Jutta Diel-Dominique

Technical & Medical Translations from English into German
Diplom-Übersetzerin  (eq. to Master's Degree in Translation)

ATA-Certified English>German

Why a professional translator?

Yes, many people speak German -- a relative who took some classes in high school or even college, your secretary with foreign language training, or your colleague who went to Germany or Austria on many an occasion and appears fluent or at least comfortable holding a conversation. Some of the people you know may even have taken advanced language classes in school or lived abroad for an extended period of time. They would love to help you with your project and you know them and are comfortable with them, but can they really do what a professional translator was carefully trained to do? 

Do they have the education, tools and knowledge to turn your brochure, website, IFU or operations manual into the superior product you and your company deserve and your clients need? A translator must understand the text he or she translates and be able to render it into the target language without errors. A professional translator was educated and trained in the subject matter of the translated text (engineering/technology, medicine, law or business/economy) and speaks the language like a native speaker.

A correct, well written and thoroughly researched translation shows your clients that you went the extra mile in customer care, service and commitment. 
A good translation done by a professional often is the best marketing tool!

What makes a good translation? A good translation is correct in grammar and spelling and renders the factual information of the source-language document in a natural, idiomatic style -- just like the original. A good translation uses terms consistently. Often, a good translation goes unnoticed by the reader, because the reader cannot tell it is a translation to begin with. 

What makes a good translator? First of all, a good translator can base his or her work on a solid education in the subject matter, languages as well as on translation experience. A good translator listens to you, asks about target audience and inquires about the purpose of the translation. A true professional asks questions -- before accepting and while working on your project. A good translator carefully researches technical information and always checks back with you, the client, when anything is unclear.

The Institute of Translation and Interpreting in London (ITI) published an informative brochure (in English) with helpful and practical information on buying translations. You can download this brochure here.

So why continue the guesswork? Talk to a professional translator whose native language is German and who has been educated and trained in both languages and specific areas of expertise. 

When you decide on who will be trusted with your project, you should find out all you can about the professional whom you select. You should know that your project is in good hands. I invite you to compare and make an educated decision. I look forward to your call or e-mail!