-
“Translation is a transformation.”
Photo (changes made): © Derek Ramsey; Creative Commons: CC BY-SA 2.5, CC BY-SA 2.0, CC BY-SA 1.0
German-English Translation Cologne
Native Speaker (English), Cologne
Translating well is simply hard work – and so can be finding a competent translator whom you can trust. Crafting a good translation takes time and requires honed language skills, expert knowledge, love for detail, as well as intercultural awareness.
Remember that English speaking readers are as unforgiving of the inept use of the English language as you are when it comes to texts written in your mother tongue.
The English translation you buy must therefore be an accurate rendering of both content and style of the German source text – without reading like a translation. To guarantee this, I translate exclusively into one language – English – even though I am bilingual. Furthermore, I make sure that "for-publication" translations are revised by one of my experienced colleagues.
You as the customer play an important part on the way to a good German translation by providing the following information:
- One generally speaks of two types of translations:
for-publication or for-information.
Which do you need? - Should the text be translated into US-, GB- oder Internationales Englisch??
- What kind of text is it and where will it be placed (magazine, website, sales brochure ...)?
- Who will be reading it and what effect should it have on the reader?
- Could you show me translations of similar texts produced for you in the past?
- Do you work with glossaries or terminology databases that would help me observe your corporate wording?
- Is there helpful background information that you could provide?
Translation prices can only be calculated after having a thorough look at the German source text. It goes without saying that any texts received are treated with utmost confidentiality.
My price calculations are based on factors such as the length and difficulty of the text and the type of translation (for-publication or for-information). I invoice per word of the English target text, which is common practice in Germany.
The amount of time that is needed for creative adaptations such as slogans, advertisements, and PowerPoint presentations varies greatly. This is why in these cases I do not charge per word, but instead per hour.
Additional fees may apply for rush-orders, weekend, or holiday work.
For more tips on buying translations, see “Translation – getting it right (PDF)“, an American Translators Association (ATA) booklet written by financial translator Chris Durban.
