content writer and
marketing consultant.

For further information 
on Anglicity's content
marketing services 
contact karen@anglicity.com