Here’s a list of questions you may have if you are not very familiar with translation and interpreting services.
Here’s a list of questions you may have if you are not very familiar with translation and interpreting services.
Learn more about my different types of services and how the process works. Keep reading!
Interpreting:
Whenever the translation is performed by speaking, instead of writing, we call it interpreting.
If there is a conference, a congress, a symposium, or any event where there is a speaker whose words are translated into other languages almost at the same time, we call it “conference interpreting”, which usually takes the shape of either consecutive interpreting or simultaneous interpreting.
If a conversation takes place between two or three people during a business meeting or a bilateral talk, then it’s called bilateral or liaison interpreting.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other word would smell as sweet.” (Shakespeare).
It goes by many names among the laymen, including oral or spoken translation, real-time translation, live translation or simultaneous translation, but it is the same thing. Simultaneous interpreting is used to convert what the speaker says into another language in real time.
This mode of interpreting makes it possible to organise inclusive meetings, as participants who do not speak the same language can work together efficiently.
The advantage of simultaneous interpreting is that it doesn’t disrupt the original flow of delivery and doesn’t extend the duration of the event.
Consecutive interpreting is a form of oral translation where the interpreter listens to a speech of up to 5 minutes and then renders it in the other language. For the translation to be as accurate and faithful to the original as possible, the interpreter uses a personal note-taking system to note down the key ideas.
This mode of interpreting is best suited for events where there is a foreign-speaking guest addressing a monolingual audience. It does not require any interpreting equipment (headphones, booths, etc.) other than pen and paper, thus allowing the client to cut costs.
The downside of consecutive interpreting is that it doubles the duration of the event.
Bilateral interpreting is a form of oral translation the interpreter performs between two or three people during a conversation, which may be a business meeting, an interview or a bilateral talk.
The interpreter translates both ways what are typically short interventions, thus engaging actively in the conversation and helping to clarify any cultural barriers or misunderstandings that may arise.
It doesn’t require any equipment other than pen and paper, a good memory and good people and communication skills.
If you are organising a big multilingual conference with a large audience, then you will typically need a conference audio transmission system and sound-proof booths where the interpreters will transmit the translation from. The audience can listen to the translation via a set of headphones which receive the language channels from the booths.
If, on the other hand, the event is small and the number of participants is limited, you can opt for a portable tour-guide system called Infoport or bidule (radio transmitter and microphone). The interpreter listens to the speaker(s) and talks into the microphone in a low tone of voice, and the audience receives the translation via the headphones.
There are various platforms that offer a “language interpretation” feature nowadays, including Zoom, WebEx, Microsoft Teams, as well as many Remote Simultaneous Interpreting (RSI) platforms such as VoiceBoxer, Interprefy, Verso, Kudo, Verspeak, Ablio, to name a few.
You will need to make sure that the platform of your choice for your online conference is equipped with this feature first. If it is, then you’ll just need the interpreters’ emails to assign them as interpreters in the event settings. You will also need to make sure that all the speakers use professional USB microphones (either tabletop microphones or headsets with an integrated mic) as well as a stable, Ethernet connection from a silent room.
My advice is, consult with your trusted interpreters if you are not sure about what platform is best suited. They will guide you and help you make the wisest choice for you.
It depends! To quote an interpreting service, I take into account the duration of the event and how much preparation it requires. I typically charge a full-day rate which cannot be fractioned, but I can adjust the rate if the event lasts less than 4 hours, is online or on-site, or requires simultaneous, consecutive or bilateral interpreting.
The average daily rate I charge is €500 euros, which is subject to adjustments based on the factors mentioned previously.
Contact me and I’ll be happy to give you a more precise quote after we’ve discussed your needs!
Yes, but doing so will imply a 15%-50% surcharge on the interpreting fee. My output is protected by the legislation on intellectual property and copyright. If you wish to use it, I will apply a surcharge based on the use you wish to make of the recording (keep it for internal use only, draw up minutes, publish it on your company’s website or YouTube, stream it online, etc.).
Let me know where my recording will end up and I will specify the applicable surcharge in the quote.
Translation:
It depends! I typically charge a per-word rate, which takes into account the nature of the document, its level of complexity and technicality, the study and documentation process required before getting down to translating, as well as any formatting that may be involved.
Send me your document or show me your online content and I’ll give you a detailed quote.
As a rule of thumb, my translation rate starts at €0.12 per source word and I apply a minimum €50 fee for texts with fewer than 150 words.
Admin/Other:
Gladly! I am always delighted to travel for work. Take me with you to your venue, in Italy or abroad.
Payments can be done via bank transfer, PayPal or Wise.
If it is the first time we’ve worked together, I require upfront payment of the full cost of the service. As soon as you sign, accept and return the quote to me, you can make the payment and I will issue my invoice for you.
If we establish a long-term cooperation with a steady workflow, then I will be happy to schedule monthly payments to be made by the 10th of the following month.
If the project consists of a bulky translation, 30% will be paid in advance and the rest will be paid in instalments which we will agree upon together.