Q: How does this work? 1. You may use the Quote form linked on my home page or ask for an email and send me a sample of the material to be translated.
2. I send you a bid based on the sample and how fast you want the work done.
3. You sign and fax back the bid once it's correct. (Your confirmation is given in writing. The bid may stipulate a retainer or advance payment if you are a new client).
4. I deliver the translated document with an invoice or receipt. (You may examine my money-back warranty in detail by obtaining a password).
-- In general, I bid on translation jobs after I have seen a representative sample and have a clear idea of the delivery deadline. You are welcome to write extra instructions; just remember that extra stuff costs extra.
Q: What do you charge? A: Show me a sample and let me know your expectations, your deadline, how promptly you intend to pay me (if you are asking for credit) and I'll send you a bid. The front page contains a Quote form in English or Portuguese where you may state your preferences. If your file is large I'll send you an appropriate email address to use. I do not publish a price list, nor do I bid on documents sight unseen. If anything about this is unclear, try my what-is-your-rate page.
Q: Would you redo that estimate based on laudas? Maybe. I am familiar with the Portuguese imperial law that defined laudas for public translators, and which persists in Brazil to this day, as amended, with rates fixed by the various state boards of trade. I have written a spreadsheet to make the conversion, and can convert cents per word into reais por lauda. The result, however, is still be divorced from reality... More...»
Q: Do you work on weekends? A: Yes. There are fewer interruptions then.
Q: What about the callouts in drawings? My usual practice is to produce a single column of drawing callouts which, from top to bottom, matches the callouts on the drawing as they appear when a sheet of paper covers the drawing and is slid down, exposing the callouts, from left to right and top to bottom. So the label closest to the upper left would be #1 at the top of the list, and the label closest to the lower right would go at the bottom of the list. This is the simplest mapping. I can easily manipulate drawings and transfer simple graphics from pdf to Word. I can also edit drawings, but I charge by the hour for that and it is not my specialty.
Q: Do you translate European or Angolan Portuguese? A: Yes, in my subject areas. I translate both ways, including into Brazilian, African and European regional variants. I do charge extra to cover edits to Portuguese not for Brazil and for non-US English--these also take longer.
Q: I need 30,000 words translated in two days. Will you assemble a team? A: Maybe. If I am paid a sizeable retainer in advance I will assemble a team of trusted fellow linguists to take on a large project. I usually cannot handle more than 5,000-15,000 words per day, mainly because the colleagues I rely on for peak-shaving stay pretty busy. I can recommend some reputable agencies for larger jobs.
Q: Do you have Computer Assisted Translation software? A: All kinds. I use Deja Vu Pro and am learning LogiTerm. In-house we also have Trados, SDLX and OmegaT, which I only use for conversions to DVX. I buy this stuff for my benefit, not as a way to offer discounts.
Q: Will you make me glossy brochures in 7 languages? A: For that you need a reputable agency, not a freelance translator. Would you like me to refer you to someone?
Q: Are you available to travel? A: I routinely travel on interpreting assignments within the U.S., and have a valid passport for international travel. I also work in Brazil, where I am a legal resident, every year.
Q: What is a tradução juramentada? A: That is an official translation signed by a licensed Brazilian public translator. Only Brazilian citizens may apply for the license. Embassy and consular officials hire me to interpret in the US and translate for the Brazilian government. This is generally outreach material which does not require a public translator. I regularly do official translations for United States government agencies and interpret for Federal District Courts.
Q: Do you understand the legal, financial & engineering clauses that go into international agreements? A: Yes. I've translated hundreds of bid documents, annual reports & financial statements, mainly for oil and power companies; I've studied logic, physics and math, the laws involved and the agencies administering them. I have actually read nearly all US treaties from 1789 through 1929, and translate all sorts of Brazilian laws.
Q: Do you interpret in federal courts? A: Yes. I've been interpreting federal court work almost every week since 1998.
Q: Do you interpret for Texas state courts? A: Yes, but since enactment of the bribery law whereby some persons can buy a license with no testing required, a party can stipulate in a motion that a licensed interpreter must be used. Because of the uncertainty this raises for honest interpreters, I charge in advance for such assignments. If you want a record of all the errors committed by a court interpreter licensed in Portuguese, my fee for producing that is very low.
Q: Have you any linguist credentials? A: Yes, I earned three ATA accreditations, a Bachelor's in Portuguese and several others you may see by clicking credentials. I also translate Spanish to Portuguese, for which there is no ATA accreditation.
Q: Do you have a language degree? A: Yes, a Bachelor's in Portuguese/Spanish. To see the diploma click credentials on the main page, then click the thumbnail for a larger diploma image. Before that I majored briefly in Engineering & Mathematics.
Q: How long have you been in business? A: Since 1987; formally, with a registered dba, since April of 1990.
Q: Do you accept credit cards? A: Yes, most major cards. I send you a PayPal invoice for secure online payment.
Q: Are you hiring translators? A: If you convince me you are good at what I do I will pay you to help me when I am very busy. I do not offer to do work in languages or areas I do not understand. I am currently looking for someone who is good at translating oil and geophysics material into English. I am willing to look at a SMALL sample of your work, say, a page in English and a page in the original Portuguese. Otherwise I can send you a page or less to try out.
Q: Are you hiring interpreters? A: No, but if you convince me you are really good perhaps we can recommend each other. A bilingual phone conversation might suffice.
Q: More questions? A: Ask and I'll answer them.

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