Mission Statement
Personal Care for Quality
… and Synergy from Teamwork and Networking
Message of CEO
One day, I asked a friend and wine journalist* how to best spot a good wine. After thinking for a while, she answered as follows:
“Wines should be good when the vintner himself keeps an eye on every detail of vineyard and cellar”.
I was surprised because I had expected quite a different answer as e.g. the names of the best vineyards or finest labels.
Then I remembered something:
Exactly that is the ideal image of our profession - a kind of creative work based on solid craftsmanship and teamwork.
There are many parallels between wine making and the art of writing;
- to build up a trusted team of translators just like a vintner diligently looks after his vineyard;
- to eliminate translation errors by systematic checking just like a vintner carefully hand-picks the grapes for further processing;
- to iron out rough edges and improve the style of translation by proofreading just like the fermentation process mellows out harsh flavours.
Behind a good wine – or, metaphorically, a good translation – there is always a conscientious vintner who has the entire process under control.
What actually makes an “exquisite wine” or “successful translation”? Just like different wines are preferred based on taste, requirements on a translation differ from one customer to another.
The translation of e.g. tender records requires above all a short delivery time to allow meeting the submission deadline. In contrast thereto, time should not be a prime consideration when working on demanding product literature. When translating an instruction manual with frequent repetitions, the use of a customer-specified CAT tool is a must.
Our translations are not industrial products reproducible from boilerplate language. Instead, there are customized works of craftsmanship matched to the requirements of the individual client. We are always asking ourselves “What is this translation needed for?” We know that a translation is never a final product. For our customers, it is only a means to an end by which a given objective is to be reached. To provide customers with the best possible support n such undertakings is our mission with every single translation.
We hope to make a solid contribution to the success of your business by producing translations tailored to your needs.
Sumiko Arai
Proprietor and Chief Translator
Translation Service S. Arai
*The above quotation is reproduced with the consent of the journalist in question, Ms Junko Iwamoto (http://www.junkoiwamoto.com).
She is one of the few Japanese women who hold a diploma from WSET, the renowned London Wine & Spirit School in the UK.