What this service actually is
This is an interpreting and language-companion service, not a language school and not a translation agency. You hire a bilingual person for a day, a half day, or a block of hours. They attend the meeting with you, interpret in both directions on the spot, and stay with you through the parts of the day where language is the bottleneck.
Most business interpreting days are consecutive interpreting — one person speaks, the interpreter renders it, then the other side replies. That is how supplier negotiations, factory walk-throughs, clinic consultations and police counter visits actually run. We do not provide simultaneous conference interpreting with headsets and booths; if that is the brief, say so and we will tell you honestly that it is a different job.
The interpreter also handles the practical layer: reading forms and documents out loud, checking names, addresses and numbers, explaining what a form is asking for, and keeping the conversation moving. They do not give legal, medical or commercial advice, and they do not negotiate on your behalf.
The situations that fill most bookings
Every interpreting day is different, but most requests fall into a handful of groups — from a business interpreter for supplier meetings to a medical interpreter at a hospital. The table is a planning aid, not a menu — tell us what the day needs to achieve and we will match the right person to it.
| Scenario | What the interpreter does | What to send in advance |
|---|---|---|
| Business negotiation or supplier meeting | Interprets both directions, tracks numbers, prices and delivery terms, keeps names and job titles straight | Agenda, product list, the commercial terms that matter |
| Factory inspection or quality check | Interprets between engineers and line managers, follows a checklist on the floor, flags anything that sounds like a misunderstanding | Inspection checklist, technical vocabulary, spec sheets |
| Trade fair or exhibition | Works the floor with you, handles booth conversations, captures supplier names and follow-up details | Exhibitor list, target halls, your buying brief |
| Medical appointment or hospital visit | Interprets at registration, the consultation, the payment desk and the pharmacy, and helps explain your history | Symptoms, medication list, test results, hospital and department |
| Police, visa or administrative errand | Interprets at police stations, exit-entry bureaus, notary offices and traffic counters, and explains what each document is for | The appointment, the documents involved, the outcome you need |
| School, property or site visit | Interprets interviews, viewings and lease questions, and reads contracts out loud so you know what you are looking at | Your question list, address, and any agreement already drafted |
How a typical day runs
We start with a short briefing by email or a call the day before: who will be in the room, what the outcome should be, which documents matter, and any product names or technical terms that need to be learned in advance. An interpreter who has read the spec sheet before the meeting is worth two who have not.
On the day, the interpreter meets you at your hotel, office, hospital or venue. Travel between sites inside the city is part of the booked day; intercity transport, flights, venue tickets and meals are not, unless the written quote says otherwise. We build in breaks, because consecutive interpreting is tiring and accuracy drops after roughly ninety minutes without a pause. For a full-day negotiation, plan lunch away from the table.
The interpreter keeps notes, not a transcript. If you need minutes, a written summary, or a translated contract, ask in advance. Those are separate deliverables and may need a different professional.
What this service is not
Honesty about scope saves everyone a bad day. We do not provide:
- Certified or sworn translation (宣誓翻译) — the stamped, court-accepted translation of documents. That has to come from a certified translation service.
- Stamped translation of contracts, certificates or company documents. We can interpret a document out loud so you understand it; we cannot sign, stamp or certify it.
- Simultaneous conference interpreting with booths, headsets and a sound team.
- Legal, medical, tax or investment advice. The interpreter conveys what is said; the professional opinion stays with the professional.
- Negotiation representation. The interpreter does not bargain, commit or sign on your behalf.
If your day needs one of those, tell us in the first email. We will say so plainly and, where we can, point you toward the right kind of provider rather than stretch this service past its limit.
What it costs
Interpreting is quoted per day by city and scenario, typically from $180–260/day for a full day. That is a reference range, not a fixed rate. The final quote depends on the city, the hours, the technical difficulty, whether the day requires travel between sites, and whether you need a half day or an evening only. The written quote you receive is the quote that applies; there is no separate fee added later.
Half days and short blocks are possible and are quoted proportionally. Weekends, public holidays and multi-city trips are quoted separately. The interpreter's meals, intercity transport and any venue entry tickets are not included unless the quote says so. For interpreting that involves sensitive commercial information, we can agree confidentiality terms in writing before the day.
What to send when you enquire
- City and dates, with start and finish times
- The scenario — negotiation, factory, clinic, police counter, site visit
- Who will be in the room, and roughly how many people
- Any agenda, documents or technical vocabulary we should read first
- Whether you need consecutive interpreting only, or something more formal
Email is enough to start. We reply with availability, a scope note and a written per-day quote. For medical appointments, tell us the hospital and department if you already have them; for business days, the supplier name and address help us judge travel time. If you are not sure whether you need an interpreter at all, say what the day looks like and we will tell you honestly.
Quick answers
Is this simultaneous interpretation?
No. Most bookings are consecutive interpreting: one person speaks, the interpreter renders it, then the other side replies. That is how supplier meetings, factory walk-throughs, clinic consultations and official counter visits actually run. Simultaneous conference interpreting with booths and headsets is a different job with different equipment, and we will say so if it is what you need.
Do you provide certified or sworn translations?
No. Certified, sworn or stamped translations of documents must come from a certified translation service, and we do not sign, stamp or certify documents. We can interpret a contract or certificate out loud so you understand what it says, but the certified version is a separate professional service.
Can the interpreter come to a hospital appointment?
Yes. A medical interpreter can attend registration, the consultation, the payment desk and the pharmacy, and can help explain your history and medication list. The interpreter does not give medical advice. Some hospital international departments provide their own English support, so tell us the hospital and department and we will confirm what is needed.
Can the interpreter sign an NDA?
Yes. For sensitive commercial discussions we can agree confidentiality terms, including a simple mutual NDA, before the day. Send your own document in advance if you have one, or ask us for a short agreement. The interpreter will not disclose what is discussed beyond the agreed scope.
How far in advance should I book an interpreter?
One to two weeks is comfortable for a single day in a major city. Trade fair dates, factory audit seasons and public holidays fill up earlier, so book those as soon as your dates are fixed. Last-minute requests are sometimes possible depending on the city and language pair, but availability is not guaranteed.