Services

Translation is not only about changing words from a language into another, it is about conveying your message to your French audience. High quality translation requires, in addition to fluency in the given languages, a thorough understanding of both countries' culture and idioms. Without such linguistic skills and knowledge the translation will almost certainly contain mistakes and could, in certain circumstances, result in costly misunderstandings. I take a careful and methodical approach in my translation work, paying meticulous attention to detail including background research of the translation topic when necessary.

Proofreading is a standard service to ensure that the spelling and grammar of a French text is correct and consistent throughout.

However, proofreading is not only concerned with spelling mistakes; it is also about ensuring that the text conforms to French conventions in matters of, for example:

• use of upper and lower case characters

• presentation of numerals (e.g. the comma used as a decimal point)

• use of punctuation (including spacing)

• use of acronyms

Only the French text, translation or text written by a non-native, is needed for this service.

Revision is a more in-depth service to ensure that the French translation accurately conveys the meaning, style and 'atmosphere' of the original English document. In other words, the aim is to ensure that the text reads like French, not translated English!

I will compare the original English text to the translated document to make sure that the translation:

• employs consistent and appropriate, subject-specific terminology throughout
• uses appropriate cultural references
  
• accurately conveys the meaning of the original
• is adapted for its intended purpose and tailored to its target audience

To ensure a quality service, I will only review translations in the subject areas I specialise in.

As a qualified member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, I am entitled to certify translations and use the ITI seal. Mainly supplementary to revision, this service is to certify that the text is a true and faithful rendering of the original. I may also certify my own translations, but as a reasonable precaution my work would be verified by another qualified translator.