Common Questions, Easy Answers.

Who does the translations? We have linguists who translate into their native language and have years of experience and advanced degrees in the subjects they are translating.

What is the difference between translation and interpreting? Translation is the written word and interpreting is the spoken word.

What is the difference between simultaneous interpreting and consecutive interpreting? Simultaneous interpreting is like the song “Row, Row, Row your Boat.” Consecutive is similar to when you would annoy your sibling by sounding like a parrot. The person speaks and the interpreter speaks, then the person speaks again and so on and so forth.

What is the SOURCE LANGUAGE? The Source language is the original language of the document.

What is the TARGET LANGUAGE? It is the language the document will end up in.

What is SYNTAX? It is the way you say something. You can say “I am walking down the street, late at night and I see a light coming from the window of a friends home.” You can also say “A light came from the home of a friend while I was walking, at night, down the street.”

Syntax, originating from the Greek words συν (syn, meaning "co-" or "together") and τάξις (táxis, meaning "sequence, order, arrangement"), can in linguistics be described as the study of the rules, or "patterned relations" that govern the way the words in a sentence come together. It concerns how different words (which, going back to Dionysios Thrax, are categorized as nouns, adjectives, verbs, etc.) are combined into clauses, which, in turn, are combined into sentences.

How much does a translation cost? The fees are dependent upon the level of technical difficulty, the turn around time, the level of typesetting, delivery choice, certification choice and the difficulty of the language. Most latin based languages are less expensive than the most expensive languages which are the Asian languages, Hebrew, Arabic and some Indian & African dialects. CISFL will give you a free estimate so you will not be shocked by the final bill.

How much is interpreting? The fees are based upon the length of the stay, how many miles to the project site, per-diem rates, (for out of town projects) transportation costs and how difficult the project is. (CISFL can give you a free estimate.)

If you have any questions we did not answer here, please e-mail us. (E-mail)