Amtrad Translations

My name is Katherine Mérignac. As managing director of Amtrad, I take personal responsibility for the successful completion of your projects. Associate of the Institute of Translation & Interpreting, I stand by the quality of my work. I am very responsive, generally replying within the hour to all messages sent between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. (CET) from Monday to Friday. I thoroughly examine every project before proposing a delivery date and price quote. I work with a handful of experienced language professionals whom I know personally. My colleagues specialize in a variety of fields, and I will always choose the most suitable translators for your project. I only work with language professionals who share my commitment to quality.

No. Translation agencies generally work in a wide variety of language pairs, making it impossible to systematically monitor quality before returning a completed project. Amtrad Translations only offers French-English translation services, and I personally involve myself in all projects. I will never return a text without having first proofread and checked it to ensure that it is of the same high standard that Amtrad customers have come to expect.

We only offer French-English translation services, our specialty. Should you require services involving other language pairs we may be able to refer you to a suitable language professional.

This depends on the level of service that you have chosen and on the number of language professionals working on your project. Approximately 1500 words of text for distribution may be translated per day. A little more time is needed for a translation that is to be published. Over the long term, the increasing size of your TM may reduce turnaround times.

Send glossaries, TMs or previous French-English translations performed for your company. Also, provide the translator with a direct contact at your company and ensure that any questions about the translation are answered in a timely manner.

When Amtrad begins working with a new client, a TM, or translation memory, is created using computer-aided translation software. If the client is able to supply previous translations, these may be uploaded to the TM. Subsequent translations will then be added to the TM. The size of the translation memory increases over time and gradually becomes an invaluable tool in terms of terminology consistency. It can also significantly reduce project turnaround times.

MS Word or plain-text files are the simplest and most cost-effective to work with. However, we are also able to work with most other file formats. More complex file formats do not usually increase the cost of a translation, but they may increase turnaround times. In rare instances an additional hourly fee may be charged for file processing. This will be clearly stated in your price quote.

First of all, provide your document as a Word file. You can also send us a glossary, a TM, or previously translated material. This will speed up the process and make it possible for us to work with your company's standard terminology without spending time on unnecessary queries.

At Amtrad Translations, we aspire to quality. We take our work seriously, and constantly work to offer high levels of service. We build long-term relationships with our clients, who know that they are able to entrust us with their projects safe in the knowledge that they will receive a high-quality translation on deadline. We strive to make the experience as comfortable and stress-free as possible.

Amtrad Translations offers two levels of service. The cost of your translation will depend on the level of service requested and on the subject matter. Please feel free to contact me for a free quote.

Prices vary according to the number of language professionals required to complete the work. A translation that is to be distributed to a wide audience will require the work of two language professionals. This is reflected in the price of the service. Three French-English translators will work on a translation that is to be published. Pricing may also be affected by subject matter: a highly technical scientific document requires the additional skills of a specialist, and the cost of the translation will reflect this.

Why is it necessary to proofread a translation produced by a language professional?

Ideally, a translation is performed in three stages. First of all, the text is translated from the original, or 'source', language into a 'target' language. The translator begins by carefully studying the text, paying particular attention to style, terminology, content and message. When work is performed by an experienced language professional, the resulting translation is of a high quality and may be readily used for information or internal purposes.

If a translation is to be distributed to a wider audience, it is important for this text to be proofread. The proofreader will compare the source and target texts, searching for possible inconsistencies, checking grammar and rewording sentences that may not sound natural. The proofreading stage is particularly important when the translator is working to a tight deadline and does not have time to put the text aside for several days before reviewing it.

For literature that is to be published, a final stage is recommended: editing. The editor checks the finished translation without referring to the source document to ensure that the text reads as an original piece of work and not as a translation. In this instance, the source text is only referred to if the translation contains passages that need to be revised for clarity.