12/02/2010

Chinese quality

First, I get what everybody would consider spam:

"... Ltd is a dynamic, growing translation agency ... translators, with rich practical experience, are certified in China. ... We do our best to provide first class quality, because satisfying the needs of our clients is our main goal.
Your early reply is appreciated!

I did answer:

>China?
>No thank you.

Response:
Hi Sir:
Can you tell me why? Why do you refuse Chinese company?

>I am wasting my time, but since you ask ...
> From personal experience I know, that Chinese just love to spread false
>information (less politely = lie) and deceive (= cheat).
>I would never volunteer to work for Chinese again.
>
>Have a look at your national TV: they proudly announce that they again
>"succeeded" in "using" foreign intellectual property (patents,
>trade marks, characters etc., which is naturally protected as
>intellectual property on a global scale) -> that means THEFT!
>
>Try and buy ANY piece of software (music, PC), books, branded articles
>(Rolex) from China.
>You get about 100% PIRATED products. That also means THEFT!
>
>A bunch of pirates (Chinese even admit that themselves!). I don't like
>pirates.
>
>And ... since I am a service provider myself, I naturally don't care
>about your "services".
>But of course, since you probably send these mails to millions of people
>(that is called "spam". I don't like that either), you did not notice.
>
>(Did you notice that your "high quality English" is rather funny?
>"Hi Sir" -> "Hi" is used colloquially among friends, "Sir" is a formal,
>honorific address. These do not fit together.
>But, well, Chinese quality ...

Dear Sir:
Thank you for teaching me a lesson. If you don't absolutely know our Country's
condition, you can't stand the position to address the follow words.

I suppose, this last sentence means, that I have not enough information/knowledge to judge China. Would that include the worldwide known fact, that almost all products from China are pirated? All those "copied" Chinese products - I find it extremely hard to imagine, that the respective Chinese makers are paying the holders of the real brands any premiums.
Personally, I have not yet seen ANY product of really good quality, that had on its back somewhere "Made in China". This goes from acupuncture needles, over books, consumer products to some special order-made cast iron parts for a coal mill, worth several million dollars(!!!) I had the privilege to investigate during an interpretation job. And, naturally, that goes also for translations. I know of books, that have been "translated" into Chinese, significantly altering the content, so that it suits the communist party rules, and is on sale in China, but the Chinese pay no royalties whatsoever to the author. Even though I do not have any concrete further information myself, I find it hard to believe, that this is exception.

So, and now this (and other) translation agency comes along and wants me (everybody) believe in their sincere efforts, honesty, credibility and high quality. Well, I can speak only for myself. In case anybody would like to place their orders with the mentioned company I gladly pass on the address ...

** Two days later I got the EXACT SAME mail from the same person, who thereby verified herself, that she is distributing spam. Naturally low quality spam. (The highly educated, certified  supertranslators apparently were not able to find, that "Frammaker" is misspelled. But I am sure, every other piece of work will always be flawless ...)