Q. How can I get a translation of an article into English?

Hello,

If you find an article that is not available in English, there are a few ways to get a translation (UMD's Libraries do not provide this service). Depending on the quality you need (are you just trying to get the gist of the article? do you want to quote it in your work?), these range from free to rather pricey.

Google Translate: this is probably the best free machine translation system. It works better for some languages than others, but the product probably won't read like natural English: words will be out of order, but you can still usually get the general meaning.

Grad Students: Some graduate students on-campus offer translation services. While this can be a lower cost solution, grad students may not always deliver a high-quality, publication level product. You can contact language departments on-campus or UMD's International Student & Scholar Services to pursue this option.

Professional translators: If you need a high-quality, publication-level English version, the American Translator's Association (ATA) tests and certifies translators in the US, who are available in a directory on its website.  ATA also has a nice brochure called "Translation: Getting it Right" that makes good recommendations and points out common pitfalls.

Translation companies: There are many translation companies in this area (also listed on the ATA website), but they may not be the best option unless you have a very large project, as they usually charge minimum fees of up to $300.

Office of Community Engagement: Looking at the bottom right on https://oce.umd.edu/partnerships, you can see the Translation service but it seems that they no longer offer this service. However, it may be worth contacting the office at oce@umd.edu for some insight they may have.

School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures - Translation and Interpretation Services (Spanish and Portuguese). The website has contact information and fees.

Office of Extended Studies - on the bottom of the page, they have contact information on the bottom that may lead to further resources if they are aware of it. Not sure we qualify for this service but at least may be able to get some further information from  Dr. Shawn Parry-Giles, Academic Director, GSIT, at spg@umd.edu.

Good luck, and thank you for using AskUs!