FAQs

There are two things I have a passion for: the German language, and travel – especially to the German-speaking countries. My knowledge of the source language is such that I have frequently been mistaken for a German native. I also have extensive experience in the sector, working in hotels in Scotland and a luxury hotel on Lake Constance in Germany.

I also bring an unwavering belief that every day is a school day, and that we never stop learning. That applies especially to us as language professionals, and it is why I take Continuous Professional Development (CPD) so seriously. We constantly need to be learning, evolving and keeping up with the very latest in our profession and in our chosen specialist area, if we are to provide you with the top end service you deserve. 

Google Translate struggles where one word in the source language can have multiple meanings in the language you want your text translated into (the target language). It can produce complete nonsense.

Translation software is a tool I use myself to keep your translation consistent. If a sentence appears in a text once I store it so that when it comes up again I have it on file, for use again. This way, your translation stays consistent.

I do most of my work in SDL Trados 2021. I also have WordFast Anywhere, Across, and I can process a project in MemoQ if you have the server.

While English is the language common to the UK and the USA, there is a world of difference between the two variants, and no translator should ever translate into anything other than his or her own native version. There are simply too many pitfalls. Commonly used words can have completely different meanings depending on which side of the Atlantic Ocean you live, and while we can talk away happily drawing meaning from context, the terms for commonly used objects are often completely different. Below are examples from the areas of cars/transport/traffic, fashion and clothing, and politics and public life, that illustrate just some of these differences. And this is before we get into differences in spelling (e.g., colour vs. color; aeroplane vs. airplane; theatre vs. theater), or formatting (e.g., dates: day/month/year, as used in the UK or month/day/year as in the US?) It is one thing knowing all these pitfalls, but quite another not to know what you might have missed, simply because you weren’t brought up in that tongue. I therefore assure you that I will only ever work into UK English.