Tel. 0201-8117747
Tel. 0157-73727372
info@nikol-sprachen.de
FAQ about translations in general
We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions about translations and interpreting for you in our FAQ:
What is the difference between translation and interpreting?
How expensive is a translation?
What do I need a certified translation for?
What does a simultaneous interpreter do?
What is an authorized translator?
How many interpreters do I need?
What is a native speaker?
What does standard line mean?
How long does a translation take?
What is the four-eyes principle?
contact details
Gundi Nikol communication partner
Bredeneyer Strasse 113, 45133 Essen, Germany
Phone: 0201-8117747
Fax: 0201-8117748
Email: info@nikol-sprachen.de
opening hours
- Mon - Fri
- -
- Sat - Sun
- Closed
What is the difference between translation and interpreting?
The difference between an interpreter and a translator.
A translator translates written texts from one language - also called the source language - into another language, the target language. The target language is usually the native language of the translator. (What is a native speaker?). The interpreter, on the other hand, translates the spoken word from one language into another. Depending on the nature of the interpreting, he interprets in one or both directions, with one of the two languages usually involved being his mother tongue. Both translators and interpreters have acquired their respective qualifications during their training at a university, technical college or possibly another state-recognized training institute. The main task of both professional groups is language mediation. When interpreting, the spoken word is transmitted, whereas when translating, documents such as certificates, contracts and operating instructions are processed.
Where do interpreters and translators work?
While the interpreter is usually present at conferences, negotiations or in court, the translator usually works on the PC. That is why the calculation of the fee for a translator and an interpreter differs (How much does a translation cost?). In Germany, the translator is often paid according to the number of lines (what is a standard line?) in a document, sometimes also according to the number of characters or words. A daily fee is usually charged for the interpreter.
Our translation agency in Essen works exclusively with professional translators and professional interpreters in order to be able to guarantee our own high quality translation service.
So do you need a native speaker as a translator or interpreter? If so, then get in touch with us right away. Call us at 0201-8117747.
How expensive is a translation?
First of all you should ask yourself: Do I need a translator or an interpreter? (What is the difference between translating and interpreting?). In both cases, however, no blanket answer is possible. Nevertheless, we try to shed some light into the darkness:
costs for a translation
In Germany, a translation is often calculated based on the so-called standard line (What is a standard line?). The price of a standard line can vary depending on the degree of difficulty, scope of the translation project, time requirements and translation effort. The desired language combination of the texts or documents to be translated is also decisive for the costs. In most cases, the calculation is based on the number of lines in the target language. For this purpose, we use line counting programs specially created for translation agencies. With these line counting programs, the usual Office formats, i.e. Word, Excel or Powerpoint, but also PDFs etc. can be easily counted. Please note that Word's line count function, for example, does not provide reliable results. However, since you would probably like to know directly what costs you will incur, we are also happy to offer flat-rate prices. This is particularly useful if one of the languages involved in the translation project does not use a Latin alphabet.
Interpreting costs
The costs for an interpreter also depend on various factors and above all on the type of interpreting (which types of interpreting are there? Simultaneous interpreting, consecutive interpreting, whispered interpreting, liaison interpreting, etc.). The fee for an interpreter is usually calculated according to a daily rate. Depending on the topic, an induction period with associated research makes sense. Travel costs, expenses, etc. and, of course, the duration and location of the interpreting assignment must also be taken into account. The number of interpreters is also important (How many interpreters do I need?).
If you are looking for a professional interpreter or a professional translator, simply contact our translation agency in Essen. Together we will discuss the scope of your planned project and provide you with a cost estimate.
Contact us by phone at 0201-8117747
What do I need a certified translation for?
Certified translation
A certified translation is usually required for submission to offices or authorities. Common documents that are translated in a certified manner are: birth certificates, marriage certificates, i.e. any form of civil status documents, but extracts from the commercial register, contracts or process documents are also required in certified form. But some employers would also like to see certain professional qualifications, references or certificates as a certified translation in the application folder.
What exactly is a certified translation?
A certification is the official confirmation that the source document and the translated document are identical in content. In NRW, the authorized translator (What is an authorized translator?) certifies the correctness and completeness of the translation. In other federal states, he confirms or certifies the translation. In any case, the same thing is meant and a translation made in one federal state can be used in any other federal state. A certified translation is provided with the certification note, the registration number of the translator at the respective higher regional court, the signature and usually the translator's round stamp. The right to certification or authorization is tied to the person of the translator and only applies to the languages for which the respective translator has been approved by the court. In order to be allowed to carry out a certification, the original or a certified copy of the original document must normally be presented. Sending it as a PDF or fax is not sufficient for certification, or in such a case it must be noted on the translation that only a simple copy was available. In most cases, however, this is not sufficient, so the client should find out beforehand what is required in his specific case. Since we are asked about it again and again: Translators are not allowed to certify the German or foreign-language original document - this is the task of a translator Notary or the Citizens' Registration Office, etc.
If you need a certified translation, contact our translation agency in Essen today. Call us directly at: 0201-8117747
What does a simultaneous interpreter do?
The duties of a simultaneous interpreter
The simultaneous interpreter uses two skills in carrying out his work: listening and speaking - hence the term "simultaneous". The transfer or interpretation of the spoken word into the target language takes place almost simultaneously. Since this activity usually involves a high level of mental (concentration) and physical (speaking) exertion, simultaneous interpreters always work in a team and usually take turns at 30-minute intervals. (How many interpreters do I need?)
What types of simultaneous interpreting are there?
Simultaneous interpreters work either in soundproof booths (cabin interpreting), which are made available at many events, or with a so-called tour guide system, which is used particularly outdoors (they are known from city tours or museum tours). Or in the form of whispered interpreting, in which the interpreter usually stands directly behind the person and whispers the translation into their ear.
Do you also need a simultaneous interpreter? Then contact our translation agency in Essen today and let us advise you. Call us at 0201-8117747.
What is an authorized translator?
Authorized translator or sworn translator
An authorized translator is a translator who has been appointed to this function by the competent Higher Regional Court and who authorizes him or her to produce a certified translation (What do I need a certified translation for?). The prerequisite for obtaining this authorization is proof of a high level of language competence, proof of sound knowledge of German legal language, etc. After the translator has proven that he has the relevant professional and personal requirements, he receives the relevant certificate from the Higher Regional Court (OLG) responsible for his place of residence Authorization, i.e. approval. Each federal state has one or more higher regional courts. There are three of them in North Rhine-Westphalia, namely the OLG Hamm, the OLG Düsseldorf and the OLG Köln. In some federal states, sworn translators are also referred to as sworn or sworn translators, although these differ only in the name, but not in the authorization to certify them.
Do you also need an authorized translator for your certified translation? If so, then contact our translation agency in Essen today and we will be happy to advise you on your request. Call us at 0201-8117747.
How many interpreters do I need?
Simultaneous interpreters always work in a team
The simultaneous interpreter is usually exposed to both high mental (concentration) and physical (speaking) stress. However, in order to ensure a high level of quality in the interpreting service, regular breaks are necessary. For this reason, simultaneous interpreters always work in teams that take turns interpreting (usually every 30 minutes). For a normal working day of 6-8 hours, you usually need at least two interpreters, and for all longer events that go beyond the stated limit, you should schedule three or more simultaneous interpreters (What does a simultaneous interpreter do?).
Still not sure how many interpreters you need? Then contact our translation agency in Essen today and we will be happy to advise you on your planning. Call us at 0201-8117747.
What is a native speaker?
Translations by native speakers
The native speaker is, as the word suggests, a person who speaks their mother's language. As a rule, this person also grew up in the same country as that mother and is familiar with the cultural peculiarities of the country. As a result, native speaker translators are often able to deliver a higher quality translation than a translator who has learned the language as a foreign language. As a professional interpreter or professional translator (What is the difference between translating and interpreting?), the native speaker has an advantage here, because as a native speaker he or she has a better command of even the smallest nuances of the language or dialects and can then transfer them more precisely into the target language .
Our translation agency in Essen therefore works exclusively with native speakers so that we can offer you a professional translation service that meets our own high standards.
So do you need a native speaker as an interpreter or translator? If so, then get in touch with us right away and give us a call at 0201-8117747.
What does standard line mean?
The standard line or standard line
The so-called standard line of the target text is the usual size for billing (What does a translation cost?) of a document to be translated for most German translation services, while in other countries the words or characters of the source text are often used as the billing basis. Legally or according to the DIN standard, however, no specific scope is specified for the standard line. There are ranges from 40 to 65 characters, with spaces or without spaces. Most translation agencies work with a line length of 50-55 characters. Letters, spaces, punctuation marks and special characters count as keystrokes. Since the number of lines cannot usually be counted correctly with word processing programs, we as a translation service provider use special line counting programs. So that you know in advance what costs you will incur, we usually also offer flat rates.
If you also need a professional translation, simply contact our translation agency in Essen. Call us directly at: 0201-8117747.
How long does a translation take?
The duration of a translation
Just like the costs of a translation (How much does a translation cost?), the duration of a translation also depends on various factors. The length of the document to be translated, the subject area, the degree of difficulty and, of course, the source language and the target language play a particularly important role. In addition, whether a special certification (Why do I need a certified translation?) of the document is required, whether the original documents have to be presented at our office, whether the order is to be processed by post or whether a courier service is used. The majority of orders are now processed by e-mail, so postage times can generally be ignored. Of course, our current workload always plays a role. If you have been in contact with customers for a longer period of time, you also have the option of booking appropriate capacity in advance so that your documents can be processed as quickly as possible as soon as they are available in your company express translation, so that overnight and weekend translations are also possible.
It is best to email us your texts or documents in full and we will inform you of the expected processing time as soon as possible. Call us at 0201-8117747.
What is the four-eyes principle?
Translations according to the four-eyes principle
As the saying goes: four eyes see more than two. The four-eyes-principle is therefore a control and safeguarding procedure for the quality assurance of a translation. Technically demanding texts go through the four-eyes-principle with us, i.e. the translation of your documents is first carried out by the appropriately qualified specialist translator (who usually into his mother tongue translated) (What is a native speaker?). This is then checked by another specialist translator. Ideally, this reviewer is a native speaker of the source language so that any misunderstandings, deficiencies, ambiguities in the source language that a native translator may not have recognized are detected and resolved.
In order to guarantee you an error-free translation, our translation agency in Essen works according to the four-eyes principle in order to meet our own requirements for the high quality of our translations. If you value a high-quality translation, then simply contact us and call us on: 0201-8117747.