FAQ with regard to interpreting and translating: English - Russian

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Frequently Asked Questions
Interpreting, Translating, Language Courses
English - Russian - German

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Whom does this web site of E-R-D address?
What are the services offered by E-R-D?
I have an urgent order. Tomorrow morning... Is that possible?
What is the meaning of "E-R-D"?
Does "E-R-D" also offer services with other language pairs?
What is the difference between interpreting and translating?
How can I be sure that the interpretational / translational work of E-R-D is correct?
May I rely on the deadlines agreed upon with E-R-D?
Does E-R-D guarantee confidentiality of the provided information?
Can E-R-D guarantee cheaper interpreting / translating than its competitors?
Does the interpreter resp. translator have to be acquainted with the context?
When should I contact E-R-D with my interpreting / translating order?
How much does my translation with E-R-D cost?

Dear Visitor!

Having had a look at these questions and answers you might have still further ones. To do some saving on your telefone bill we have gathered these questions and still further ones within a PDF-file. You could download it, save it on your computer and read it offline on the monitor whenever you want. If you want to download the file now: click here please. (size about 130 KB)

Whom does this web site of E-R-D address?
This web site of E-R-D addresses managers and decision-makers in industry and at public / governmental institutions that have a need for language services. That concern oral and written communications. Our basic languages are English, Russian, DGerman (= E-R-D); via qualified and reliable external colleagues we may also help with other language pairs. For details see our PDF-FAQ please.
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What are the services offered by E-R-D?
Interpreting, translating, language courses are the most important services of E-R-D. We provide also support in the preparation of conferences, meetings, international cooperations etc. If desired we shall also help with the organisation of the necessary technical equipment (interpreters' booths, electrical equipment, microphones, headsets etc.) for your meeting. In the case of translations we supply "ordinary" translations but also camera-ready manuscripts or even the final printrun, CD or web sites. As you like it!
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I have an urgent order. Tomorrow morning... Is that possible?
It depends. Don't hesitate to contact us at your earliest convenience. E-R-D has managed such unexpected urgent orders with success - in spite of extremely tight deadlines.
However, such quickies are not recommended. More appropriate would be information and agreement well in advance of time when the translation is really needed.
Often the original of the text has had weeks or even months to mature. A qualified translation can not be handled by a machine. For us it is most important that all participants are happy with the result of our work. Up to now we could ensure that also in all cases.
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What is the meaning of "E-R-D"?
"E-R-D" is derived from "Englisch - Russisch - Deutsch/German". These are our main languages. At least one of the permanent members of staff of E-R-D has English resp. Russian resp. German as his/her native tongue. All these colleagues have more than three decades of experience with at least two of our main languages. Such a fundamental knowledge and experience with these three languages and cultures enables our team to provide reliable and high-quality work. In addition our translations will as a rule be checked from A to Z by a member of the team not directly involved in the original translation. Reliable and competent work and quality control have absolute priority. The competence of the different team members relates not just to the linguistic side but also to experience (and degrees) in technical subjects, in natural sciences and economy. One section of E-R-D is localized in the pictoresque midlands, in Birmingham (UK); another part may be found in the Heidelberg area (Germany).
By the way, for about 20 years one of the members of our team has been busy teaching students of Slavonic studies and Russian at Birmingham and Aston (Birmingham) Universities. Another one taught for about 15 years Russian to students becoming interpreters, translators, economists at the universities of Heidelberg and Mannheim (Germany).
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Does E-R-D also offer services with other language pairs?
Yes. Together with qualified and experienced colleagues we offer interpreting and translating involving the following language combinations:
German <==> Croation
German <==> French
German <==> Lithuanian
German <==> Serbian
German <==> Spanish
We shall update this list as the need arises. If you don not yet find YOUR language pair at this place please to contact us. Possibly we could help you.
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What is the difference between interpreting and translating?
An interpreter translates the spoken word into another language: speeches at conferences and meetings, hearings at court, seminars, excursions, when showing visitors around your premises etc. A translator deals exclusively with written communications to transfer them into other languages: letters, contracts, brochures, catalogues, technical instructions and manuals, books etc.
Interpreters and translators are two different professions. Within a university course the subjects and examinations are rather similar for the first terms. Then the student has to decide whether s/he wants to earn her/his degree in interpreting or translating. Obviously the demands of daily life are also rather different for the two professions. Please bear that in mind when you need language support:
Not every interpreter is able to provide a good written translation and vice versa. Therefore it would be wise to specify your needs as precise as possible. If in doubt: ask as please and don't rely on assumptions that might deceive you.
Our team offers you interpreting and translating.
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How can I be sure that the interpretational / translational work of E-R-D is correct?
Interpreting and translating is a matter of trust - not of "blind trust". The permanent members of our team have not only a sound education but also several decades of experience with their working languages. All of them spent considerable periods of time in the respective countries so that they do not just know the theory but as well the real life with all its facettes. At least one of our permanent team members has one of the three E-R-D-languages as his native tongue. In spite of such good presumptions we rely very much on the "four-eyes-principle". As a rule each translation will be checked in detail by another member of the team. In other words: all your projects are handled by highly qualified experts and they are subject to careful quality control conducted by experienced members of our team.
So far we could always meet the demands of our clients. Occasionally customers asked us to translate anew texts originally translated by others since either the customer or other parties involved (e.g. authorities) did not accept the original translation of the third party.
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May I rely on the deadlines agreed upon with E-R-D?
In the past (some of us have 30 years of experience with translating / interpreting) we could always be in time for interpreting appointments and deliver our translations in time. We shall do everything we can to ensure that this will hold in the future too.
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Does E-R-D guarantee confidentiality of the provided information?
Yes. Although physician, tax advisor, barrister, interpreter, translator are placed on different levels as far as the law is concerned, strict confidentiality is for all these professions a fundamental principle. Also in the own interest: Who would consult a member of one of these professions if he were not sure that the partners would keep everything confidential? We wouldn't.
Thus strict confidentiality is an elementary presuppositon for all members of these professions. So there is no reason to worry - unless transactions are concerned that evidently violate the law.
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Can E-R-D guarantee cheaper interpreting / translating than its competitors?
Not "cheaper". However to our conviction "more cost effective"; good value for your money.
The difference is fairly well known to everybody. Presumably everybody of us has more than once in his life taken the chancde to make a quick "cheap" buy to find later on out that the "cheap" applied to quality and customer satisfaction and not to the price. A pint of beer would have been a better investment...
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Does the interpreter / translaor have to be acquainted with the context?
Do you expect him to do quality-work? Then he should know environment and context. A speech isn't the same as a web site; your company brochure isn't a catalogue; a novel isn't a specification for spare parts.
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When shouold I contact E-R-D with my interpreting / translating order?
At your earliest convenience. In the preliminary phase it is often to modify things in order to serve in the long run time and money. In industry it is a common place to be aware of the fact that raw resp. initial materials largely determine the efforts in terms of time and money as required at the succeeding production stages and to know that they influence as well the quality of the final products. - Why should it be different with interpreting resp. translating?
With the working conditions at your meeting, with the finished original of your text you provide raw /initial material which the interpreter / translator has to use to create the final result.
Organisations with a lot of experience that are striving for high- quality handle such things in an unexpected way: The original in the source language is only after completion of the translation handed out. Why? In an open, qualified, well paid cooperation the translator will be able to come up with many suggestions of how to improve the original; with suggestions that otherwise never would have been come up. How? He has to understand the text and to transfer it in an understandible and intelligable way into another language and another cultural environment.
Thus open minded customers use the interaction with their translator to improve their texts and to get rid of inconsistencies and problems that otherwise nobody would have taken notice of. An unqualified will not realize many of these pitfalls and s/he will certainly not be prepared to come up with questions that might indicate to the customer that s/he is not really qualified for the job. An underpaid tranlator will naturally not have the time for posing many questions and for checking details that were seemingly not considered to be of note when preparing the source text. After all, a lot of people enjoy their work but they are not working for fun and they have families waiting for the returns.
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How much does my translation with E-R-D cost?
Your garage, your barrister, your tax advisor - they all would respond to such a question with the answer "It depends."
It depends on what? On the particulars of your case; on the difficulty of the texts.
It depends as well on the country: In English-speaking countries one expects a quotation in terms of honorarium per thousand (English) translated words; in German-speaking countries people are more used to quotations in terms of standard lines (containing 50 alpha-numeric signs).
As everywhere else prices are a matter of discussion. However, as everwhere else: Pressing the business partner to go below reasonable limits it is unrealistic to exspect quality-work. Good work and quality control need their time and have their price.
At E-R-D we are proud that we did not yet loose a single customer because of problems with competence, quality, reliabiliy, confidentiality or because of inadequate service. We shall do everything to keep and still further raise that standard. There were some (potential) customers who did not place their orders with us, however, coming back to us after some dissapointments with "cheap" interpreters / translators.
If the offered honorarium is so low that either quality or reliability or confidentiality or service have to be sacrificed - all of which for us being elementary conditions for a satifactory service - then we prefer to leave the order to others instead of discrediting ourselves by producing questionable results.
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Dear visitor!
As remarked initially, we would like to ask you to download our more extensive PDF-FAQ (size: about 120 KB) if you have further questions to read it offline on the monitor of your computer.

You have further specific questions?
Please send us your question via e-mail, fax, letter or call us.
We are looking forward to your response and a pleasant cooperation!

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