Welcome
Hugh Beyer is an experienced freelance translator based in Coventry, UK.
German, Dutch and Russian into English
Special focus on legal texts, history, art, IT, religion, Slavic studies
High-quality, intelligent translations from an experienced professional
- Translator since 1985
- Reliable and well organised (see testimonials)
- Good style (see testimonials)
- Documented professionalism: Member of ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting)
- ISO 17100:2015 Qualified Status
- Dual verification principle: Hugh translates, wife Sue edits (though sometimes we swap jobs)
Experience and Expertise
These are the areas in which I’ve mostly gathered experience over the last few decades:
German, Dutch and Russian into English
- Computing
- Christianity, religion and philosophy
- Legal texts and agreements
- History and politics
- Hospitality, hotel trade, tourist industry
- Art history and art
- Tradeshows
- Linguistics
- Slavic Studies
- Education and school systems
- Environment
- Advertising and presentations
- Power stations and energy industry
- Marketing and market research
But I’m open to learning new things, and this list is by no means exhaustive.
Testimonials
Theology
Are you a theologian, a Christian author or both? Is your native language German, Russian or Dutch?
Do you want to reach out beyond your native language? Do you want to make sure your ideas come across loud and clear, so that you can engage with your audience?
Make sure your thoughts are handled by a translator who understands the underlying biblical concepts and background. A translator who frequently reads this type of text in English and is familiar with similar thoughts in the English-speaking world, e. g. exegesis, ethics, social issues, dogmatics, church history. And, of course, a translator whose words are good to read. The response should be: “Yes, this is interesting. I’d like to read on.”
You’ve come to the right place. Your audience will enjoy reading your text in English.
Slavic Studies – Славистика
Are you an academic in Slavic studies?
Is your native language German, Russian or Dutch?
Do you want to contribute to the wider
academic world and publish articles in English?
Do you want your article to sound good and authentic in English, so that it reaches its target audience?
Do you want to make sure the translation is in good hands – an experienced professional translator with a first-class degree in Slavic Studies (University of Bonn) and an MA in linguistics (University of Reading)?
Moreover, someone who understands your subject and who enjoys reading about it?
You’ve come to the right place. Your article will sound good and have an impact.
Prices and rates
Prices are generally charged either per word or per standard line. If it’s per word, the basis is usually the source text. If it’s per line, then I use the target text. Each line is understood to have 55 characters, including spaces.
In a Word file, you can gather the line count as follows: go right to the bottom of the screen and click on the number of words, e.g. “1234 words”. The Word Count is presented, which also tells you “Characters (with spaces)”. Divide by 55.
To find out my current rate for a given language combination and/or subject, just get in touch via the contact form.
Frequently asked questions
Who are you?
Sometimes it’s just me who translates. Sometimes it’s two of us as a husband-and-wife team: I translate the text, Sue edits my work and sends it back to me, and then I put the finishing touches to it and send it off. Sometimes we swap roles, and Sue does the translation, whereupon I edit it. However, we never act as agents. So all the work is done in-house.
I have been a translator since 1985, and we both lived in Germany for nearly two decades until 2002.
How many languages do you translate into?
ONE: English, as it’s my native language. It’s safe to assume that everyone speaks their own language best, and good style is important. People who can safely translate into a foreign language are rare.
How many languages do you translate out of?
THREE: German, Dutch and Russian. Mainly German, actually.
How can I be sure of good work?
I am a member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, which is a good mark of quality. Please also have a look at the testimonials area (in the Experience and Expertise section), and see what others have been saying. And of course: there’s two of us, and two pairs of eyes are better than one.
Why can’t I just use machine translation? It’s much cheaper!
Although services such as Google Translate can be helpful for language learning, translating individual words and everyday travelling needs, they have some important shortcomings:
- A piece of software doesn’t have a feeling for good style and nuances – it’s just not human enough.
- A piece of software cannot think creatively.
- A piece of software cannot read between the lines.
- A piece of software fails to understand the cultural context.
- A piece of software can’t pick out the best option among two or more possible translations.
- If good style is required, post-editing a machine-translated text takes just as long as doing it properly in the first place.
- An online tool cannot warrant confidentiality, which is vital in a contract or a financial report.
What’s the difference between translation and interpreting?
Translation is written, interpreting is spoken. I only handle written work. I used to do interpreting as well, but I’m finding it a bit too strenuous now that I’m past 60. How much will it cost? Have a look at the Prices and Rates page.
Contact
For all enquiries, please get in touch via the contact form below. Hugh will get back to you as soon as possible.
Your data will not be shared with third parties unless you specifically request this. Neither will they be kept by me in my system unless we establish a business relationship within a month. If you write to me via this contact form and we have no further contact within about a month, your data will be deleted in my system.