因互联网而生的“众包”在我眼里颇具魅力,而与此相关的“众包翻译”已不是新词。为了让产品快速本地化,Facebook 早在08年就通过用户的众包翻译快速做出 60 种语言版本的 Facebook 网站。
在公司全球化的今天,将产品、知识库、市场活动等企业内容本地化的翻译需求并不小,曾负责 Windows 7,Windows Phone 等全球发布活动的前微软员工钟卫告诉我,2012 年全球翻译外包的市场规模有 335 亿美元,而中国内需翻译市场也有 300 到 400 亿人民币。正是因为亲历企业内容本地化的需求,钟卫创办了众包翻译Ratonwork,打算用互联网的形式从中分一杯羹。
总体来说,Ratonwork 是一个连接有翻译需求的垂直企业及专业译者的众包平台,目前以中英文为主,专注的领域包括 IT、医疗和电子商务,曾服务微软、Google、Adobe、Nokia 等公司。在这个平台上,Ratonwork 除了将双方对接起来,还承担了两个比较重要的任务:企业翻译需求标准化及专业译者的培养。
对于使用 Ratonwork 的 B 端用户来说,他们可以通过文件的上传、复制视频链接将需要翻译的内容放到平台上,并根据自己的需要选择不同级别的翻译、校对服务。目前 Ratonwork 除了支持 Word、Excel、PPT、PDF 等文件类型的翻译外,还能对视频做字幕的翻译、托管。在收到需要翻译的内容后,系统会对文件进行任务标准化,在分发给译者之前,就对翻译内容做好关键词检索、文章预审、段落裁剪、定义难度、机器翻译预处理、匹配候选译者等工作。
与结合了语言学习和众包翻译的DuoLingo(已获得 1500 万美元融资)积分刺激类似,注册 Ratonwork 的译者可以将 Ratonwork 看作是一个翻译领域打怪升级的地方。在通过专业测试后(如中译英、英译中),用户将可认领任务升级技能,在达到 3 级后(大概需要两周)即可开始认领有偿的任务。相比威客网站,Ratonwork 有针对译者的绩效评估体系,可以从译者的翻译语言、文件类型、领域几个维度为译者划定属性,并会根据企业、市场的需求将译者往特定属性培养,从而为译者提供更多的有偿任务。目前 Ratonwork 的译者已有 1000 人。
负责 Ratonwork 市场的刘剑说,他们希望 Ratonwork 可以在未来成为一个真正的翻译平台。而在钟卫看来,互联网时代的产品本地化意味着需要翻译的内容不仅是文本这么简单。Ratonwork 计划做视频外更多的互联网化产品翻译,比如邮件、手机 app、游戏内容、网站的翻译等。而为了提升翻译效率,他们还开发了针对翻译的在线协作工具,让有翻译、校对需要的小组可以在同一文档内进行多人同时工作;让译者更快认领任务的手机 app 也在开发当中。
就像我们在介绍另一家众包翻译公司TextMaster时说的(TextMaster 的主要市场在欧美、拉丁地区,已获得 164 万欧元的投资),这样的平台能让更多人选择自由职业。钟卫曾和不少翻译公司、译者打过交道,在他看来,传统的翻译行业往往链条更长,更多的利润流向了既得利益者手中。Ratonwork 想做的是缩短这个链条,让译者不依附于传统翻译公司,同时获得更多的收益,而 Ratonwork 作为平台也可以获得一定的回报。在团队的蓝图中,Ratonwork 想成为翻译界的淘宝,未来服务用户除了针对企业,还会面向中小商家、个人用户。但现阶段的团队会先从针对大公司的服务入手,让整个系统先转起来。
讲到初创公司如何获取大客户时,钟卫说到了 Ratonwork 针对企业所做的企业文档库直连。在他看来,想获得大公司的订单,为他们提供便利是很有必要的。“不要指望公司专门因为你的服务去一个个文件上传,一个小插件让他们觉得上传文件很方便,后续才会有更多生意。”
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
PresidentBushDiscussesEconomy
THE PRESIDENT: Earlier today I spoke with members of my economic team. They updated me on the state of our economy. This morning we learned ...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
PresidentsRadioAddress
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Its not every day that Americans look forward to hearing from the Internal Revenue Service, bu...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
PresidentBushDiscussesFISA
THE PRESIDENT: Last month House leaders declared that they needed 21 additional days to pass legislation giving our intelligence professionals ...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
PresidentBushAttendsNorthAtlanticCouncilSummitMeeting
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Secretary General, President Basescu, thank you all very much. For nearly six decades the NATO Alli...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
PresidentBushDepartsforNATOSummit
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Laura and I are on our way to a very important NATO summit, and members of the United States Congress are o...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
PresidentBushVisitstheEconomicClubofNewYork
THE PRESIDENT: Glenn, thanks for the kind introduction. Thanks for giving me a chance to speak to the Economic Club of New Yor...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
<P class=0 style="LAYOUT-GRID-MODE: char"><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,51,153); FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial'; mso-spacerun: 'yes...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
President'sRadioAddress
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. On Friday, I traveled to New York City to talk about the state of our economy. This is a top...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
PresidentBushParticipatesinJointPressAvailabilitywithPresidentViktorYushchenkoofUkraine
PRESIDENT YUSHCHENKO: (As translated.) Dear Mr. President, excellencies, ladies and ...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
President'sRadioAddress
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I'm speaking to you from Europe, where I attended the NATO summit and witnessed the hopeful pr...