Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long will translation take?
A: A common question you hear in the translation industry is ‘how long will it take?’ Specific translation turnaround times depend on the number of words, the format, complexity and subject, among other things. You’re welcome to have me to take a look at your files for a quick assessment. Feel free to submit them by email or simply call me at +49 8274 997363. Rest assured that I will treat all inquiries with utmost confidentiality.
Q: Will turnaround times for follow-up jobs be shorter?
A: That depends. If the jobs are very much alike, turnaround times will become shorter over time. It is therefore well worth your time to invest into a lasting partnership with a specialist translator you’ve come to trust.
Q: How much will a professional translation set me back and can’t Google Translate or DeepL do just as good a job?
A: You pay for the best product development and manufacturing. Your legal and administrative people are top-notch. You choose your advertising and marketing partners with utmost care. And then you pick the lowest bidder for your translations. There’s a good chance you’ve just made a costly mistake.
Tip: There is no such thing as a free lunch. Free online translators are very popular—Google alone serves up more than a billion translations a day. It’s important, though, to understand what you get when you use any free machine translation service. You should also be aware that they store and use your data to learn. That’s fine for a public webpage for your family trip, but not for your company’s confidential material.
Pricing generally depends on several factors, including:
- Language pair (e.g., English > German)
- Level of difficulty and length of the text to be translated
- Intended project start and desired delivery date*
- Certification (notarization) of translation yes/no (info) (Read more)
- Special features such as special formatting, OCR, file formats, etc.
- Purpose and target audience of the translation
- Your contact details
*Quality takes time. For particularly short delivery times, please ask for my express or weekend service.
I am looking forward to your inquiry! Feel free to contact me for your free consultation.
Tel. 0049 8274 99 73 63 | fax: 0049 8274 99 73 53 | mobile 0049 160 94 94 33 84 | e-mail: office@susanne-henke.de
Q: Can you provide certified translations and why is this important?
A: Yes, I can. In Germany, only translators publicly appointed and sworn in by a German court are authorized to carry out certified (a.k.a. notarized) translations, accepted by virtually all authorities worldwide.
Sworn translators declare their authorization to carry out certified translations by endorsing the translated document with their name, signature, stamp and date as well as with the following notation:
As duly appointed and sworn translator for [language] by [court], I hereby certify that this is a true and complete translation of the certified copy/original of the English/German document presented to me.
It is a prerequisite for sworn translators in Germany either to have passed a state examination or hold a university degree in translation sciences in their respective languages. They are obligated to secrecy by law ( § 189 Sec. 4 German Judicial Systems Act) and must faithfully and dutifully transfer the spoken or written text into the respective other language.
Certified translations into German are always complete translations of the source document, including crossed-out words or notations without direct reference to the document, if applicable. Fee stamps, stamps or seals are also translated. Extracts are not accepted by German authorities.
Tip: Authorities in Germany may not accept translations by foreign translators even though they may be sworn in. It is also possible that a German authority does not accept such a translation even if the German Consulate or German Embassy has accepted it. I therefore recommend that you entrust a translator publicly appointed and sworn in by a German court with your documents.
Q: Why work with a professional translator specializing in your field of business?
A: Why is a technical translator so imperative for a technical text? Two words: specialized terminology. That is, each technical term has a precise meaning. If the translator fails to convey the precision of the term, the translation fails in its purpose.
For example, “titrate the reagent at a rate of 10ml per minute” may require a translator who understands titration. Some languages, especially those from a culture with a scientific legacy, probably have an exact equivalent of the term. Other languages may not. In either case, it’s the translator’s job to convey the scientific meaning.
A non-scientific translator who lacks an understanding of titration might Google the term and attempt to render it literally. If the source text is English, the translator might use target-language terms such as “pour,” “measure,” and “analyze.” These, however, fail to convey the precise definition of the word.
Q: Which languages do you offer and what distinguishes you from agencies that offer every language and area of specialization under the sun?
A: My range of working languages includes my native language, German, as well as English and French. Based on my formal qualifications, I got publicly appointed and sworn in for these languages. After pursuing my degree in translation and interpreting, I spent several years working in the U.S., where I expanded her network and perfected my language skills.
Tip: Consider whether you want to trust a supplier who claims to be able to supply all languages and all subject areas! With your firm’s reputation at stake and the potential for substantial financial settlements, you shouldn’t take any risks.
Even the much-cited networks of hundreds of native speakers should be treated with caution. How close can such an employment relationship be, under what conditions are texts translated into the foreign language, how qualified are the “translators” and do you even begin to know whom you place your trust in?
My areas of expertise, on the other hand, are well known to you. The About page provides a comprehensive overview of my qualifications and you are welcome to click here to view my references. Instead of a pig in a poke, you are buying premium quality from a boutique translation outfit you trust. What else sets me apart? A passion for lifelong learning and the highest quality standards. Contact me today at office@susanne-henke.de.
References: https://theatacompass.org/
I am looking forward to your inquiry! Feel free to contact me at any time for your free consultation.
Tel. 0049 8274 99 73 63 | fax: 0049 8274 99 73 53 | mobile 0049 160 94 94 33 84 | e-mail: office@susanne-henke.de
