Your global audience needs to hear your message, but not always in the same words. Finding the most effective expression for your ideas in a foreign language takes creativity, professionalism, and a deep understanding of language.
Some translations adhere closely to the original wording while others flow more freely — but either way, the hallmark of a good translation is that it doesn’t sound translated at all.
With the right approach to localization, your voice will stand out in English and German alike. At GermanBureau, we take the time to understand your goals and requirements. The result is localized content tailored to your audience and your business.
Scroll through this page to find out how we can translate your English–German content, revise existing text, or create original content to spec.
Hire language professionals to deliver written content to a high standard in English and German.
Our freelance translators answer directly to you as they work to achieve accurate and consistent results. Entrust your English–German content to us and give your project the benefit of linguistic expertise, creative talent, and modern technology.
Different projects have different needs. That’s why we offer different approaches to translating your documents. Here are four models that cover the most common use cases.
Read on to discover which of these methods suits your needs. You can also learn more about our editorial rates and use a price calculator to estimate your costs up front.
* Our favorite MT engine is DeepL Pro, which integrates via API into Kilgray memoQ, our preferred computer-assisted translation software.
** “Native editor” refers to monolingual proofreading by a professional native speaker of the target language.
*** “Team” refers to an existing localization environment with other translators, editors, and project managers. “Indie” projects generally include artists, journalists, self-publishers, nonprofits, startup companies, small businesses, and freelancers.
Speaking of modern technology, you might be wondering: “Can’t we just use DeepL ourselves? Our intern speaks English really well, we could just let them check it.” The answer is, “Yes, but…”
Don’t get us wrong: We love DeepL. If you read up on our SMART service below, you’ll find that we also use the world’s best machine translator in our workflows.
But there are limitations. Expand the headlines to learn more.
In short, skilled human writers outperform DeepL in areas such as accuracy, consistency, word economy, creative expression, and quality control.
Blind trust in the raw output will likely result in a few outright errors: inaccurate terminology, for example, when the algorithm misinterprets the context. This creates risk for your business.
As the algorithm attempts to interpret the context of a given expression, it might translate one passage one way and another passage a different way. With a human translator, you can be sure that your specialized terminology translates consistently across your entire corpus of business documents.
The technology has come a long way, but most algorithms still hew closely to the original wording. The result is a lifeless translation that doesn’t always sound natural. Professional translators are trained to find the best wording in the target language. We understand the context of your content and the meta-context of your audience. See below for an example!
And while your intern might have the language skills needed to catch the most egregious errors, they’re unlikely to edit the text to a high editorial standard. Our people are experienced professionals with specialized skills that add value to your business.
The original German source text is on the left. It includes a lot of idioms and casual marketing language. The middle column shows DeepL’s raw output, which is closely worded to match the source text. Our all-human localized version is on the right. Which text sounds best to you?
German original:
Brennt’s mal wieder in der Hütte? GermanBureau schafft Abhilfe! Wir liefern schnell und unkompliziert Übersetzungen nach Maß. Auch bestehende Texte können wir nachträglich für Sie korrigieren und anpassen—falls das Denglisch vom Chef nicht ganz das Gelbe vom Ei war.
(c) 2023 GermanBureau.com
DeepL output:
Is there a fire in the hut again? GermanBureau can help! We deliver customised translations quickly and without complications. We can also correct and adapt existing texts for you – in case the boss’s Denglish wasn’t quite up to scratch.
Translated with DeepL Free in 2023
Human version:
House on fire again? GermanBureau can help! Get your bespoke translations hassle-free with rapid turnaround. Or let us edit your existing content—just in case the boss’s Denglisch wasn’t quite up to the job.
Translated by Alex Bakst
Of course, we understand that sometimes cost and speed outweigh quality considerations. If that’s the case, scroll down to learn more about our SMART translation service. It combines the best of both worlds: DeepL Pro and a professional human editor.
For all other jobs where quality is a priority, we recommend the PRO model. Scroll down for details.
These pricing models cover the most common use cases. The details below may help you decide if our ready-made services satisfy your business requirements.
Machine translator + native editor
Fast, affordable, convenient: There are times when all you need is a simple translation — quick and dirty! This is a job for our SMART service, known as machine translation post editing in industry circles.
This is a cost-effective alternative to other models. For quick jobs and tight budgets, hire a professional editor to review a machine-translated version of your documents. We ensure accurate and consistent results in line with your style:
Machine translators today are smart, and the benefits are clear: Save yourself the cost of a human translator but leave the editing to a professional native speaker. This produces acceptable results for general-language content.
If your text is more specialized, we recommend a pro translator in the TEAM, PRO, or EXPERT tier. This ensures a higher standard by catching terminology errors that a native editor might miss — and by adding a human touch.
Pro translator for teams and indie projects
You manage large localization projects and want to recruit experienced translators into your pool of freelance talent? Get the full skill set of a bilingual translator, nothing more and nothing less:
This is the no-frills option when you just need a linguist to join your existing localization environment. Four-eyes editing or proofreading is not included, since you’ll be providing those services through your own team of editors and project managers.
This is also the rate we like to offer certain “indie projects.” What exactly constitutes an independent project is somewhat discretionary, but we generally consider artists, journalists, self-publishers, nonprofits, startups, small businesses, and freelancers to fall under this category. Contact us to explain your situation and we can explore all the options!
Pro translator + native editor
Authentic, accurate, consistent: The gold standard in translation involves a bilingual translator, a native editor, and professional software. We call it our PRO service.
When quality is a top priority, hire a bilingual expert to get the most out of your text. For maximum quality control, we always include a four-eyes revision by a native speaker. Our PRO service relies on human talent supported by professional software tools.
You have a chance to review our final draft, and we can work in any feedback you give us. Our computer-assisted pro translators are especially good at:
Pro translator + native editor + original content + publishing support
Thorough, individual, original: Don’t just translate your words. Let us craft your global message — creative writing included. Our EXPERT service is your final destination for bilingual content to the highest standards.
This type of creative translation is often called transcreation, but we take it one step further by throwing fully original content into the mix. And when you’re ready to publish, you can count on us to support you with data entry to ensure that your format appears as intended. Whatever your needs, you can count on our freelancers to deliver a text that needs no further editing.
On top of all that, you’ll gain lasting benefits long after the job is done. With access to terminology databases made just for you, your organization can send a consistent message to the world in English and German.
You have an existing text in English or German, and you’d like to make sure it’s ready to publish? We offer two types of editing service:
In basic proofreading, a native editor checks for errors and inconsistencies in the target language.
Proofreading covers spelling, grammar, punctuation, and other details. This type of editing gives your text a professional polish, down to the last comma, so you can publish with confidence.
However, a monolingual editor can’t always catch terminology errors and meanings lost in translation. For a more thorough editing process, we recommend a full revision.
In a full editorial revision, a bilingual editor checks your text against the source language to ensure accurate terminology.
On top of proofreading, a bilingual editor scrutinizes your message for clarity, consistency, and style — not just any style, but your style. In the process, we can help you develop editorial guidelines for the target language if they don’t already exist.
You can take the first step on your own: Head over to our price calculator now to get a non-binding estimate.
You know what you want to say, but you don’t have a text in any language yet? Not a problem! Hire a professional copy-writer from our network to craft your message from scratch. We can produce a variety of content in English or German based on your goals.
Reach out now to discuss your needs directly with a content specialist.
For large organizations with sprawling projects, a localization framework helps your people deal with terminology across languages and cultures. Let us manage your multilingual content so you can manage your business.
Our partner network includes talented business authors who work with our translators to adapt your content to local markets in the English- and German-speaking world. The freelancers at GermanBureau are experienced in these fields:
Contact us today to discuss how a localization framework can support your global content.
If you still have unanswered questions, these links might be useful:
Otherwise, don’t hesitate to contact us. The chat button in the corner of this website is a good way to reach us. A real human will respond as soon as someone is free. Thanks!
