Author - vpedchenko

The Translator’s Buddy #14: Rates, Fates, and Life Beyond Translation

Even if you have not touched them in years. Ten years of data from Eurostat, BLS and Statistics Canada inside. The Translator's Buddy · Issue #14 · 4 August 2026 · ISO Week #32 Rates, Fates, and Life Beyond Translation Is 2026 the first time a machine has walked into a text profession? It is not. By my count, it is at least the third. When Gutenberg's press spread across Europe, the first people it hurt were the copyists, professionals who earned their living...

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The Most Boring Way for a Freelance Translator to Keep More of Their Money

The Translator's Buddy, Issue #13. Plus: why "good enough" is a real skill, and the secret group where 15,000 translators have each other's backs. Here's something every translator learns the hard way: some things refuse to cross a border. Take the number 13. You'd render it as "13" in any language, and be completely wrong, because the fear attached to it doesn't travel. Tell an Italian your hotel has no 13th floor and they'll shrug; their unlucky number is 17. Say it...

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The Translator’s Buddy — Issue #4

  Don't say no too fast — negotiate the deadline instead. Plus: the one hardware upgrade that actually matters, and we dismantle another eye-care myth. The Translator's Buddy ISO Week 14 · April 2026 · Issue #4 Hi and welcome 👋 This issue comes with a small delay thanks to the holiday season. But better late than never — and the delay actually fits today’s first topic surprisingly well. Because one of the easiest ways to lose a project is to treat every tight deadline...

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The Translator’s Buddy — Issue #3

My dentist has never asked me to recommend him. Not once. Six years. He fixed a cracked molar at 9 PM on a Sunday, for free — I still don’t know how he picked up the phone. He’s brilliant. I’d happily tell every person I know. 🦷 But he never asked. So I never did. Turns out this is not just my dentist’s problem. A Texas Tech University study found that 83% of satisfied customers are willing to refer a business — but...

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So how does AI actually translate?

Theory John Searle, a philosophy guy from back in 1980, devised an odd but compelling thought experiment. The Chinese Room is its name. Consider someone imprisoned in a room with a massive rulebook. Though they can follow the guidelines to match symbols and give back flawless Chinese responses, they cannot understand Chinese. From the outside, they seem to know. but inside? Not at all clear. Just symbol-shuffling. Searle's point is A machine may seem intelligent, but that...

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Happy Holidays!

Greetings to all our friends and partners! We want to say a big THANK YOU. You've helped us and Ukraine so much during these tough times. It's strange to see how smart machines are growing fast, while some crazy things still happen in the world. But we keep smiling and looking at the stars, hoping for better days. We've got a new friend to share with you, our new company mascot, — a robot that reminds us to always look forward and...

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