Even now, when competence in foreign languages is wide-spread and Google Translate is just a click of the mouse away, professional translations can offer some valuable benefits. A good translation should take into account the distinctive cultural, stylistic, and syntactic features and differences of both languages. This calls for extensive linguistic and cultural knowledge; and professional translators usually spend years to develop this knowledge and keep it up-to-date. In addition, professional translators usually have a keen sense for the character and nature of a text and know how to translate these features into the target language in a skillful and sensitive manner.

A translation comprises the following areas:

• composition and structure

• coherence and logic
• clarity
• consideration of gendered language

• adherence to the standards applying for the specific type of text

• consideration of cultural aspects, differences, and sensitivities
• consideration of different discoursive expectations in the different languages (In English the requirements for academic texts, for example, in regard to structure, line of reasoning, and language, are very different from the ones in German.)

If you do wish to provide your own translation, I am quite happy to proof-read your translation with regard to the aspects listed above.