Professional translations in English and German
Building bridges with words: your message, my mission.

In addition to an excellent knowledge of the source and target language, a good translator needs to have an extensive skill set. This includes among others cross-cultural competences, writing talent, research and terminology skills and the ability to use technical resources such as CAT tools. A good translation is an independent, fluent text. When reading it, you should not notice that it has been translated from another language.

Nevertheless, translator is unfortunately not a protected job title. Therefore, it is all the more important to choose a language service provider carefully.

Here are just a few points that I consider particularly important:

• Native language principle: We have the highest linguistic competence in our native language – even if, as professional translators, we have near-native knowledge in the foreign language. This is why I primarily translate from English into German. Depending on the type of source text, I make an exception for certificates and very fact-heavy texts. Please contact me and I will check whether I can provide a translation for your text.
• Qualification: A certain degree is not automatically a guarantee for quality. However, to successfully practice this profession, you need far more skills than ‘just’ good language skills. My education as a foreign language correspondent and state-certified translator helped me to acquire the necessary competences.
• Professional associations: I am a member of the BDÜ, the German Federal Association of Interpreters and Translators. To become a member and be entered in the official database, you have to provide reliable proof of your qualifications as a translator. The BDÜ does important work in educating about our profession and offers a wide range of further training programs. Continuous professional development is essential in our line of work. 
• Expertise: Translating specialised texts also requires specialist knowledge. The industry-specific terminology must be correct and complex concepts that may not exist in the target language must be conveyed understandably. As I have almost 10 years of professional experience in international business in different sectors, I can provide you with customised specialist translations in the fields of business, finance and marketing. I always take cultural differences into account and focus closely on your target group.

Do you need translations of your personal documents to submit them to authorities, courts or administrative offices? Then you will most likely need a certified translation. These can only be issued by a sworn translator and bear a certification note and stamp. The certification verifies that the translation is correct and complete. Please note: It does not certify the authenticity of the original document!

To become a sworn translator in Germany you have to prove your professional and personal suitability and take an oath before the respective regional court or higher regional court.  You are also sworn to maintain confidentiality.

Where possible, the form and layout of the certified translation should be aligned with the original document. As the documents are usually only available as scanned PDF-files, this can require a rather time-consuming formatting process. Therefore, the price depends on the estimated time needed and not just on the amount of text.

In some cases, an additional apostille or legalisation may be required for international documents. If necessary, I can apply for this for you at the respective regional court. Please enquire in advance whether this type of legalisation is mandatory.

When it comes to certified translations, I prioritise precision and speed so that you receive your finished translation as speedily as possible.

The price of your translation depends on various factors. These include, among others: length of the text, complexity, required research, file format, urgency, formatting effort, text type and specialisation.

Consequently, it is hardly possible to quote a price without having seen the text first. For a personalised offer, please send me the text by e-mail to contact@me-translation.com or via my enquiry form.

While translators convey the written word of documents such as certificates, contracts or manuals from the source language into the target language, interpreters convey speech orally.

There are different types of interpreting for specific situations. For example, a distinction is made between consecutive, simultaneous, whispered and liaison interpreting.

I work solely as a translator. If you need interpreting services, you are sure to find suitable colleagues via the BDÜ (German Federal Association of Interpreters and Translators) database.

Like the price, the delivery time also differs based on certain factors. Depending on availability, workload and text length, a translation may take more or less time. When sending an offer, I will usually specify the estimated delivery time.

Please let me know in your enquiry if you need your translation particularly urgently on a specific deadline. I will let you know as soon as possible whether I can meet the deadline given my current capacity and whether an express surcharge may apply.