INTERPRETER
- conference interpreter
You have organized an international conference or a scientific convention, bilateral meeting, new product launch, training course, round-table conference, commercial negotiation, or a Board of Directors, European Works Council or trade union meeting, or an audit … and you want to ensure that everyone can speak and listen in their native language, without risking misunderstandings or bad impressions? You have found the interpreter that’s right for you and who will turn your event into a success.
Interpretation is always a team effort. For each event, I analyse the programme, topics, language combinations, location and technical equipment in detail, and select the interpreters with the most suitable requisites, creating a team with two interpreters for each language. My language combinations are Italian< >German and English>German and I specialize in the technical and scientific sector, in the context of European institutions and policies and trade union activities.
ABOUT ME
“A person who speaks a foreign language says what he CAN, a person who speaks his mother tongue says what he MEANS.”
I was born in Germany to Italian parents, grew up bilingual and, from an early age, started acting as a mediator within my family, scattered between Bavaria and Piedmont. I soon realized that the feeling of being indispensable to enable communication between people who otherwise would not understand each other made me happy, and so I decided to become a conference interpreter.
I studied at the Turin school for interpreters and graduated in Rome with first class honours. Soon after, in 2005, I became a freelance translator and conference interpreter. My place of business is in Turin, but I often travel throughout Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and have a residence in Munich, my hometown.
My ambition as a professional interpreter is to make communication natural for everyone, without having to strain to speak or listen in a language that is not your own, and to translate everything that is said using the right terminology – including the nuances. Without misunderstandings or creating bad impressions.
When people meet, they do it to communicate. Whether it is presenting an innovation, getting updated on a scientific subject, signing a contract, settling a conflict, promoting a company or selling a product, communication is crucial. If communication fails, the event fails. If the participants do not understand or misinterpret what has been said, you will have wasted your time and money. In contrast, a professional interpreter guarantees natural communication for everyone and the success of your event.
WHAT I OFFER
Simultaneous interpretation
For a conference or meeting that will need to be translated into one or more languages, the best solution is simultaneous translation. With simultaneous translation, everyone can follow what is being said in real time, in an engaging and direct manner, with the advantage of not extending the duration of the event.
The installation of a booth for each language and the presence of two interpreters per language is required. In special situations it is possible to perform whispered (also known as chuchotage) interpretation, which is a simultaneous translation whispered in the ear of one or at most two people.
Consecutive interpretation
If your event is of short-duration and only needs to be translated into one language, the ideal technique is consecutive translation. The interpreter translates on a deferred basis, in which the speaker says a few sentences at a time and the interpreter translates them consecutively.
It does not require special equipment, but it must be borne in mind that the times of the translated event double. In practice, if a speaker has a 20-minute slot available for his presentation, in reality he will have to consider being able to speak for 10 minutes, because the remaining time will be used for providing the translation.
Bidule or booth hire
If you have not yet found your own trusted installer or service provider, I can arrange and organize the rental of cabins and headphones for you, or provide the bidule (audio guide for on-the-go simultaneous translation). Contact me, I will give you the advice you need for your personal event.
Remote Simultaneous Interpreting (RSI)
The pandemic has given a strong impetus to the development of new systems for online conferencing. Some specialized software offers the possibility of effectively integrating simultaneous translation. If this solution is suitable for your event, contact me and I will provide you with all the information, advice and tools to turn your event into a success – whether online or hybrid!
ASSOCIATIONS
I am a member of Assointerpreti, the Italian National Association of Professional Conference Interpreters, which for almost half a century brings together only interpreters specialized in simultaneous, consecutive and whispered interpreting.
Access to the association is reserved to professional interpreters who can demonstrate a long experience of interpreting at conferences and other institutional events.
I am a qualified member of AITI, the main Italian association of translators and interpreters and a founding member of FIT. From 2008 to 2015 I was a member of the Training Commission of the AITI Piedmont and Aosta Valley branch and took part in organising training events for professional translators and interpreters.
From 2017 to 2020I was a member of the AITI National Interpreters Commission, which deals with promoting the profession of conference and liaison interpreters and organising dedicated training events.
In 2019 I passed the AITI exam for conference interpreters for the German language (simultaneous and consecutive)and obtained UNI 11591:2015 certification.
CERTIFICATION
UNI certification is a guarantee for customers because it clearly identifies the knowledge, skills and expertise that distinguish professionals from amateur or non-professional operators.
Certification entails a practical exam of consecutive and simultaneous interpretation (in both directions, Italian>German and German>Italian), a written test on the standard and finally an oral exam, always regarding the contents of the UNI 11591:2015 standard.
Since March 2020 I have been a certified conference interpreter in compliance with the UNI 11591:2015 standard. My certificate number is: TRAINT2020-00122, verifiable on the Accredia website.
CLIENTS
Precedente
Successivo
TESTIMONIALS
Barbara PagliucaPURCHASING MANAGER
Cinetic Giustina S.r.l., San Mauro Torinese (TO)www.fivesgroup.com | Grinding machines for the automotive industry Read More
We have been working with Nicole Maina since 2006 and since then she has translated numerous technical manuals for our German customers in the automotive industry, such as Daimler and the Volkswagen Group. Right from the first project we were very impressed by her command of the technical language of our sector, which is that of machine tools, and grinding machines in particular. Ms Maina also worked as an interpreter during the commissioning and training courses for our machine tools, for which in some cases she had translated the operation and maintenance manuals. She has always been very professional and precise in her work, which is why after more than 15 years we continue to make use of her precious collaboration.
Paolo SassoneGENERAL MANAGER
PFERD Italia | Abrasive tools Read More
Nicole Maina has been our trusted translator since 2012 and translates all our specialist texts from German: from website content to press releases and brochures to the translation of the entire catalogue, our tools manual, which now includes over 8,000 items.
In the world of tools, translation work is not easy and requires a high level of technical knowledge and considerable experience.
We appreciate Nicole’s respect for deadlines, the high quality of the translations and her technological know-how, which is essential to provide an excellent service.
Nicola ImbimboGLOBAL APPLICATION MANAGER
Prysmian Group – Draka | Ropes Read More
I met Nicole while working for an elevator rope manufacturer, and the work she did for me was translating the lifting product catalogue. This meeting took place in 2007, and we have been in contact ever since. It is important to use the correct technical terminology when translating a specific subject such as elevator ropes into other languages. Few people have as detailed a knowledge as hers on lift and rope industry terms. I recommend anyone to hire her for their technical translations. Her skills are not limited to languages but also to knowledge of technical topics.
Simone BachmannSENIOR MARKETING & SALES COORDINATOR
PFERD-VSM (Schweiz) AG | Abrasives Read More
We have been working for several years with Ms Nicole Maina, who provides our company with all the translations for the tools and abrasives sector for the metallurgical industry. In our industry, it is especially important to know and use the industry’s language and terms correctly. Ms Maina is a true professional in this area. The texts we assign to her are always translated very professionally and on time, and fully satisfy our needs. We will certainly continue to work with Ms Maina in the future and highly recommend her.
Sara ColomboMARKETING & COMMUNICATION MANAGER
A.C.S.A. Steel Forgings S.p.A. | Steel forgings Read More
I thank Nicole for the excellent technical translations provided. She is a highly trained professional, not only on the linguistic side, but also for her technical skills in the most varied of sectors. She is very precise, competent and swift in terms of delivering the work done. There will certainly be other opportunities for collaboration.
Paola GrassiEDITOR
Volpe Editore Srl – Elevatori Magazine | Lift industry magazine Read More
Nicole proved to be an extraordinary professional, supporting us in the management of specialist content and in the German translation of our technical publications. Punctuality, precision and in-depth knowledge of the elevator sector are just some of her qualities.
Jörg AstaloschMANAGING DIRECTOR / CEO
Italdesign Giugiaro | Industrial Design Read More
Nicole Maina’s services helped me when I needed it. A competent translation is important, but it is not enough to translate word for word or just the concepts, quite the opposite. It is a question of understanding a culture or industry and acting accordingly. I saw this ability and this competence in Nicole Maina. Thank you very much for the excellent work and keep it up.
Denise SettonPARTNER AND CONFERENCE INTERPRETER
Non solo Parole Cuneo Read More
The NON SOLO PAROLE Translation and Interpreting agency was established in 1998. In addition to the professional experience acquired by the founding partner over the last twenty years, NON SOLO PAROLE counts highly qualified professional interpreters and translators among its collaborators.
For translations and simultaneous interpretation services in German, I have often availed myself of the collaboration of Ms Nicole Maina who has always fully satisfied my needs, also due to her excellent terminological skills. The quality of the translations has always been excellent and I greatly appreciated her punctuality and accuracy.
Even in the interpreting booth and in recent times, due to the pandemic, in the RSI (Remote Simultaneous Interpreting) jobs, I have seen great commitment and professionalism. I also appreciate Nicole on a personal level. It is a pleasure to share the booth with her.
FEES
Professionalism, precision and rigorous punctuality have always been my calling card – together with a mania for control. Contact me and I will gladly prepare a detailed quote for you.
In the meantime, to help you get a better idea of the costs involved in the services, here are some guidelines:
Interpreting*
€500 to €750 per day
Linguistic consultancy
€50 to €80 per hour
* Interpreting fees vary according to the technique employed, the type of event and any travelling times incurred by the interpreter. Prices exclude VAT.