German
Genealogy Translations
Paul Listen, Ph.D.
German-Translation@comcast.net
German-Translation@comcast.net
comments from clients:
“You’re the only translator that I know that translates the German
handwritten document into German on the top half of the page, and then
translates it into English on the bottom half of the page; the other
translators translate English only.” ---
Ronald K.
“I received a prompt
and professional translation/transliteration report containing helpful
explanatory details about my document. Your knowledge of dialects provided me
with an exciting genealogical clue.” ---
Christina H.
SERVICES A genealogist myself, I am also a
translator offering high quality, professional translation of German documents
for genealogists. I am proficient and experienced with old German handwriting
of all kinds and styles; primary and secondary sources; family bible entries;
diaries, journals, and logs; letters from any period (handwritten or printed),
vital records,excerpts from birth, baptismal, marriage, and death records;
German church book entries in German and/or Latin; immigration logs; ship
passenger lists; photo captions; newspaper clippings; excerpts from books such
as local histories; archival documents such as registers, chronicles, and the
like.
My
church book translations are more than translations. They provide not only the
English but also a transcription of the original German and/or Latin, as well
as helpful commentary on linguistic, dialect, or geographic issues as they
arise. My doctoral research focused on specific aspects of language use in
standard German and German dialects of the 16th through 18th centuries and
required years of archive work. This research experience and depth of knowledge
of historical German language and culture allow me insights into details that a
typical translator or genealogist might otherwise overlook.
MY QUALIFICATIONS
·
Doctoral
degree in German from UC Berkeley with specialty in Germanic linguistics
·
Fluent
in English and German
·
Secondary foreign languages for
doctoral degree were Latin and French
·
30
years researching my own German genealogy from primary sources in various
archives in Germany , Switzerland , and Austria
·
Familiar
not only with standard German, but also with regional German dialects, both
historical and modern
·
Professional
translation experience since 1990
·
Published
two books about the German language: The
Emergence of German Polite Sie and
Big Yellow Book of German Verbs
Big Yellow Book of German Verbs
·
Published
scholarly articles on various aspects of the German language
·
Edited
German textbooks for Heinle, Houghton-Mifflin, Cengage, and McGraw-Hill
Publishers
·
Currently
working on a biography of my great great great grandfather, a German-born
composer and conductor who lived in Switzerland
TYPICAL FEES For German
churchbook entries I charge anywhere from $20 to $30, with discounts for
multiple records submitted at once. Other documents are charged by the word.
The word rate varies widely. The fee for your particular project can vary
based on several factors, including neatness of handwriting, length of
text, and clarity of document. HOW IT WORKS You send me a photocopy or scan of what you want translated (fax okay only if high quality original). We will discuss and agree on a firm price and estimate of time needed. You then send me a photocopy of the entire document for translation.
Paul Listen, Ph. D.
12 North Summit Drive
Bellingham, WA 98229-7810 USA |
German-Translation@comcast.net
phone (234) 564-3256
|
