A hard-working and dependable freelance translator with the ability to work well both independently and in a team. I have extensive experience of working with the public which has taught me solid interpersonal negotiation skills and the value of friendliness, open-mindedness and thinking on my feet. A long-standing interest in translation, interpretation and languages has given me the confidence and determination to embark on a career in professional translation.
Why choose a freelance translator?
If you contact a freelance translator directly, you can receive a personalised service meeting your own specific needs, yet without sacrificing the quality and precision of the final product. To get a free quote for a custom built service, please feel free to send me an e-mail with either a sample or the complete source text attached. I will protect your privacy throughout the translation service, from quote to completion, and all your documents will be kept confidential. For more information, please review my Privacy Policy.
Professional experience
I have translated a wide range of text types, from the most complex, like the presentation of new frequency converters (HVAC Drives), to the most discursive, like company letters or advertising brochures. Working on textual material from a variety of companies - including Danfoss, Husqvarna, Asecos, Planon, ABBYY, Extrusion Eurasia, and others - I have accumulated experience in technical translations, ranging from IT-related texts to technical manuals, and more. Some of my recent projects include:
the description of fire resistant safety cabinets;
a brochure regarding Mobile Food Service, and the compressors that allow to keep the cold chain unbroken during transportation;
the presentation of portable printers for Bluetooth-enabled devices for printing on-the-go;
a software quick start guide for OCR scanners;
various sections of operator's manuals for different types of machines, including riding mowers, floor saws and wall saws;
an introduction sheet of a binder containing information on the company's solar inverters, along with manuals and quick guides for their monitoring products;
several sections of a technical manual for a power unit specially developed to be used with its companion electric wall saw;
the translation of a detailed product specification sheet describing the operating procedures of a gas leak detector;
five scientific papers investigating the beneficial, cardio-protective effects of dietary fish oil supplementation.
Translation and language skills
Approximate translation capacity:
250 words/hour
2000 words/day (8 hours)
Mother tongue: Italian Language pairs: English and Spanish to Italian. Communication: written and oral communication is excellent as proved both by my undergraduate and post-graduate degree course work, and has been further enhanced by participation in group exercises and courses, such as: Pronunciation, Academic Writing Skills, Colloquial English Through Songs. Planned, organised and gave successful individual and group presentations while studying at the University of Warwick.
2006-2007 Masters degree in Translation Studies at the Centre for Translation and Comparative Cultural Studies, University of Warwick. Awards: awarded the Centre's MA Bursary for UK and European Students. Dissertation title: What use are translators in a globalised post-modern Babel Tower? On translation, mediation, and some other lies. Overall degree mark: Distinction. Achievements:
followed the Media Pathway through the MA to make a specialised professional skill out of my passion in multimedia translation;
broadened my provincial knowledge of translation in one of the most active and thriving international research centre in the field;
been an enriching experience in a positive cultural environment - currently considering the director's proposal to pursue doctoral studies with a PhD in Translation Studies.
2005-2006 EU Socrates/Erasmus programme at the University of Warwick. Achievements:
appreciated the significance of the phrase "translation is a culturally bound concept" by experiencing different perspectives and new approaches to translation practice, such as group translation, during which I shared my views with those of many other students coming from all over the world;
developed excellent time management skills in search of innovative solutions to problems;
developed the invaluable ability to work under pressure in a foreign environment.
2003-2006 BA Translators and Interpreters at the Università degli Studi di Messina. Awards:
awarded EU Socrates/Erasmus scholarship;
awarded the Supplementary Grant for International Student Mobility.
Compulsory placement: 200 hours of successful linguistic mediation for international visitors of the Treasure of the Cathedral of Messina. Dissertation title: Subtitling. Condensing Images into Words. Overall degree mark: 110/110 cum laude (First-Class Honours). Achievements:
developed a deeper interest in translation theory and the multicultural challenges inherent in interpreting practice;
developed a passion for multimedia translation, an extracurricular activity which led me first to choose an experimental dissertation (translating and subtitling one episode of the then-unknown American TV show My Name Is Earl) and then to endow me with self-taught tools which could let me see this new challenge through to a successful completion.
Software and hardware
Among the most common applications for professional translation, I use:
Wordfast, Across, Tstream Editor Studio;
Microsoft Office suite, Adobe Acrobat;
ABBYY FineReader;
and others, all running on Windows XP platform.
The hardware I use is constantly up-to-date and includes:
IBM ThinkPad laptop (primary) and Pentium 4 Asus desktop computer (secondary) connected to a WAN;
Wireless broadband connection (ADSL);
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS);
External backup drive;
Fax machine;
Scanner;
Epson inkjet printer.
Rates
English/Spanish to Italian:
Minimum: € 0.08 per source word.
Standard: € 0.10 per source word.
Per page: € 20
Per hour: € 30
Default rates are displayed for estimation purposes only, and are liable to change upon review of the job according to the technical specificity of the source text. The actual price is determined by such factors as the field, text type, complexity, and format of the source text. Please note: texts submitted in non electronic, non-editable formats (e.g. faxes, photocopies, PDF, graphics, etc.), as well as rush service and work over week-ends and holydays, assume an extra charge of 20%.
Sworn translations certified by the Court incur incidental expenses. Therefore, if you wish to receive a personalised free quote for sworn translations and legalised translations, please feel free to send me an e-mail with the scanned document attached.
Pricing for proofreading/editing to be agreed upon estimate of the amount of work involved.
I believe that the final charge must result always from an agreement with the client. Hence, we will discuss beforehand all the expenses related to the translation service, because, amongst the various ways to determine the cost of a text - per word, per character, per keystroke, per line, or per page - the only fair one is the agreement that satisfies both client and translator.
My translation service is available 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (weekends excluded). In case of urgent work, available hours and days may be further extended, subject to mutual agreement. Your needs are my priority.
Payment
Preferred methods of payment are as follows:
Bank wire transfer
MoneyGram or Western Union money transfer
For small amounts and overseas payments, however, I am happy to accept payments through:
I am committed to protecting your data and privacy. For this reason, I have published this data protection guide to ensure that you are fully aware of how and why I collect information from you, to whom such information is disclosed and what your rights are. Please, feel free to read the following list of FAQ's.
Q: What information do you collect and how do you obtain it? A: I receive information such as your name and email address when you first contact me from my Webpage. To complete your request, I also need to know such data as your telephone number and country of residence. Further information is automatically collected by ShinyStat, a Web Analytics tool and Web Statistics platform. Please note that any information collected by ShinyStat is accessible by clicking on the hit counter at the bottom of the page.
Q: How do you use my information? A: I may use your information:
to produce your quotation;
to provide my services.
Q: How do you protect my information? A: I protect your information by:
not requesting information that exceeds its intended purpose;
deleting any information on your account that is no longer relevant, once the services have been provided;
securing your data against unauthorised use. To prevent unauthorised access, I follow strict security procedures in the storage and disclosure of information that you have given me. As a result, personal data is never processed by third parties.
General Terms of Business
The cost of a translation is calculated on the basis of a page of 1500 keystrokes in the target language. Translations, however, can be priced differently, i.e. by the job, per source or target word, or per hour. All fees are net. Where VAT is chargeable it will be charged in addition to the quoted fee. Unless differently agreed upon, minimum charge is € 20.
The assignment of a translation job shall be made in writing. The letter of assignment shall specify the agreed sum/fee, the terms of delivery and of payment.
No fixed quotation shall be given by the Translator until he has seen all the source material. The Client shall provide all relevant reference material to ensure terminology consistency.
Payment in full to the Translator shall be effected no later than 30 days from the date of invoice by the method of payment specified. Interest determined by Art. 5.1 of the Italian Law Decree No. 231/02, shall automatically be applied to all overdue sums from the date on which they first become due until they are paid in full.
For long assignments or texts, the Translator may request an initial payment and periodic partial payments on terms to be agreed.
If a translation task is commissioned and subsequently cancelled or frustrated by an act or omission on the part of the Client, the Client shall pay the Translator a cancellation fee of 10% of the full contract sum. The work completed shall be made available to the Client and shall be paid in full.
Any complaint in connection with a translation task shall be notified to the Translator by the Client within 30 days of the date of delivery of the translation.
Disclaimer
This Web page has been compiled for the sole purpose of providing information about the translation services provided by Leonardo La Malfa. Redistribution or commercial use of any images, photographs or text contained within this page is prohibited without express written permission. I decline all responsibility regarding the content of any website linked to my Web page.
Englisch 
Italienisch (Muttersprache)