About me
C.O.L. Translations was created in 2023, although I previously operated as Tukanos from 2012 - 2023 before losing the right to the name, when I discovered that the translations done by translation companies were lacking in quality and were often delivered late. I decided to focus on guaranteeing the quality of the finished work, while remaining faithful to the original text. I have been providing certified translations since 2015 but also provide normal translations, as well as proofreading services and interpreting services. My biggest clients are translation agencies.
History
The founder of C.O.L Translations, Colin Speed, launched his first translation website in 2012 and offered translation and interpreting services as well as language tuition. In 2015 all language tuition was transferred to another company, Mister Colin, and this site focuses exclusively on translation and interpreting. Business has developed gradually since 2012 and I now have a fixed client-base, the majority of whom are international clients.
I am the only employee, and I contract other translators when required for specific jobs.
Methodology
I may use Trados Studio machine translation to facilitate the translation process. The advantage of analyzing your document electronically is that words and phrases that are repeated throughout your document will be translated equally in all instances guaranteeing consistency. The program cannot translate the entire document, it offers suggestions as to a suitable translation, and the translator has to make a decision as to whether to accept the suggestion or not. The translator’s role is still extremely important. The software just expedites the translation process. In some cases your document will be translated manually in the traditional way, it depends on the document;
All translations are thoroughly checked before being sent to the client. I have a meticulous quality control program whereby the final document is proofread at least three times to guarantee there are no mistakes.
All certified translations are stamped with my seal and signed by myself. The certified documents can be scanned and sent by email or can be sent by post if required.
Guarantee
I guarantee that your document will be delivered on time, and am prepared to work at night, at weekends and even holidays to ensure your document is ready on time.
When you request a quote I will calculate how much time it will take to carry out the translation. Don’t forget that this period starts from the moment you give the ok to start the translation, not from when you requested the quote. Obviously if you make changes to the document once the translation has commenced then this will change the time-frame.
Normally I over calculate the time it will take, so don’t be surprised if your document is ready before we said it would be. Remember, this does not mean there was a reduction in the quality of the translation.
If your translation is urgent then an extra fee may be charged. A list of the extra fees can be found on the “Prices” page.
Format
Documents are accepted in all formats. In the case of electronic documents the SDL Trados software can convert most documents to a translatable format. However, I would prefer that you send a Word document if possible. Firstly, it makes it a lot easier to count the number of word in order to give a reliable quote. Secondly, it makes it a lot easier to translate the document so it looks the same as the original.
If you send a document that cannot be edited then the entire document will need to be recreated manually and this will be taken into account when calculating the final price. If you want to save money and time then it is recommended to convert the document into an editable format before sending it to us. This means we can focus on the real job at hand, doing a professional translation, without having to worry about recreating documents.
Areas of expertise
I have expertise in the following areas:
- Legal contacts and agreements;
- Personal documents such as birth and marriage certificates, university certificates;
- Police reports and criminal record reports;
- Medical exam results;
- Academic papers and journal articles;
- Corporate accounts;
- Business presentations;
- Market research surveys;
- Aviation manuals and procedures;
- Product packaging;
- Curriculum Vitae and letters of recommendation and presentation;
- Transcription of video interviews;
- Localization of websites.
Clients
My clients are made up of private individuals, companies and even translation agencies. They come from all over the world, nowadays documents can be sent by email to anywhere so the physical location of the translator is no longer important. My biggest clients are translation agencies. I am a veteran Proofreader for Motaword, the world’s fastest business translation platform.
Payment
I issue tax invoices and accept payment by bank transfer, by credit/debit card through Paypal or even in cash. An invoice will be sent with the final translation. I expect to be paid within 5 days following the completion of the work.
Location
I am based in Castelo da Maia, in the north of Portugal, which is part of the greater Porto area. You can submit documents for translation by email or by traditional mail.