Certified & specialist translations
German to English * English to German
What is “Denglish"?
I don't just mean German language pseudo-Anglicisms, such as
handy,
headquarter,
homeoffice,
mobbing or showmaster and the like.
Rather, I mean literal, impersonal, passive translations like these:
Source text:
"Die Spannung, mit der Sie den Zahnriemen spannen müssen, finden Sie in der folgenden Tabelle".
Denglisch:
"The tension with which the timing belt must be tensioned can be found in the following table."
Correct:
"Refer to the following table for the required transport belt tension."
I translate everything according to my motto:
Absolutely no Denglish!
My background
When I came to Germany,
I only spoke English – but
now that the German language
has so many English words,
I now speak fluent German!
Rudi Carrell
My name is Eric Everett Palmer.
I have a degree in the humanities, i.e.
German,
English
and
Japanese.
I have been translating for 30 years, both as a freelancer and salaried employee for various companies, individuals and more than a dozen translation agencies domestically and abroad.
Due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, I decided to train as a technical writer at the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), and have also worked as such on a salaried basis.
I also successfully achieved state certification, where I acquired proficiency in legal terminology to qualify as a sworn translator.
I took an oath at the Regional Court of Hanover, swearing to faithfully and conscientiously translate documents from and into German and English.
My stamp and signature certify the accuracy and completeness of my translation as a certified/sworn translator for the English language.
Top marks in the
AP test in German and History
Top marks in the
AATG test
New Canaan High School diploma
The Deutsche Sprachdiplom - Zweite Stufe (C1) exam from the German School in White Plains, NY
Bachelor of Arts in
German & English from
Lawrence University, Wisconsin, USA
Kleine Latinum exam from Oberschulamt Stuttgart
Intermediate Examination (undergraduate studies) in English & Japanese from Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, Germany
Certified Technical Writer (IHK/German Chamber of Industry and Commerce) from the South Thuringia Chamber of Commerce and Industry
State-certified translator German-English from the Ministry of Education and Child Day Care Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Sworn translator from the
District Court of Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany
Member of Delta Epsilon Phi
Member of the German Qigong Society e.V.
Member of BDÜ
Member of Tekom
Specialist fields for technical translations
IT/software
As a data manager, I migrated parts lists for a bottling plant manufacturer from AP+ to the parent company's SAP R/3 system. I have been translating in the IT/ software sector since my time as a working student at SAP AG in Walldorf and for these companies:
- Enterprise-IT-Security
- Fico Tonbeller
- Herdt Verlag
- Microsoft
- etc.
Technology
Since 2011, or rather my time at a translation agency in Darmstadt, I have been translating technical texts - mostly operating manuals and marketing texts in the following fields:
- Air treatment
- Automotive
- Drives/actuators
- Electrical engineering
- Fire protection
- Forestry technology
- HVAC/air treatment
- Injection molding
- Machine and plant construction
- Measurement technology
- Rail
- Switch cabinets
- Toolmaking
- Window construction
Economics/law
I translate the following legal and business texts promptly and professionally (4 semesters Macroeconomics):
- General Terms and Conditions (GTCs)
- Resumes/CVs
- Contracts
- Newsletters (financial markets)
- Annual financial statements
- Study programs for universities of applied sciences and technical universities
Medical technology/pharma
I have acquired practical and theoretical experience in the medical field as follows:
- Warehouse employee for medical technology
- Paracelsus naturopathic evening school
(failed oral exam) - Biotech manuals (bioreactors)
- Expert reports
- Medical reports
- Metrological texts
- Veterinary dossiers/graphics
- Sterile processing technician at my hospital
Miscellaneous
- Tourism
- Art history
- Psychology
- Synopses of German literary works
- Framework study and examination regulations, transfer strategies for universities of applied sciences and technical universities
Text types
- Books:
The Old Heidelberg Student Prison
by Dr. phil. Tilmann Bechert;
Germany's Freefall: How Ideology Destroys a Country a Second Time
by Dr.-Ing. Hermann Rochholz - Flyers
- Newsletters
- Websites
Rochholz, Hermann. Germany's Freefall: How Ideology Destroya a Country a Second Time. Trans. Eric Palmer. Berlin: epubli, 2021
Bechert, Tillmann. The Old Student Prison of Heidelberg University. Trans. Eric Palmer. Speyer: Peter Johannsen, 1996
I use the following CAT tools (computer-aided translation), such as Across, memoQ, SDL Trados Studio 2021 and STAR Transit NXT, as well as MultiTerm.
Your contact person
Eric E. Palmer
little old me
We get tired of the work
that we leave undone,
not the work we do.
Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach
Certified or sworn translation?
- A
certified
or
attested translation is carried out by a
sworn translator and then signed and stamped by him/her.
The certification or attestation of the "completeness and accuracy of the translation" has nothing to do with notarization.
What is the sworn statement of a sworn translator?
The sworn statement of a sworn or certified translator is an official note attached at the end of a certified translation.
It confirms that the translation is complete and accurate and corresponds with the original document.
This statement makes the translation valid for legal and official purposes.
Sworn statement components
Validation:
A standardized text certifying the accuracy and completeness of the translation, such as:
"I, [translator's name], hereby confirm that the present translation of the document into [target language] is complete and accurate.“
Translator's information:
- Name and contact details
- Status as a sworn/certified translator
- Name of court where the translator was sworn in
Seal and signature:
The translator affixes his/her official seal and personal signature.
Date and place:
Details about the date and place of the completed translation.
No MTPE, no wills, foreign death certificates, payslips or memorandas of association
Request a quote
Visitor address:
Eric Palmer
c/o Eric Palmer Übersetzung
Schultheiß-Leo-Ahlf-Weg 2
D-27476 Cuxhaven
Tel. +49 1578 -578 4969
Email: eric@nodenglisch.com
Send me an email by submitting this form. I will respond to your email within two hours (office hours Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 6 PM).
To receive an immediate quote, please upload a clear, legible scan (preferably in the PDF format). If you don’t have a scan available, please send me a photo without reflections or distortions.
I am a small business owner in accordance with Section 19(1) of the German Value Added Tax Act (UStG) and therefore exempt from issuing VAT.
I issue invoices with net amounts only.
Testimonials
"Mr. Palmer consistently demonstrates outstanding commitment and an exemplary work ethic. He adapts seamlessly to new challenges and excels in his core tasks. We have always been thoroughly satisfied with the quality of his translations.“
Thorsten R.
Managing Director
"Mr. Palmer exhibits highly proficient skills and extensive expertise in translation. His systematic approach and effective working style consistently set him apart.“
Thomas B.
Managing Director
"Mr. Palmer consistently delivered flawless work, even under challenging conditions and tight deadlines, proving to be both resilient and adaptable.“
Dominique P.
Chief Communication Officer
"Mr Palmer not only has the advantage of being a native American speaker, but he is also careful to write idiomatically flawless English. Thanks to his familiarity with German, he is able to easily identify the idiomatic differences of native German speakers who attempt to write in English."
Dr. Clemens S. Manager Localization & Documentation
"His strong grasp of logical and computational correlations, combined with his foreign language skills, contributed significantly to improving the linguistic quality of our documentation."
Dr. Stephen F.
Business owner
"Mr Palmer translated a demanding German presentation text into a very good English version for me. He delivered the finished translation in impeccable quality and punctually, even though the time available was very short."
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang S.
Professor
"The subject-specific terminology on the subject of “student fraternities” and their development in Germany and Heidelberg in particular was correctly rendered, and Mr Palmer also succeeded in retaining the verse form of the poems preserved in the English text."
Peter J.
Entrepeneur
"The range of subjects was broad and spanned stylistically from non-fiction and scientific idioms to literary texts. The quality of Mr Palmer's translations was always excellent and met the highest standards."
Uwe H.
Lecturer
PRICES
A cynic is a man who knows
the price of everything and
the value of nothing.
Oscar Wilde
As soon as you have mastered one thing,
you should become a student in another.
Gerhardt Hauptmann
It is better to carry out
imperfect decisions than
to constantly search for
perfect ones, which will never exist.
Charles de Gaulle
At the crossroads of life,
there are no signposts.
Charlie Chaplin
Most clients are often unaware of the costs associated with producing certified translations.
Here, I explain why certified translations can sometimes be more expensive than expected, how the costs are structured, and how you can still get an affordable translation of your important documents.
The costs are typically influenced by the following factors:
- Time spent on
researching content:
A significant portion of the work involves thorough research and precise translation of the content to ensure a high quality and accurate translation. - Layout adjustments:
Documents and certificates are often submitted scanned or as photos. The layout must be recreated in order for the translation to reflect the original document. While a schematic depiction is sufficient, the work involved still takes time and needs precision. - Final review and completion:
This includes final proofing, printing, affixing the stamp, and mailing the document.
An increased fee for translations may be charged if the translation is particularly difficult. The reasons for this may include:
- Technical terminology
(e.g., medical, legal, or technical texts) - Poor legibility
(e.g., handwritten, damaged, or hard-to-decipher documents) - Urgency
(e.g., tight deadlines, weekend or overnight work) - Rare language
(a language for which there are few translators in Germany)
Lowering costs
To lower the costs, you can do the following:
- Avoid fuzzy, skewed, and illegible scans.
- Avoid photos with color discrepancies, reflections, or distortions.
- Keep handwritten entries to a minimum.
- Limit the documents to a minimum.
By following these tips, you can significantly reduce the time required to process your document, hence, the cost of your certified translation.
One price is for certification, the other price is for translation.
PRICES for private individuals
1. Translation per word (0.10 € / word)
This is a market-standard rate for general to mildly legal translations in the private client sector.
For sworn translators in Germany, this rate falls within the lower to mid-range.
2. Certification per document (40 €)
In Germany, sworn/authorized translators are permitted to issue certified translations with their stamp and signature, for which 30–50 € per document is commonly charged. 40 € is an average and reasonable rate for private clients.
Express shipping with DHL:
15 €
Note: All prices are net amounts. VAT is not charged.
PRICES
General correspondence, certificates, business communication
🔹Per Word (Target Language):
- General texts: €0.12
- More demanding content (e.g. legal, marketing): €0.16
- Certified / official documents (e.g. for courts, embassies): €0.18
🔹 Per Standard Line (55 characters):
- General texts: €1.30
- Certified translations: €1.95
🔹 Per Document (Flat Rate):
- Short certificates or documents (birth, marriage, diplomas): €40
- Multi-page certificates / transcripts: from €80
Medical translation for agencies
🔹 Per Word (Target Language):
- General medical texts: €0.14
- Specialized medical / medical technology texts: €0.18
- Highly complex texts (e.g. clinical studies, IFUs, MDR-compliant documentation): €0.20
🔹 Per Standard Line (55 characters including spaces, source or target):
- Standard medical/technical content: €1.70
- With certification / specialized terminology / formatting effort: up to €2.80
🔹 Per Document (Flat Rate):
- Short documents (e.g. certificates, medical reports, consent forms): €50-€90
- Longer technical documents / user manuals: depending on length and complexity: from €200
- File format / layout (PDF, XML, InDesign, etc.):
Additional charges for formatting - Urgency: Rush surcharge of +35%
- Certified translation: Flat fee of €15 per document
