Peter Shortall wrote:
I take it to mean two or more translators working jointly on one or more projects.
I am about to start work with another translator on a subtitling job, the reason why I'm working with someone else is that I wanted to work with a native speaker of the source language who can clear up any doubts or difficulties I have with the source text. I worked with the same translator on a similar job last year and it went very well. I did the writing and he read through my translation to check my understanding of the SL. We divided the text into sections. I sent him a section, he read through it and then we had a Skype chat about it, discussing the queries I had raised and any observations he had. My colleague was more experienced in subtitling than I was and was able to give me valuable insights besides clearing up all the doubts I had and filling in the gaps in my understanding of certain things. The subject of the documentary was fascinating, the text was interesting from a linguistic point of view, I got on very well with the other translator (a fellow ProZian), the client was very happy with the end result and I feel it was one of the best pieces of work I've ever produced, thanks to the other translator's help. I wouldn't want to work on a job like that any other way.
I recently worked on a project in a very similar way. I asked a former colleague to proofread me, and it was just like old times when we worked together at the agency. It's really great to have someone else's insight, especially when you know you can trust them not to get nit-picky for the sake of it. However, we each billed the client separately as freelancers, there is no formal structure. My status forbids me from outsourcing work at any rate.
I believe there are some kind of formal structures, for example when a bunch of freelance translators get together to bid on a call for tender. Didn't the EU specifically encourage such bids at some point? I thought it was called a pool rather than a team?
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