A certified translation, did you say? Huh, what is that? You probably think the chances of you coming across that phrase again in your lifetime is slimmer than sipping tea on Mars. However, the fact is, if you ever travel to another country for purposes other than tourism, you will most likely be asked to produce a certified translation of an official document in order to prove who you are and why you are going.

My colleague, Panpan Wang, and I recently provided simultaneous interpretation for a series of medical workshops where doctors from China and Europe gathered on Zoom to discuss multidisciplinary approaches to treat refractory cases. It would be a lie to claim that we were not intimidated at all when the client sent this request our way, as all the attendees were top specialists in their own field...

I worked on an anti-dumping investigation for the European Commission last week. All parties concerned took part remotely via Webex. That, was unthinkable before the pandemic.   

With the Chinese New Year coming up, it’s been slightly quieter on the work front. Everyone at He & Partners has been making the best use of this quiet period by reading, reflecting and recharging. Recently, we have been discussing what changes should be made in order for the European market (and the divorced UK) to really gain its strength from a speedy, accurate and smooth communication. One obvious but sometimes neglected solution is to use professional interpreters only.

Long gone are the days where translation was only the territory of a mysterious elite surrounded by shelves of ancient tomes filled with obscure and arcane terminology. Translation of one form or another is readily available to everyone, and if you have spent any time at all browsing the web recently, you are likely to have engaged with translated information perhaps without even noticing. Or maybe you have experimented with a real-time translation app on a holiday or business trip to help get directions or understand something tricky on the menu.

Two weeks ago I had a very enjoyable cooperation with a direct client and a not so pleasant one with a translation agency. So I am trying to put myself in the shoes of a company manager who needs documents translated into a different language. Who would I choose? Direct translator or translation agency? 

A client once asked me why I needed to prepare for a medical conference since I had worked for other pharmaceutical companies before. He also could not understand why an interpreter with enough experience to fill a 50-page resume still asked him for background material in order to prepare for a meeting.

Your Chinese client has suddenly decided to pay you an unscheduled visit en-route to a trade fair in Munich. A new Chinese standard has just landed on your desk, which according to your contact at the Chamber of Commerce, will affect how you export your products.