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9th ProZ.com Translation Contest: "Business" » Russian to English

Competition in this pair is now closed.

Source text in Russian

Несмотря на то, что место программиста сулило спокойную работу, неплохие заработки и хорошую карьеру, Андрей без всяких сомнений покинул насиженные места и вступил на тернистый путь предпринимательства. Естественно, что ни о маркетинге, ни о продажах он и понятия не имел. Всему приходилось учиться на практике, набивая шишки в общении с покупателями.

Несмотря на все сложности, Поминову удалось завоевать клиентов, о которых мечтает любая компания. Как же предпринимателю-самоучке, работающему прямо в собственной квартире, удалось добиться такого успеха?

…По счастливому стечению обстоятельств, в один день с Андреем в Академии появилась чуть ли не первая в Советском Союзе партия болгарских персональных компьютеров. И у руководства возникла мысль перенести уже существовавшие словари с больших ЭВМ на персональные компьютеры. За полгода сделали работающий прототип словаря, который и лег в основу будущего Мультитрана.

Словарь планировалось продавать организациям (других покупателей в конце 80-х просто не было), однако в стране наступил кризис, возникли перебои с финансированием и проект стал умирать. Чтобы спасти то, что уже было сделано, энтузиасты, в числе которых был и Поминов, создали совместное предприятие. Так как денег на него никто не выделил, СП просуществовало всего полгода.

Возник довольно острый вопрос: кто станет хозяином продукта. «Здесь я, можно сказать, перетянул одеяло на себя, - вспоминает Андрей, - так как уже несколько месяцев сидел дома и занимался словарем в одиночку». Так Мультитран стал «домашним» проектом: Поминов сидел в обычной квартире, доводил его до ума, а в свободное время ездил в Европу за подержанными автомобилями и одеждой. «Покупать я тогда очень любил, а вот продавать – нет. Наверное, потому что продавать надо уметь», - смеется он.

…Время показало, что фирма – слишком много для одного человека, и Андрей переквалифицировался в индивидуального предпринимателя, ведь при такой организации бизнеса никаких «бумажек» практически не требуется…

…Недавно Поминову позвонила девушка из агентства, занимающегося проведением опросов, и спросила: «Это квартира или офис?» «Ну, даже и не знаю…», - замешкался он. Компьютер в своей квартире Андрей не выключает уже много лет: «Офис – дома, напротив – почта, через дорогу – банк, в том же доме
провайдер и сервер с Мультитраном. Этот «золотой треугольник» можно обойти за 10 минут».

«Если честно, я не могу сказать, каким именно будет сайт лет через десять.» - признается Андрей.

The winning entry has been announced in this pair.

There were 13 entries submitted in this pair during the submission phase, 7 of which were selected by peers to advance to the finals round. The winning entry was determined based on finals round voting by peers.

Competition in this pair is now closed.


Entries (13 total; 7 finalists) Expand all entries

Entry #8707
Winner
Voting points1st2nd3rd
123 x400
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.273.00 (15 ratings)3.54 (13 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 12 "like" tags
  • 7 users agreed with "likes" (17 total agrees)
  • 8 users disagreed with "likes" (33 total disagrees)
+5
Despite the promise of a quiet job, decent earnings, and a good career as a programmer
Flows well
John Farebrother
-2
1
thorny path of business ownership
Good term selection
schlosser (X)
-4
+1
1
Naturally, he had no clue about marketing or sales. Everything had to be learned in practice
Flows well
John Farebrother
-7
1
hitting all the bumps
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
-1
+2
other customers simply didn't exist in the late eighties
Flows well
Judith Hehir
-2
+2
established a joint venture
Flows well
Judith Hehir
-5
hogged the blanket
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
-2
+2
Over time, it became clear that the firm was too much for one person
Flows well
Judith Hehir
-3
re-licensed
Good term selection
John Farebrother
-2
re-licensed
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
-3
+2
The office is here at home
Flows well
John Farebrother
-2
+3
“The office is here at home, the post office is across the way; down the street is the bank, and the provider and Multitran server are in the same building.
Flows well
Judith Hehir
Entry #10750
Mark Berelekhis
Mark Berelekhis
United States
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
112 x41 x21 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.413.29 (17 ratings)3.53 (15 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 7 users entered 21 "like" tags
  • 9 users agreed with "likes" (51 total agrees)
  • 6 users disagreed with "likes" (29 total disagrees)
-5
1
Despite the fact that the computer programmer position came complete with steady work, a fat paycheck and promising career opportunities
Flows well
IlyaI
+3
didn't think twice
Flows well
Judith Hehir
-3
+2
abandoning familiar pastures
Good term selection
Jeff Skinner
-4
+1
cutting his teeth on real-life customers
Flows well
IlyaI
-2
+3
wish list
Good term selection
IlyaI
-1
+2
1
It took another six months to develop a working prototype of the dictionary which laid the foundation for what later became Multitran
Flows well
IlyaI
-1
+1
the country was hit by a crisis, the financing became erratic,
Flows well
Lina Episheva
-1
+1
erratic
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
-2
+1
dissolved
Good term selection
IlyaI
+3
This brought up a rather sensitive issue:
Flows well
Lina Episheva
+4
since at that point I had already spent several months working on the dictionary at home by myself
Flows well
Judith Hehir
+3
seeing to the project’s proper development
Flows well
IlyaI
-2
+1
Selling – not so much
Flows well
IlyaI
-1
+4
you actually need to know what you’re doing
Flows well
John Farebrother
-1
+5
Probably because as a salesman, you actually need to know what you’re doing
Flows well
Judith Hehir
-3
+2
drastically reducing
Flows well
John Farebrother
-2
drastically reducing the amount of paperwork needed for his business
Flows well
katerina turevich
+2
from an agency conducting a survey
Flows well
Judith Hehir
+6
“Umm, I’m not sure…”
Other
Creative t​ranslation​ of "Ну," ​in this co​ntext
Judith Hehir
-1
+2
The office is at home, the post office is across the street, along with the bank. In the same building is the provider with the Multitran server
Flows well
IlyaI
+5
ten years from now
Flows well
Judith Hehir
Entry #8456
James McVay
James McVay
United States
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
112 x41 x21 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.283.27 (15 ratings)3.29 (14 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 9 "like" tags
  • 8 users agreed with "likes" (20 total agrees)
  • 4 users disagreed with "likes" (21 total disagrees)
-2
+5
comfort zone
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
-3
+2
he didn't know the first thing about marketing or sales
Flows well
Mark Berelekhis
-3
+2
he didn't know the first thing about
Flows well
Judith Hehir
-4
+2
1
to learn on the job
Flows well
Judith Hehir
-3
+2
Since the company had no financial backing
Flows well
Mark Berelekhis
-2
+2
This raised a rather pressing question: who would own the product?
Flows well
Mark Berelekhis
+2
putting the finishing touches on the dictionary
Flows well
schlosser (X)
-3
+1
the company was too much for one person
Flows well
Judith Hehir
-1
+2
requires very little in the way of paperwork
Flows well
Judith Hehir
Entry #10105
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
112 x41 x21 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.213.21 (24 ratings)3.21 (19 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 12 "like" tags
  • 7 users agreed with "likes" (28 total agrees)
  • 7 users disagreed with "likes" (20 total disagrees)
-3
+1
Even though the position of a programmer looked promising in terms of stress-free work, a nice income and a great career, Andrey didn't hesitate to
Flows well
John Farebrother
on Andrey's first work day
Good term selection
Contrary t​o what I t​hought ear​lier, this​ is correc​t.
Susan Welsh
-4
+3
port
Good term selection
John Farebrother
-2
+2
the country ran into a crisis, the availability of funds diminished,
Flows well
Judith Hehir
-2
+1
wither
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
-1
+3
In an effort to
Flows well
Judith Hehir
-3
+2
Nobody was willing to fund it though
Flows well
John Farebrother
-1
+2
vexing
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
-4
+3
At that point I sort of imposed my own decision,"
Good term selection
John Farebrother
+4
Probably because selling requires skill
Flows well
Judith Hehir
+5
a decade from now
Flows well
John Farebrother
Entry #10018
Susan Welsh
Susan Welsh
United States
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
61 x41 x20
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.433.58 (12 ratings)3.27 (11 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 12 "like" tags
  • 6 users agreed with "likes" (18 total agrees)
  • 8 users disagreed with "likes" (34 total disagrees)
-7
+1
1
lthough a job as a programmer promised steady work, decent wages, and a good career, Andrei, without a moment's hesitation
Flows well
John Farebrother
-2
+1
he hadn't the slightest grasp of either marketing or sale
Flows well
Lina Episheva
-3
+2
gaining experience the hard way
Flows well
John Farebrother
-3
+2
1
crisis hit the country, financing
Flows well
John Farebrother
-2
+2
To save what had been accomplished so far
Flows well
John Farebrother
-2
+2
was no funding for it
Flows well
John Farebrother
-3
+1
1
rather critical question
Flows well
John Farebrother
-5
+2
1
I decided to look out for number one
Flows well
good idiom
John Farebrother
-1
+1
fine-tuning the work
Flows well
John Farebrother
-1
+2
1
fine-tuning
Good term selection
Lina Episheva
-5
1
Office at home, and vice versa
Flows well
John Farebrother
+2
I can't say what the site will be like ten years from now
Flows well
Judith Hehir
Entry #10096
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
61 x41 x20
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.373.44 (16 ratings)3.29 (14 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 12 "like" tags
  • 7 users agreed with "likes" (29 total agrees)
  • 6 users disagreed with "likes" (12 total disagrees)
+2
Although computer programming offered a calm work environment,
Flows well
Lina Episheva
+4
t was all a matter of on-the-job training
Flows well
Lina Episheva
-5
pray tell,
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
-1
+4
As luck would have it,
Flows well
John Farebrother
+4
Management came up with the idea to transfer
Flows well
Lina Episheva
+1
In six months' time
Flows well
IlyaI
+4
he project lost momentum
Good term selection
Lina Episheva
+4
In order to salvage what had been accomplished thus fa
Flows well
Lina Episheva
-1
+3
1
went into business together
Flows well
Lina Episheva
-2
I ended up with the long end of the stick
Good term selection
Lina Episheva
-2
+1
"I sure loved to buy things at the time. But sell? No way!" he laughs.
Flows well
IlyaI
-1
+2
So Andrey set himself up as a sole proprietor
Flows well
katerina turevich
Entry #9635
John Farebrother
John Farebrother
United Kingdom
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
41 x400
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.113.00 (16 ratings)3.21 (14 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 7 "like" tags
  • 5 users agreed with "likes" (9 total agrees)
  • 5 users disagreed with "likes" (10 total disagrees)
-2
+3
Despite the promise of quiet work, reasonable pay and a good career
Flows well
Judith Hehir
-1
+2
1
without a second thought
Good term selection
Judith Hehir
-1
+1
earn everything on the job
Flows well
Judith Hehir
-2
+1
1
sorting out hiccups
Good term selection
Mark Berelekhis
-1
+1
How did a self-taught businessman, working from his own flat, manage to achieve such success?
Flows well
Judith Hehir
-1
+1
In order to save the work that had already gone into it
Flows well
Judith Hehir
-2
Here I pulled the blanket onto my side, as it were
Good term selection
Susan Welsh