Member since Dec '09

Working languages:
German to English
English to German
English (monolingual)
French to English
English to French

Peter Downes
Because English should be easy...

Hamm, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Local time: 11:37 CET (GMT+1)

Native in: English Native in English
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Account type Freelance translator and/or interpreter
Data security Created by Evelio Clavel-Rosales This person has a SecurePRO™ card. View now.
Affiliations
Blue Board affiliation:
Services Subtitling, Translation, MT post-editing, Editing/proofreading, Language instruction, Training, Interpreting, Transcription, Native speaker conversation
Expertise
Specializes in:
Construction / Civil EngineeringAutomation & Robotics
Energy / Power GenerationAutomotive / Cars & Trucks
Transport / Transportation / ShippingBusiness/Commerce (general)
Sports / Fitness / RecreationFinance (general)

Rates
German to English - Standard rate: 0.09 EUR per word / 30 EUR per hour
English to German - Standard rate: 0.09 EUR per word / 30 EUR per hour

All accepted currencies Euro (eur)
KudoZ activity (PRO) PRO-level points: 222, Questions answered: 218, Questions asked: 22
Payment methods accepted Wire transfer, Money order, MasterCard, PayPal | Send a payment via ProZ*Pay
Glossaries testing the water
Experience Years of experience: 24. Registered at ProZ.com: Dec 2008. Became a member: Dec 2009.
ProZ.com Certified PRO certificate(s) N/A
Credentials English (London Teacher Training College, verified)
Memberships N/A
Software Across, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, memoQ, MemSource Cloud, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Passolo, Powerpoint, Trados Studio
CV/Resume English (PDF)
Professional practices Peter Downes endorses ProZ.com's Professional Guidelines.
Professional objectives
  • Meet new translation company clients
  • Help or teach others with what I have learned over the years
  • Find trusted individuals to outsource work to
  • Meet new end/direct clients
  • Network with other language professionals
  • Build or grow a translation team
  • Get help with terminology and resources
  • Learn more about translation / improve my skills
  • Learn more about interpreting / improve my skills
  • Get help on technical issues / improve my technical skills
  • Learn more about additional services I can provide my clients
  • Learn more about the business side of freelancing
  • Stay up to date on what is happening in the language industry
  • Improve my productivity
Bio
Born in West London in 1955, I studied English Literature and English Grammar to university levels before turning my back on linguistics to follow my father into the steel erection industry. Deciding that 120 feet in the air, without safety equipment, was not my real calling I trained as a bricklayer - gaining my Advanced Craft City and Guilds Certificate and being awarded the NFBTE prize for best apprentice bricklayer in the central and city area of London in 1975.

During my apprenticeship I also concentrated on my football career and actually made it onto the substitute`s bench at Stamford Bridge before my cruciate ligaments decided that I had come to the end of the professional road, and Chelsea FC decided that they no longer required my services!!!

With additional, ongoing studies, I attained a Higher National Certificate Degree in Building Science and Technology and Membership of The Licentiate of Building (LIOB).
I then went self-employed (I still am) as a building contractor taking on renovations, extensions and property development until Thatcherism took its toll in 1989.
Moving to Germany in 1991, I carried on in the same vein with specialised facework projects for architectural facework, marble facades, ceramics etc.

Having spent half a lifetime working in the construction industry I was faced with the prospect of either dying on a building site, or finding an alternative method to make ends meet. At the age of 46, I decided to go back to my original roots, working in the linguistics sector. At first I concentrated on adult education and, as a matter of course, drifted into business English. As a follow on from training people to speak English, there were always requests for translation work, accompanying managers to conferences etc. so I began to offer a translation service which, up to now, has been very successful.
I now divide my time between training German business people for their English skills, everything from telephoning to presentations and negotiations. When not in companies, I carry out translation work from my office and accompany my clients to meetings, trade fairs and provide linguistic support at seminars etc.
In the last few years there has been an increasing demand for simultaneous, whispered and delayed interpreting services (also often as video conferences due to Corona) as my clients continue to go more global. Whether sitting in a negotiation or an interview with GER_ENG or in reverse, the days are never boring.

All in all, it is an interesting and rewarding life, much better than my previous one.
This user has earned KudoZ points by helping other translators with PRO-level terms. Click point total(s) to see term translations provided.

Total pts earned: 225
PRO-level pts: 222


Top languages (PRO)
German to English183
English to German39
Top general fields (PRO)
Tech/Engineering94
Bus/Financial69
Other27
Law/Patents20
Art/Literary8
Pts in 1 more fld >
Top specific fields (PRO)
Construction / Civil Engineering54
Human Resources16
Law: Contract(s)16
Sports / Fitness / Recreation15
Electronics / Elect Eng15
Automotive / Cars & Trucks11
Law (general)11
Pts in 18 more flds >

See all points earned >
Keywords: document translator, conference translator, interpreter, language support services, proof reading, corrections and intercultural training..




Profile last updated
Nov 15



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