Combining linguistic and financial competence to provide English-German translations that meet the needs of the financial services industry today.

Your benefit

The New Fluency stands for a different approach to translations. I look at your project from the perspective of a copywriter and put great emphasis on style and readability. But I also have a strong background in finance that enables me to grasp even complex source texts and deliver translations that are not just vivid and expressive but also technically accurate.

Why I do what I do

I’m a linguist by nature and have spent most of my life learning and practising foreign languages. I have lived, worked and studied in France, Spain and the Netherlands, among other countries. But I also have a passion for financial markets that led me to London and later to enroll into the CFA-Programme.

I worked in London’s financial district for seven years, most recently as a multilingual investment writer for a large, global asset manager. During that time I gained a lot of experience and insight into the financial services industry. I also worked with several translators and read many translations, but all too often I was disappointed with the outcome. I ended up tweaking and improving the translations I received and sometimes even started from scratch in order to get to a better result. I looked at translations from every angle to understand why they often weren’t as good as they could be, and should be. The experience I gained along the way has led me to create my own translation service.

Hannes Stelten
Hannes Stelten, CFA

Certified Translator

fon +49 177 42 98 335
stelten@new-fluency.com

 

My value proposition

My goal is to provide you with accurate, ready-to-publish translations that don’t read like translations and help you set your company apart in the German-speaking market.
My value proposition is based on three pillars: My first-hand practical experience from working in financial services, my skills as a copywriter and my strong technical knowledge of financial markets and products.
It is no coincidence that I put great emphasis on these aspects. They reflect what I’ve learned about translations and what I believe makes a difference for my clients.

The truth about translations

During my career I’ve read many translations: good ones and not so good ones. I’ve summed up what I think sets them apart in three principles that guide me in my work.

1. Translations depend on skill, not scale

For the quality of your translation, it doesn’t matter how many offices your translation agency has set up around the globe or how many employees work in those offices. The quality of the translation you receive depends on the translator preparing it for you. Nothing else.

How I add value

My role is to produce quality translations for you. That’s all I do. I don’t outsource jobs and don’t take on more than I can handle. You will never be in doubt about who is responsible for your translation and you won’t have to put up with quality fluctuations.
I also put great emphasis on relationship management. When necessary, I will get in touch with you to make suggestions or ask for clarification rather than failing to meet your expectations.

2. Good translators are good writers

Good translations shouldn’t show that they’ve been derived from another language. I’ve noticed how translators often pay attention to individual words but fail to evaluate the resulting sentence or paragraph. To achieve fluency, the translator needs to focus on the meaning of the words more than the actual words and often transcreate a text rather than translate it.

How I add value

I am a copywriter first and foremost and, as such, I focus on style and elegance. My rule is, when a text reads like a translation, I rewrite it.
I also stick to what I know best and don’t offer translations outside my area of expertise. I focus on providing high-quality marketing material for the financial services industry, nothing else.

3. Knowledge and competence matter

A lack of technical knowledge can drag down the quality of a translation.
If your translator doesn’t speak finance, the translation you’ll receive might turn out either clunky or, worse, technically flawed.

How I add value

I had the privilege of working in the financial services industry for seven years. During that time I gained a solid understanding of financial terminology, products and markets and also earned the CFA designation. The strong knowledge I gained both through my studies and on the job allows me to grasp and translate even complex, heavily technical texts accurately.

Rates

Rates depend on the size and the nature of a project as well as its complexity and, not least, deadlines. Please contact me for a quote.

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