Video on YouTube: Heike Kurtz in an interview with John Worne, CEO The Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL).
Executive Assistant in international companies:
Self-employed translator
The ATA (American Translators Association) has published a very informative booklet which offers guidance to clients on how to find the right kind of translation service provider: Translation: Getting It Right
What does a translation cost?
About as much as a meal in a restaurant.
You think that there are differences depending on the standard?
That’s right!
You send me your foreign-language text; I take a look at it and then provide you with a short summary regarding its subject and contents.
If you wish, you can highlight specific passages in the text which you find to be especially important. I will then send you a binding quotation for an exact translation of these passages.
I will translate your texts accurately - based upon the source text and my expertise. Then, I have a qualified colleague proof-read the text (“double check”) and I provide you with the German version of the foreign-language text, and, where appropriate, with comments regarding country-specific particularities.
To send me your text, please use the secure upload feature of the contact form so that I can send you a binding quotation. For reasons of security, I advise strongly against the transmission of unencrypted emails.
You and I get together and you explain to me in detail who the text is aimed at, what the text is used for and what the message is that you want the text to transmit - and I provide you with a quotation for my services.
Then, using the source materials, I create a draft version of the German text.
In close collaboration with you or with your advertising specialists, we develop a final version which exactly fits your company and your message.
I only offer this service in German in order to ensure the native-speaker quality and that certain “feeling for the language”.
A clear “it depends.”
Occasionally, I do translate texts into my foreign languages that are of highly technical nature and for which nice-sounding formulations as used in marketing are of lesser importance than the correctness of the translation (legal texts, annual reports) – under such circumstances, it may even be an advantage to rely on the specialist knowledge regarding the source text. These texts are proof-read - or double-checked - by a native speaker, whenever possible.
I translate texts which are expected to be nice to read for the target audience and which deal with the cultural customs and particularities of the target country solely into German. I will be happy to recommend qualified colleagues who are native speakers of other target languages and who will be glad to help you.
No. I prefer staying with my core competencies.
If you need a translation from another language, don’t hesitate to ask. I meet many competent colleagues at seminars for continued professional development and industry conferences whom I am glad to recommend.
Machine translations are helpful tools when one quickly needs to understand at least what a foreign language text is about. You should, however, under no circumstances regard machine translations as being a replacement for translations done by a professionally qualified translator because:
Show your customers and business partners your respect and appreciation also by providing them with an accurately translated text, which they can understand easily and through which you transmit your corporate message to your customers.
Note: I also work with “translation software,” so-called CAT-tools (“Computer Aided Translation”). These are complex systems based on relational databases, with which I can access previous customer-specific translations. Your advantage:
Do you have any further questions? Feel free to contact me - I am happy to assist you.
Heike Kurtz Übersetzungen
Heike Kurtz
Heimensteinstraße 10 73230 Kirchheim unter Teck
Tel: +49 (0)7021 860372 Fax: +49 (0)7021 860373 www.kurtz-translations.de mail@kurtz-translations.de