My qualifications

Staatlich geprüfte Übersetzerin (IHK, Germany)
Diploma in Translation (Chartered Institute of Linguists, London)
Fellow of the Institute of Translation & Interpreting, Milton Keynes (ITI profile)

Certification

I can translate and certify official documents by including my stamp and adding a seal of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, of which I am a full member, or by adding a separate note. If you want to get married in Germany and need your birth certificate or certificate of no impediment etc. to be translated, I can arrange for this to be done by a sworn translator, as required by the German authorities.

Pricing & turnaround times

My charges are very competitive and are normally based on 1000 words of source language. For very short texts a minimum fee applies. Please allow at least 36 hours to translate up to 2000 words (subject to work in hand). Marketing texts take a little longer, to permit revision or proofreading by another independent translator.

Am I the right person for the job?

If you are unsure whether I am the right person for the job, give me a call so that we can discuss your requirements. It is my policy not to accept a commission unless I feel confident that I can deliver a translation of the highest standard. On request, I can supply names of referees as well as samples of previous work

Terms and Conditions

For a copy of my Terms and Conditions please click here.

Tips for buying translation services

Translator or interpreter?

Translators deal with written texts, whereas interpreters assist with the spoken word, for example at company visits, conferences or courts of law. Each task requires different skills.

Always use …

… a professional translator

If a job is important, don’t be tempted to use someone with only moderate linguistic competence unless it’s a case, for example, of simply finding out what a foreign document means. Translation is a specialised task and requires different skills from teaching a foreign language or speaking it well.

… a mother tongue speaker

In other words, to guarantee fluency and accuracy use a German native to translate into German or a French native to translate into French. Conversely, you will need an English native speaker to translate from German into English. Although this might not be essential when translating texts for information, it is an absolute must for anything which is to be published. Or would you have your company brochure written by a non-native English speaker?

Background info

Give your translator as much background information as you possibly can, i.e. tell him/her what the text is for, and provide any visual aids that you might have. An existing contact in the relevant country could be invaluable for help with specialist terminology.

Answering queries

If a translator asks questions about the text, it does not mean that he/she is incompetent. Quite the contrary: it means that the translator reads the text carefully and takes the task seriously.

Give the translator enough time

Translation is not just a one-by-one exchange of words. Instead, the text has to be re-written in the other language, and producing highly readable copy takes time. Just consider how long it took to write the original English …

Proof before print

Always have typeset copy proofread once more before sending it off to print. Small mistakes creep in all too easily!