MGLingua Language Services

Translation

I only translate into my native languages (Spanish and Catalan) and, thus, do not offer back translations, since translating is far more than just looking up words in a dictionary! In this sense, I adapt to the requirements of my clients and their project (terminology, wordplay, cultural elements, space restrictions, conventions, corporate style criteria, etc.) in order to produce polished, cogent and accurate texts that flow naturally and with all the necessary nuance.

My translation experience includes the following areas and types:

• Legal and administrative (meeting minutes, contracts, certificates, statutes, rulings, wills, legislation, administrative documentation, etc.).
• Economic and financial (tax and fiscal filings, insurance, balance sheets and financial reports, bank documentation, etc.).
• Publishing and literary (novels, essays, short stories, etc.).
• Scientific and technical (research articles, outreach, instruction manuals, technical specifications, medical reports, etc.).
• Academic documentation (school and university certificates, language certificates, academic records, subject and course programmes, academic assessment reports, etc.).
• Teaching material (for children, specialised adult education, etc.).
• Institutional and corporate websites and documentation (correspondence, notifications, forms, reports, advertising, leaflets, etc.).
• Applied linguistics and language learning and acquisition.
• Restaurant menus (hospitality industry).
• Wedding invitations (bridal industry).
• History, geography, culture and traditions in the Balearic Islands.

In certain circumstances and with a view to saving time and costs, machine translation may be the ideal solution for the client. In these instances, I correct any errors and inaccuracies (MTPE) in texts translated using a market-leading machine translation engine. The end result does not offer the same quality as a professional human translation and is only useful in very specific contexts where speed is a must, and highly polished texts are not required. Please contact me before commissioning this type of service.

While the ideal approach is to translate texts directly in a word processor (e.g. Microsoft Word, LibreOffice/OpenOffice Writer or similar), I am happy to accept projects in less editable formats (.pdf, scans, OCR, spreadsheets, text in image files, etc.).

My translation rates depend on the language combination, length, type and level of specialisation, difficulty, delivery deadline, document format, etc. Do not hesitate to contact me to request a free, no-obligation, tailored quote for your translation project. Please state whether you have any special requirements or need to translate any text in another area or category. I will get back to you in under 24 hours (on working days).

Sworn (Certified) Translation

In general, sworn translations are required where documentation written in another language needs to be legally validated to submit to a public administration.

In this sense, any written text (regardless of type or topic) is likely to require sworn translation (not just legal texts). Here are a few examples (including but not restricted to):

• Academic documentation (school and university certificates, language certificates, academic records, subject and course programmes, academic assessment reports, etc.).
• Employment and sales contracts, service provision certificates, company articles of association, statutes, agreements, etc.
• Wills, inheritance distribution, private correspondence, etc.
• Banking documentation (statements, available funds, accountholder status, etc.).
• Tax and social security documentation.
• Birth, marriage, civil partnership and death certificates, criminal background checks, etc.
• Forms, complaints, appeals and claims.
• Medical certificates and expert reports.
• Resolutions, certificates and reports issued by notaries public and government bodies.
• Required documentation to take part in recruitment processes and public sector recruitment (civil service examinations, job pools, etc.).
• Documentation to submit as legal evidence.
• Documentation to submit to the Immigration Office.

Some foreign public documents must be legalised or apostilled to be valid abroad, before their sworn translation. Legalisation or the simplified Hague Apostille procedure (Convention of 5 October 1961), as applicable, is the exclusive competence of the authorities of the country issuing the document.

Sworn translations require the signature and stamp of the sworn translator to certify the accuracy of the translated text. Traditionally, they were only deemed valid when delivered in hard copy. However, nowadays this procedure can be done online and is officially accepted with an electronic signature. Therefore, you may choose whether to receive your sworn translation in hard copy (hand-delivered or, preferably, by courier) or digitally (.pdf with an electronic signature) via e-mail. Please see the FAQs for more information about sworn translation.

My sworn translation rates depend on the language combination, text length and type, submission format, etc. Do not hesitate to contact me to request a free, no-obligation, tailored quote for your sworn translation. Also, please state whether you prefer to receive the translation in hard copy or in digital format. I will get back to you in under 24 hours (on working days).

Editing and Proofreading

I provide professional editing and proofing for Catalan and Spanish texts (both my native languages). More specifically, I offer the following high quality services:

Typographical Syntax Proofreading

This is basic-level editing and, in this vein, the cheapest option. It focuses solely on spelling and typography issues in a text (upper and lower case, punctuation signs, italics, bold, etc.), as well as certain vocabulary and grammar points that contradict official standards. Normally, it represents low-level intervention by an editor and does not standardise any language inconsistencies, correct style issues nor improve the general wording of a text. It is usually aimed at internal communication or texts that will not be widely distributed. In this sense, it is not recommended for texts set to be published or for wide distribution.

Style Editing

This is the most comprehensive editing option and represents a deep-delve by an editor. It goes far beyond mere spelling and grammar issues, and covers improving how a text reads to achieve the highest level of clarity and precision, eliminating internal inconsistencies, and standardising criteria and terminology in line with an established or corporate style guide (all without changing the content of the text in any way). In short, the final text is fully and painstakingly polished after style editing. In this sense, it is the usual editing option for books and the publishing industry, and is aimed at texts set to be published or widely distributed. It is also highly recommended for wedding invitations and for all scientific, legal, governmental and corporate documentation (scientific articles and outreach publications, websites, advertising, communication with clients and suppliers, etc.) since a text that has been stylistically and professionally edited and proofed conjures a serious, trustworthy image focused on attention to detail.

Text and Translation Review & Quality Assurance

I review professional translations to correct any possible errors, inconsistencies, inaccuracies, etc. This review is highly advisable for long translated texts set to be published or widely distributed, as well as for original texts that have been previously edited by a professional proofreader, as part of quality assurance process.

For quality and efficiency reasons, the ideal option is for editing projects to be submitted directly in a word processor document format (Microsoft Word, LibreOffice/OpenOffice Writer or similar). In any event and in certain instances, language editing may be necessary for other, less editable, formats (.pdf, scans, OCR, spreadsheets, text in image files, etc.).

My editing rates depend on the type of service required (typographical syntax, style or translation review), the length, type and level of specialisation of the text, the intervention level required, the delivery deadline, the document format, etc. Do not hesitate to contact me to request a free, no-obligation, tailored quote for your editing project. Please state whether you have any special requirements (galley proof editing, etc.). If you would like, I can offer advice on the most suitable editing type for your project. Feel free to ask for my special flat rate for proofreading microtexts (on social media or notices on websites…) and also for short publications (posts on blogs, corporative communication and so on) written on a regular basis. I will get back to you in under 24 hours (on working days).

Language Consultancy

In addition to translation, sworn translation and editing services, I also offer language consultancy in Spanish and Catalan.

More specifically, I provide advice on specialised terminology (resolving terminology queries, producing glossaries, unifying terminology in problematic instances such as neologisms, foreignisms, denominative variations, etc.). I can also clear up any specific or ongoing language queries requiring a rapid, professional and meticulous response (spelling, upper and lower case, use of italics and bold, vocabulary, grammar, style, register, linguistic and cultural differences due to geographical distinctions, etc.) that may arise at your business or organisation when drafting documentation. This service may also be useful for private individuals or researchers who write texts and require professional language advice. In turn, I also offer consultancy services for administrative and corporate style criteria. This aims to standardise the documentation at your business or institution, and ensure internal and external communication with clients and suppliers is as effective and clear as possible, improving corporate branding and providing a serious, trustworthy image. Scientists and academics who are working on projects, reports, papers, book chapters, manuals, notes, and teaching and outreach material may also benefit from this service, with a view to ensuring their texts comply with the intrinsic conventions in their discipline and communicate their findings accurately, precisely and with optimal readability. Where required, this consultancy service also includes producing corporate or scientific style guides in line with the purpose and needs of your business, institution or area of knowledge. Moreover, I undertake expert language appraisals (forensic linguistics) to ascertain the meaning and possible ambiguities in examination questions (civil service examinations, written tests, etc.), clauses in contracts, etc.

For certain services (consulting on administrative style criteria, solving language and terminology queries, etc.), we can arrange a videoconference or I can deliver a tailored language advice study by e-mail without any need to travel.

Feel free to contact me with your language consultancy requirements and I will get back to you within 24 hours with a free, no-obligation, tailored quote. This type of service is usually invoiced by the hour or at a set rate, in line with the nature of the work.