Frequently asked questions
Translations
After receiving the files or texts to be translated and after clarifying all project-relevant questions (language pair(s), delivery date, any particular specifications or requirements), we will send you a detailed quote by email.
Specialist translations
In contrast to literary translations, where novels, stories, plays or poems are translated from one language into another (not infrequently by linguists who are themselves authors or lyricists), specialist or technical translators deal with the written translation of specialised texts from a source language into a target language. These experts ideally have a relevant (translational) university education and have also acquired certain skills and knowledge in several subject areas (law, economics, medicine, technology...) that enable them to understand the respective specialist texts well enough for them to reliably translate them into the other language.
Simply send an email to office@all-languages.at, attaching the texts you want to have translated. You do not need to specifically prepare the files for this purpose. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, InDesign or html files, our project managers will take care of everything else and will get back to you as soon as possible.
Or call us at +4315139128. You may also request a quote using the contact form at any time.
Judicially certified translations
Judicially certified translations are prepared by “generally sworn and judicially certified interpreters” confirming compliance of the translation with the source text by attaching their signature and stamp (sometimes also a digital signature). Judicially certified interpreters & translators must have appropriate language training and are entered on the official list of court interpreters for their respective language pair after successfully passing an examination before a board of examiners, where they must also demonstrate basic legal knowledge and relevant terminological skills. The judicial certification of translators is not indefinite, but must be renewed every five years by demonstrating appropriate practice.
Judicially certified translations are usually required for submission to official authorities or courts in Austria and abroad. But also in the course of legal proceedings, lawyers, courts and public prosecutors regularly need to submit judicially certified translations. This procedure must not be confused with the notarial certification of a document or signature.
Machine translations
The processes do not differ significantly from the usual translation process (rough translation/checking of the result delivered by the translation engine – by the post-editor, revision by a reviser, in case of full post-editing; this step is omitted in case of light post-editing). The time required for doing the rough translation can be greatly reduced, as the rough translation will be available immediately and can be viewed on the screen – even before being printed out for the first check. In this step, the post-editor (human translator) will correct the most obvious errors that the engine has made.
No. As a rule, MT is only used in cases of extremely high time pressure, i.e. in cases where the relevant translation volume could not be handled in any other way within the desired deadline. Also, or especially in this case, utmost concentration is required from the post-editors/revisers. The translation process is very similar, and the result, if standard-compliant, cannot be distinguished from a human translation. However, the urgency fee required may be reduced.
Interpreters / judicially sworn interpreters
The sooner the better! The Austrian interpreting market is small. Many interpreters are booked many months in advance and hence are not flexible in terms of scheduling. It may be difficult to staff an interpreting team with suitable personnel at short notice. If you are planning an event where interpretation should or must be provided, please book well in advance. We will be happy to organise interpreters for your event or to recommend suitable partners.
Basically yes, but no. Translating and interpreting are two completely different activities requiring different skills. Interpreters need to hear well and be able to quickly grasp what they hear to provide a concise oral translation of what has been said into the target language, ideally without omitting anything essential. This process does not hinge on individual words or strict accuracy. Translators, on the other hand, must translate a written text into the target language with utmost precision and accuracy, often spending a lot of time on finding the best translation for a single term in the given context; even with tight deadlines, the translator will always be able to do some research. Also, translations must be checked twice: once by the translator him/herself, once by an appropriately qualified reviser. For this reason, most language service providers specialise in either translation or interpreting services to achieve optimum results for their customers. Obviously, in rare cases, a language service provider may offer both types of language service at more or less the same quality level.
As a rule, only for appointments before authorities, i.e. for banns of marriage, weddings, driving tests, or for court hearings – and whenever one of the persons involved does not speak German or does not speak it well enough. This is because in such cases the authority must ensure that all parties can follow the proceedings. Court interpreters must pass an examination before a board of examiners in the respective foreign language at the Regional Court for Civil Matters in Vienna and are “generally sworn” by the court after passing the examination. Hence, they are officially trusted persons, and interpretations (or translations) they perform in this capacity will be recognised as reliable by the court or authority.
We always recommend to book in good time (preferably a few weeks before your appointment) if you require interpreting services. This is especially true for court interpreters, as they often have many court hearings to attend, and it may be difficult to find other colleagues, especially in less common languages.
Proofreading/Editing
Editing covers a wider range of tasks than proofreading. While proofreading is dedicated exclusively to correcting mistakes in the text (grammar, spelling, punctuation, hyphenation...), editing also includes suggestions for stylistic and – if agreed with the client – even content-related improvements.
Please note: Before commissioning any proofreading or editing service, a clear definition of what the respective proofreading or editing service comprises or includes will be required. As a matter of principle, we will not accept any major content editing work.
Languages
Basically, we offer specialist translations, judicially certified translations, interpreting, proofreading/editing in all the languages we cover. Always provided that a suitable (freelance) collaborator is available at the required time. We have extensive capacities in German, English, French, Italian, where we also have permanent in-house staff who both do and revise translations. But we can usually cover all other Central European languages as well, almost all Slavic languages and many Asian languages, owing to our international pool of freelancers and partner agencies all over the world, which has grown over the years. Whether texts in the fields of law, business, finance or marketing, whether chat transcripts, annual reports or offering prospectuses, with or without digitisation/layout optimisation of the source texts – according to our many years of experience, almost anything can be organised.
Depending on the language pair, the subject area and the type of source text, it is our task as an ISO-certified language service provider to select appropriately qualified specialist translators and revisers for the relevant translation project. As we have three in-house translators working in English, French and Italian with a wide portfolio of specialisms, many translation projects pass through the hands of these language specialists (Eva Novak, Alice Rabl, Catharina Rauch), either as translators, revisers or post-editors. All projects that we cannot cover internally will be handled in cooperation with mostly long-standing, equally ISO-certified translation partners.