Angelika Albani

Sworn translator
for the English language

Language
German English

My Quality Guidelines

A top quality translation is not a matter of chance. Quality work requires know-how and experience. The following factors are vital in achieving top quality:

Translator’s qualification

Thanks to a university degree in English and two extended study periods abroad, I have acquired a sound proficiency in the English language. I qualified as a translator by taking the Bavarian state examination for translators. In 2000, I was sworn in by the President of the Nuremberg-Fuerth Regional Court and registered as a certified translator. Working as a technical translator in the industry for several years has enabled me to sharpen my skills in practice and specialize in a variety of disciplines.

Preparation

Every translation job requires careful preparation. The following questions should be addressed in advance to ensure a smooth workflow. For this purpose I drew up two checklists, one for industrial customers and one for private customers which may help not to forget anything important:

Text volume, price, deadline

A translation estimate is usually based on standard lines or, where translation tools are involved, on a word count. If the original text is provided in electronic format, I will be able to calculate its volume, i.e. the time and cost involved, much more precisely than when dealing with a hardcopy. This enables me to respond more flexibly to the desired delivery date and be precise about the feasibility of this deadline at the same time.

Target audience and language

Who will be the readers of this translation? Is the text to be published, or is it for the customer’s internal use only? Is it confidential? Is the translation intended for an American, British or international audience? I will have to adapt the spelling, lexical style and idioms according to its target region and audience.

For document translations: Do you require a certified translation, or even an apostille for its use abroad?

Can your company provide reference texts, or do you use a corporate terminology? Your assistance in this respect is not only welcome but essential for quality assurance reasons. In many cases it may be useful to name an expert for content-related questions in addition to the business contact.

Close cooperation with customers

I consider close cooperation with my customers very important, not only in the run-up to a translation project, but also when work is in progress, because an exchange of information helps improve the workflow and avoids mistakes. Some questions can only be clarified after I have dived “deep enough” into the text, and sometimes a desired nuance of meaning or a subtle message, in advertising text, for example, can only be conveyed when I get the chance to discuss it with my customer. This helps me adapt the text to fit the target audience perfectly. And when the job is done, I appreciate your comments and welcome any criticism or suggestion you may have, as this helps me further improve my service. Please give me your feedback!

Terminology

A good translation is characterized by a consistent use of subject-specific terminology. Careful terminology research is one of my quality standards. I use Trados MultiTerm as a terminology management system. Wherever possible, I work with a translation memory system. This tool excel by the fact that previously translated texts can be accessed independent of the former document type and format. The tool can also recognize text variations and suggests similar solutions. This ensures that translations are always consistent with regard to terminology and style.

Quality assurance

Each translation will be carefully checked for its content, completeness, linguistic correctness, spelling, style, and formatting before it is sent to the customer. This quality check is performed in two runs. Where necessary, and on your request, a native speaker of the target language will be involved in the process. Thus, every text gets the perfect finish, and you can always rely on its quality.

Always in time

It is one of my principles to meet deadlines at all times. I am fully aware that the time factor becomes more and more important in bringing new products to market and that most of the product-related documentation is compiled when product development is but close to the finishing line. I make every effort to respond flexibly to these time constraints. This is why I use translation memory tools wherever feasible. Preliminary work and maintenance of these tools, however, take some time in itself, so that a well-coordinated workflow is essential. For this reason, you should supply all documents and reference material in good time before translation actually starts. Here I need your cooperation to be able to work fast and smoothly.