Our translators / interpreters
Metropolio Vertimai UAB employs a vast staff of diligent and experienced language specialists with university education. Feel free to call us no matter how big and urgent your order is; we are always ready to assist and cooperate with you. Our office translators have their workload allocated to allow time for urgent translations (or unforeseen situations) well in advance. This is important in ensuring the consistence of workflows and quality of service.
Metropolio Vertimai collaborates with over 300 full time and freelance translators and interpreters, as well as 50 Lithuanian and foreign language proof-readers and consultants in various scientific and engineering fields. The rich educational background and wide-ranging professional skills of our employees allow high quality translation and interpretation in diverse fields, ranging from advertising to genetics or nuclear physics.
Find more about our fields of expertise.
The majority of translators and interpreters working for Metropolio Vertimai are highly experienced and acknowledged language professionals. Some of them have obtained high qualifications in accreditation tests for the Directorate General for Interpretation at the European Commission (DG SCIC). Founders of Metropolio Vertimai, are the first Lithuanian interpreters to have become members of the AIIC – the prestigious association uniting professional conference interpreters worldwide. The AIIC, Association Internationale des Interprètes de Conférence, is an association for conference interpreters of the highest level, promoting stringent interpretation standards and fostering professional ethics in the interest of both customers and interpreters.
Find more about AIIC
If you believe you are skilful in languages and have a proper background in higher education, you are more than welcome to {cms_selflink page=”work-for-us” text=”join”} us at Metropolio Vertimai!
The professional competences of our translators make part of our company’s Quality Standard, which has been developed in line with recommendations of the European Standard 15038:2006 for translation services. Interpreters are skilled in interpreting to and from their native language in many fields of expertise, ranging from advertising to nuclear energy; they are familiar with current linguistic norms, aware of cultural subtleties of their working languages, and make use of the latest technologies in translation and data acquisition.
Translators working for Metropolio Vertimai have the following competences:
- Translating competence: the ability to translate and produce a professionally translated text appropriate for its purpose and target readers, in accordance with applicable terminology, lexicon, style and clerical norms. This competence covers the ability to analyse the text in the source language, identify problematic aspects of the translation and translate the text into the native language.
- Linguistic and textual competence in the target and source languages: the ability to perceive a foreign language, i.e. the source language, and a perfect mastery of the native language. Textual competence covers the knowledge of text type conventions and the ability to apply them to as many fields of expertise and styles as possible, and the written language in particular.
- Information acquisition and processing competence: the ability to efficiently find any additional linguistic or specialised information necessary for the translation; and use of relevant research tools and information sources.
- Cultural competence: the knowledge of cultural aspects of target and source languages. i.e. local knowledge, time perception, behavioural standards and value systems; and the ability to apply this knowledge while translating into the native or a foreign language.
- Technical competence: the abilities and skills to professionally prepare and produce a translation using the following technical resources:
- Devices and equipment for computer (textual) data processing, secure and confidential use of electronic and printed documents and their storage; making of backup (interim) copies, archiving and destroying documents.
- Communication equipment, devices and software;
- Access to relevant information sources and data storage.
Professional competences of interpreters
The specifics of translation and interpretation are rather different ({cms_selflink page=”translators” text=”read here in detail”}). Some of our professionals specialize in translation, while others provide only interpreting services. We also have specialists who may render both translation and interpretation services of high quality. Interpreters have to fulfil additional requirements in order to be considered competent enough to work for our company. These specialists have perfect command of both their native and a foreign language, as well as the ability of using those languages to rapidly convey ideas or terms from the source language in a coherent, clear and proper style.
Interpreters are required to have:
- Interpreting competence: the ability to translate within the specified domain of expertise, to or from the native language in real time using proper terminology, grammar, lexical and style norms. This competence covers a unique cognitive ability to rapidly analyse and process the spoken information, and to deal with problem language aspects and convey a text being read or a speech into the target language; interpreting requires a high level of language skills and considerable experience.
- Competence of linguistic expression: the ability to convey a thought into the target language by means of proper pronunciation, accent and speech.
- Communication competence: the interpreter’s conflict-free behaviour ensures a positive working atmosphere. The audience hears the interpretation as well as the intonation, and feels and observes the behaviour of the interpreter, which also has a great impact on the perception of the interpretation. It is important for an interpreter to maintain balance in tense working conditions and positively lever the general microclimate of the event which is being interpreted.
Translators and interpreters undergoing the selection procedure are required to have perfect knowledge of translation techniques and professional work experience, as well as the ability to use minimum technical means, be mobile and communicative, regularly monitor public life, be proficient in literature, history and ethics; and strictly adhere to translators’ ethical regulations.
The process of selecting translators
Only a limited number of language graduates become translators or interpreters – some lack the required abilities, while others do not feel motivated enough for this type of work which requires a lot of effort and concentration. Good translators value their profession; they derive great inspiration and pleasure by researching the subtleties of translation or interpretation and exploring endless linguistic possibilities.
Translators, language stylists and technical revisers are chosen for a given translation project according to their qualifications, previous performance results, and experience in the relevant domain and similar projects. All these data are stored in the company’s database which provides information on the availability of necessary specialists with relevant dates and further details. The search engine within the database allows grouping of employees according to the required criteria, thus enabling us to rapidly find suitable translators and editors for your project.
New translators are selected in several stages:
- Interview, in the course of which the candidate is familiarized with the activities of Metropolio Vertimai UAB and employment possibilities, as well as quality requirements, the translators’ ethical code, etc. The translator in turn defines translation or interpreting services he or she is able to provide, as well as qualifications and work experience.
- Translator’s questionnaire. Each person wishing to join Metropolio Vertimai completes a comprehensive translator’s questionnaire developed by the company. It covers a wide range of information to be presented by the candidate: fields of expertise, education, professional work experience, combination of languages, and suchlike.
- Assessment of a completed questionnaire. Each completed questionnaire is thoroughly assessed by our employees. If necessary, potential translators are requested to submit references. Metropolio Vertimai only employs translators and interpreters with university degrees. The majority of our staff have Master’s degrees or a higher degree in the respective language. Translators indicate their domains of expertise according to their professional experience and erudition.
- Candidates whose questionnaires meet the company’s requirements perform a test translation in the language(s) and fields of expertise indicated in the questionnaire.
- Evaluation of the test translation. Professional translators and interpreters (the owners of the company) evaluate test translations submitted by the candidates for quality and professionalism, and decide whether the candidate is competent and skilled enough to render high quality translation services.
- If the test translations meet the requirements for translation competences, the translator is included in the company’s database. The user-friendly interface of this database ensures quick results when there is a need to find a suitable translator or interpreter for a given order or project.
The selection process of language stylists and technical editors is performed in line with the above selection procedure; the candidates have to meet requirements similar to the requirements for translation competences (with the exception of translating competence).
All the above-mentioned competences of translators and editors are documented by official certificates evidencing university degrees in relevant fields of expertise and required translation experience.
Read more on translation quality assurance.