Track Record
Here is a summary of some of the work we have done over the past two decades, although it is by no means a comprehensive list. We created this page partly for interest's sake, but also to serve as a guide for potential clients as to those fields with which we feel comparatively comfortable or where we have some experience. It is not entirely representative as we focused on the variety of work handled rather than detailing the somewhat monotonous technical documents which form a large part of our work.
We have left out the names of most of the companies etc. involved, but these could be supplied if requested. Incidentally, our clients to date have been located in about 24 countries, principally Europe (including of course the UK), Japan, North America and Australasia. A separate list gives more details of those items translated for publication.
2007 onwards
2006
Miscellaneous
- As approved translation vendor to Microsoft, translated newsletters and presentations about Windows Live into Japanese
- Translated Ice Age 2 customer response surveys
- Correspondence for Formula One fashion producer exhibiting in Japan
- Translation of parts of Casewise software using Alchemy Catalyst
- Moderation of admission examinations to Institute of Translation and Interpreting
Promotional translation
- UK govt brochure on investing in the UK
- UK govt brochure on automotive industry
- Digital Audio Broadcasting brochure
- Translation into Spanish of HCI presentation
- Voiceover for golf advertisement
Technical translation / interpreting
- UK govt brochures on nanotechnology, electronic devices, photonics & drug discovery
- Biomedical firm's website
- Lubo starscreen recycling machinery
- Toxicity studies for Slovenian lab
- Environmental Impact Assessment report about Sakhalin oil pipeline
- Patents about bitumen, windscreens, activated sludge, PCB lights, fuel oil, aluminium, fluorescein, hammers, etc.
- Interpreting at patent search firm
Websites etc.
- Translated Swiss website about Rösti from German into Japanese
- Translated website about biscuits from German into Japanese
- Website for UK-based garden tools firm
Finance / legal
- Quarterly reports on Japanese takeover target
- Interpreting at UK/JP transfer pricing negotiations
- Personnel reports, pay slips, tax returns, etc.
- Translated financial press releases for German pet food firm
- Imported car log books and deregistration documents
- Birth / death / marriage / divorce certificates and family registers
Japanese and Chinese (simplified and traditional) typesetting, in most cases including translation too
- Business cards for Honda, golf clubs, UK pharma firms
- Aerospace advertisement in Japanese journal
- Japanese advertisement for English conversation lessons in Stockholm
2005
Miscellaneous
- Translated a speech by Senator Tetsuro Yano, keynote speaker at the 2005 World Oil & Gas Forum (hosted by Waterous Securities in Palm Beach, Florida, with worldwide real-time video links). The organizers only discovered the day before that the Senator was intending to deliver his speech in Japanese! They sent it to us at 4 p.m. UK time requiring translation that evening for transmission to the US, where it was to be typeset, printed and bound, ready for the following morning. We delivered our proof-read copy shortly after 7 p.m. US time, and the presentation went off without a hitch.
- Translated several video interviews with people connected with the World War II (e.g. Tojo Hideki's granddaughter), as well as contemporary footage (e.g. the first Kamikaze mission)
- Commissioned to evaluate the J2450 methodology as an objective metric of translation quality
- Gave lecture at Leeds University on the translation profession
- Arranged interpreting for doctors' appointments for foreign visitors to UK
Technical translation
- Patents concerning resins, colostomy bags, polyamide primers, silent chains, fire screens, overhead cables, centrifugal impellers, etc.
- ISO documentation
- Chemical safety data
- Cryptography documentation
- Interpreting at negotiations for patent research
Typesetting (in most cases including translation too)
- Brochure for international garden & leisure show
- Brochures & POS materials for gardening design & supplies firm exporting to Japan
- Brochure for pocket microscope
- Defibrillator manual
- Numerous Japanese and Chinese business cards
- DAB digital radio brochure
- Engine oil advertisements
- Tourist phrases for city council noticeboards
- Semiconductor trade mission brochure
Websites etc.
- Japanese website for Amanda Foods
- Japanese client side to Guide to Japan website
- Online survey for cultural research into MORGS (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games) such as Final Fantasy
Finance / legal
- Interpreting for UK/Japan competent authorities on TP (transfer pricing) and APAs (advance pricing agreements)
- Translation of Japanese firm's code of conduct
- Translation of employee regulations for UK software house
- Translation of MP3 audio message from CEO to staff regarding poor financial performance
- Translation of software EULA (end user licence agreement)
- Translation of shipping contract
- Translation of company accounts, annual reports, etc.
Arts etc.
- Translated historical article on Japanese castles in Korea for 'the world expert in the field'
- Translated video interviews with Japan's best-selling visual artist
- Translated biography of artist marrying into prominent Japanese family
- Translated letters for person hoping to find their sweetheart of 50 years ago
- Translated outline biography of Okura Kihachiro, industrial magnate
Non-oriental languages
- Arabic marriage certificate
- Spanish power of attorney & death certificate
- German press releases
- French proofreading... of school homework!
- Management consultancy presentations & course documents with complex formatting (60,000+ words, into
French, Spanish, Italian, traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Thai, Swedish, German & Dutch; 12-person team)
2004
Technical translation
- Two air conditioning manuals (120,000 characters: 11-person team)
- Bluetooth device manuals
- Milling chuck specifications etc. for High Court patent case
- Semiconductor press releases
- Lubricating oil patent
- Car / motorcycle deregistration certificates
- Arranged interpreting for reflexology conference
- Double glazing / conservatory brochure
Japanese typesetting (DTP)
- Toyota F1 Racing brochure (56 pages)
- Hormone injection device brochure (60 pages)
- Tourist guide to Chester
- Olympic broadcasting support info
- Artwork for 'world music' CD covers
- Children's names for tattoo
- Digital radio brochure (translation too)
Legal/financial translation
- Sole interpreter at UK/Japan APA (tax) negotiations
- Stock acquisition contract
- Investor relation press releases for pet food superstore
- Interpreting for investigation into tax evasion
- Management consultancy presentations & course documents (66,000 words: 7-person team)
Creative
- 'The Way of the Ninja', published by Kodansha International
- Nintendo game manuals for F-Zero (racing), Kirby, Hamtaro and Mario (action)
- Lake District hotel websites
- UK playwright's website
- Liverpool tourism brochure
2003
Technical translation
- Patents about resins, spectacle lenses, steel strip, steel girders, nonwoven fabrics, etc.
- AutoCAD drawings for semiconductor manufacturer
- XML help system for car manufacturer
- PlayStation 2 and Xbox 'Soul Calibur II' game manuals
- Manuals for battery charger and intake vacuum synchroniser
- Research paper on hydrogen odorants in fuel cell vehicles
- Semiconductor-related press releases
Typesetting (including translation into Japanese)
- HM Customs & Excise VAT Notice to travellers
- Brochure for potter
- Digital radio brochure
- Over 100 business cards (worth over US$7000) for one company
- Brochure for fashion gloves
- Pullquotes for glossy magazine article on Japan
- Artwork for falconry magazine
Websites
- Website to sell David Beckham's supercar to Japan
- Website to bring Japanese tourists to the Cotswolds
Government / legal / financial
- Tax documents, company accounts, pay slips, contracts, leases, etc.
- Insurance documents relating to a hijacked aircraft crash
- Marriage certificates, birth certificates, death certificates
- Letters to potential heirs
- Arranged interpreting for Japanese analyst's visit to UK
Other
- Research and translation relating to recovery of stolen car
- Car log books for second-hand vehicles imported from Japan
- Part of award-winning novel; awaiting publishing contract
- Market research for sports shoe adverts, golf courses, etc.
- Japanese voiceover for satellite communications Flash movie
- Interpreting at Ninja Grandmaster's last seminars outside Japan
2002
Media
- Translation (and typesetting) of English football chants, taunts, slang and the like into Japanese and Korean for various UK organizations (banks, newspapers, software houses, airlines, PR agencies) in connection with the World Cup.
- English subtitles for various Japanese gangster films, by Kitano Takeshi (Beat Takeshi) and others.
- Translation of video interviews with Japanese artists
- Teaching Japanese rude words to some rap stars (!)
- Editing and translation of Japanese side of Penguin's Peter Rabbit website
Technical
- Operating procedures and specifications for a silicon wafer plant
- Brochures, software, help files and documentation for various telecomms companies
- Coordination of interpreters for an international Vodafone conference
- Patents about razors, titanium-coated mica sheets, organic electroluminescent elements, etc.
Government / legal
- Interpreting in tax negotiations
- Translation of numerous contracts, company accounts, etc.
- Procedures for reuse of demilitarized U.S. air force equipment
- Translation of private correspondence for an individual whose wife had been refused entry to the UK; on appeal (using my translations) this decision was reversed.
Typesetting (including translation into Japanese)
- Countless business cards (over 40 for one company)
- Brochures for English wool, Scottish cashmere and Japanese suits
Other
- Japanese menus for various airlines
- Terms and Conditions for various companies and also prize competitions
- Over 1000 jargon expressions etc. for the Chartered Management Institute's multilingual 'Dictionary of Business and Management' (ISBN 0-7475-6236-9; see also www.ultimatebusinessresource.com).
- J<->E translation, editing and writing (even some Spanish-> English translation) for a book about the Bujinkan Martial Arts: ISBN 84-85278-30-5 (but not yet widely available)
- Delivered three presentations at Oxford University, for the ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting) Japanese Network's annual course. My topics were the problems faced when translating gangster films, a comparison of the Japanese translation of Harry Potter with the original English, and a review of software tools for the Japanese translator.
- Corporate keywords for display on the head office 'lightbox'
- Dogfood marketing analysis (German → English)
- Countless car logs (for import to the UK), family registers (for residence applications), business letters, contracts, articles of association, and so on
2001
Government work
- Speeches and correspondence etc. for Tokyo Metropolitan Government, including keynote address
- Investigations into tax & duty evasion
Japanese typesetting
- Translation and typesetting of Japanese and Chinese Duty Free brochures for Northwest Airlines
- Translation and typesetting of tourist brochures, trade mission information packs and other promotional materials
- Dozens of business cards for companies such as Unilever, Tesco, The Royal & Ancient Golf Club, Eversheds, and so on ...
Legal & financial
- Japanese PowerPoint presentations for OM Technology (each translated overnight for following day, over a couple of weeks)
- Credit card processing regulations & specifications
- Company accounts / regulations
- Software licenses, contracts, etc.
Technical
- Numerous chemical and engineering patents
- Japanese railway statutes
- Regular e-mail magazine about intellectual property
Computer / Internet
- Chinese and Korean websites for Walt Disney
- Japanese websites for Wales,
Abbey National, and more.
- Editing and compilation of Japanese help files & user guides for metrology system (using Robohelp)
Miscellaneous translation
- English catalogues for 'Dreaming in Pictures' and 'Landscape and Abstraction' exhibitions, Frankfurt (from German)
- Book about the history of Pokemon
Miscellaneous non-translation
- Coordination of two weeks' interpreting for pachinko operators visiting U.K.
- Coordination of interpreting for international conference on architecture
- Coordination and web site creation for ITI Japanese Network
- Assessment of other Japanese translators
1999-2000
Government work
- Interpreting for UK-Japan negotiations on Social Security Agreement
- Analysis of Japanese sportswear market
- Investigations into tax & duty evasion
- Translation of PowerPoint presentations for Japanese official visitors
- Speeches and correspondence etc. for Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Japanese typesetting
- Translation and typesetting of Japanese and Chinese portions of Duty Free brochures for two major airlines
- Translation and typesetting of Japanese brochures and other promotional materials for textiles manufacturer, fine chemicals manufacturer, ink manufacturer, civil engineering consultants, etc.
- Labels for whiskey bottles and chocolates exported to Japan
- Welcome message for Japanese restaurant
- Dozens of business cards: quickest turnaround 17 minutes ...
Legal & financial
- Company accounts / regulations
- Software licenses, contracts for supply of electronic components, etc.
- Contracts relating to scriptwriting, film direction, TV advertisements, etc.
- Documentation for divorce cases, etc.
- Insurance investigations (including over 60,000 characters in one week, to do with the Sumitomo Copper scandal)
Technical
- Brochure for coal-fired power station
- Safety specifications
- Dozens of Excel files relating to car design strategies
- Articles from car magazines (test drive reports etc.)
- Printer sales manuals
- Quality Control forms
- Paperwork for UK university's polymer research (funded by Japan)
- Formal estimate for construction project in Japan
- Several chemical and engineering patents ... for some reason mostly about ice-cream ... and one about pianos!
Computer
- Localization into Japanese of Sterling Software's Eureka Portal (including software code, help files, manual etc.)
- Translation into Japanese of long manuals for CODA mainframe accounts system
- Translation (German to English) of SQL documentation
- Translation into Japanese of video about tape backup systems
- Translation into Japanese of CAD-related computer help file
- Editing and compilation of Japanese help files for industrial machinery system (using Robohelp)
- Translation, editing and compilation of PC-based Japanese marketing research survey
- Several brochures for inkjet printers, laptops, etc.
Internet
Martial arts
- Interpreting at international seminars in Germany, USA and UK (in front of 500+ participants from 20+ countries)
- Correspondence to and from the Grandmaster of the Bujinkan Dojo
- Translation of certificates for alternative medicine practitioners
Media research etc.
- Background information for Japanese magazines on Prince Edward's marriage and Lord Menuhin's death
- Coordination of feature for Japanese magazine on alternative work patterns in the UK
Miscellaneous translation
- Video about Bermondsey Market (as a Christmas present!)
- Video interviews with Japanese football stars
- Directions to foreign star appearing in Japanese advertising video
- Academic paper on history of Western dress designers in Japan
- Last poem of a young philosopher who threw himself off the Kegon Falls
- English catalogue for 'Work in Africa' exhibition, Frankfurt (from German)
- Translation (from American into English!) of corporate jet brochure
- Transcription / translation of taped simultaneous interpreting from opening ceremony of new automobile factory
- Notes for German experimental composer's CD
- Lists of mountain vegetables with potential health benefits
- Script of Egyptian Son et Lumiere video
- Japanese parts of hotel's in-house hypertext guest information system
- Translation of perfume advertisements for major French fashion house
- Japanese advertisements for Spanish fashion house
Miscellaneous non-translation
- Assessment of other Japanese translators
- Coordination and web site creation for ITI Japanese Network
- File conversion for various translation agencies
1998
Translation into Japanese (and typesetting etc.)
- Marketing booklet and slides for a leading UK bank
- Part of brochure for major London art gallery
- Captions for video about Tower Bridge
- Company history for perfume research organization
- Brochure for English language school
- OHPs for UK firm touring Japan to study productivity
- Dozens of business cards
- English typesetting of certificates for Japanese school of etiquette
Legal & financial
- Contracts (employment, technical services, confidentiality, leases)
- Company accounts
- Tax returns
- Property valuations
- Japanese will, family registers etc.
- Lawyers' correspondence (questions on Brazilian law, litigation relating to Yakuza intimidation, etc.)
- Notarized translation of company president's CV
- Financial reports and investigations
Government work
- Speeches and correspondence for Tokyo Governor and his staff
- Brochures for Tokyo Metropolitan Government (and Chuo City) about Industry & Labour, long-term strategies, etc.
- Work relating to tax and customs & excise
Technical
- Patents (petrol additives, exhaust gas treatment devices, image encoding methods, playing cards, etc.)
- Press releases from Japanese Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications
- Academic and government investigations into photosensitive epilepsy
- Academic report on gas turbines
- Hundreds of diagrams for a camera shutter design
- Test procedures and results for various chemicals
- Gypsum specifications
- Interpreting at UMIST and University of Kent for research contracts funded by Japan
- Registration documents for Japanese vehicles imported to the UK
- Car reviews from German magazines (German → English translation)
- Operating manual for anti-wrinkle beauty kit
Computer
- Translation of software help file into Japanese
- Editing and compilation of Japanese help file (using Robohelp)
- Onscreen messages etc. for Playstation game
- Japanese translation of software manual for Swiss bank
- Manual for car manufacturer's internal ordering systems
- Translation (from American into English) and copywriting for US computer manufacturer's advertisements
Internet
- English half of website for Japanese car component manufacturer, including historical / cultural sections
- Japanese pages (inc. graphics) for web site offering English tuition
- Interpreting at negotiations to set up international trade promotion web site
Martial arts
- Interpreting at international seminars in Italy, Sweden and USA (in front of 500+ participants from 20+ countries)
- Calligraphy for certificates and group stationery etc.
- Correspondence to and from the Grandmaster of the Bujinkan Dojo
Media research etc.
- Loch Ness monster
- UK salaries and attitudes
- 'Traditional' health methods
- Bizarre UK laws
- Article (in Japanese, for Shincho 45) on attitudes to Nature
Miscellaneous translation
- Subtitles for Japanese interviews in TV series about advertising
- Programme notes for Tooru Takemitsu concert in London
- Transcription and translation from Japanese / French / English of tape recording of an inauguration ceremony
- Japanese student's application to American university
- Security arrangements for Japanese school in South East Asia
- Pocket-sized sheet to warn Japanese restaurants that the bearer is allergic to nuts (!)
Miscellaneous non-translation
- Hotel and travel arrangements for visitors to Japan
- Telephone negotiations with Japanese fans of British motorcycles about purchasing parts
- Editing of computer peripheral manufacturer's magazine
- Assessment of other Japanese translators (for the ITI and translation agencies)
1997
Japanese typesetting etc.
- Video subtitles and a PC-based presentation for a leading UK bank
- Business cards for UK designer etc. delivered overnight
- Captions for a baseball game
- Letter threatening the president of a major Japanese car firm (!)
Government work
- Press releases for the Japanese Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and Tokyo Metropolitan Government
- Witness statements from the Sumitomo copper scandal
- Tax laws
- Diplomatic letters for an embassy in Tokyo
- Police report on a truck crash in Germany
Technical
- Patents
- Quality assurance manual with test standards & regulations
- Research into polysilanes & electrolytic networks
- Solar power
- Computer games
- Semiconductors
- Underground pipe mapping systems
- Japanese terms written in English letters for display on an endoscope
Legal & financial
- Lawsuit involving 20+ parties and over 70 million pounds
- F1 racing contract
- Ocean mapping tender
- Economic reports from Nikkei
- Company articles of association
Artistic
- Letter to the abbott of the Yakushiji Temple from someone building a scale model
- Decoding of the inscription on an antique chinese chest
- Script in ancient Japanese for an independent UK film
- Catalogue for the Edo Tokyo Museum
- Part of a book on the designer Tanaka Ikko
- Research on calendar designs in each country
Martial arts
Other
- English half of website for Japanese engineering company
- Lists of ingredients for dozens of imported foodstuffs
- 'Operating manual' for a whole building in Ikebukuro
- Reviewing of potential translators for a Hewlett-Packard magazine
- Imported car logbook records
- Publicity material for a local hotel and for some botanical gardens in Wales
- Interpreting for Japanese footballer Hiroshi Nanami while filming the Predator Traxion commercial for Adidas
- Research on Princess Diana for Japanese press and Japanese letters of condolence for English press
- Magazine on shipping
- Script for a boxing video game
Assorted items from 1990-1996
- Interpreting at London Fashion week (for Dentsu)
- Translation into Japanese of UKP 6 million buyout contract
- Translation into Japanese & typesetting of inwards investment brochure for Thanet District Council
- Translation of satellite communications documents for European Space Agency
- Translation / copywriting of script for video to promote highly exclusive Japanese golf clubs
- Interpreting at High Society parties in London and Home Counties for private Japanese client
- Translation of hundreds of documents in the fields of export / import, civil & mechanical engineering (inc. specifications, safety / quality control procedures, installation / operation manuals), oil rigs, banking, insurance investigations, accounts, contracts, patents, computer software, video games, trade missions, promotional materials (inc. real estate, exhibitions, presentations), market research, biochemistry, anthropology, cookery, fashion, photography, business & personal correspondence, etc.
Assorted jobs before 1990
- Translation of documents in the fields of advertising (automobile, construction, electronics, fashion, glass, health care, life insurance, music, shipping, sports, tourism industries) & politics, etc.
- Wrote advertising copy for Fujiya's prize-winning confectionery 'Afternoon'
- German ↔ Japanese interpreting in Frankfurt for Ban'yu-Inryoku (an experimental drama group)
- Interpreting for the Japanese team on the 'Trans-Europe Sacred Run'
- Translation of subtitles for the films 'Yama' and 'L'arrache-coeur'
- Assistant producer and interpreter for 'Woman of Hiroshima' theatrical performances in Tokyo, Hiroshima, Edinburgh and Avignon. Also translated Shimako Murai's play 'Himawari' ('Sunflowers').
- Co-edited and contributed to various magazines in and around Tokyo
- Appeared in various plays, films, TV commercials, etc. in and around Tokyo
- Technical adviser for Kikkado Ltd (3D laser mapping)
- Worked at Atarashiki-mura, doing agriculture, word processing and magazine editing
- Worked at Schloss Elmau, doing sports rental and computer software development
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