(Before you say anything, I am fully aware that writing the word “hamster” and “urban legend” in the same blog post is simply asking for it. I can just picture the flood of misguided visitors, but what the hell…)
Whenever translators huddle around a campfire and toast marshmallows, there is an oft-heard urban legend:
I have seen translators deliver 10,000 words of post-edited MT a day (provided that the MT is high quality). At $0.05 a word that’s $500 a day or $10,000 a month. Not a bad salary for a freelancer.
I, personally, would like to meet this character. I’ve heard so much about him/her. Is he bathing in the glory of his $500 words a day? Does she spend nice, long vacations in the Caribbean? Is he stress-free and high on life? Are her dimpled cheeks rosy from the daily kiss of the Mediterranean sun on her complexion?
