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Frequently Asked Questions
ALSC stands for "Alta Loma Scientific Consulting". "Alta Loma" means "High Hill" and refers to the geographical location, a township founded in 1912 about 35 miles east of Los Angeles in San Bernardino County, where the business started in 1994, but also alludes to the "Higher Vantage Point" that ALSC has reached through hard work, extensive training and continuous education. ALSC was founded on two pillars: an apparent market demand for professional translations and the burgeoning Internet which promised a large client base, reduced overhead, increased productivity, and yet flexible work hours.
ALSC is located in Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino County, California, about 45 miles east of Los Angeles, in a region also known as the "Inland Empire". This is a zone of rapid economic expansion, but the Pacific Coast, the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains as well as the Mojave Desert are relatively close by and offer regular escapes from the city life.
While translations make up the bulk of ALSC's business, ALSC also consults clients with respect to scientific endeavors and offers assistance in writing grant proposals, research papers, and patents.
The owner and sole proprietor of ALSC is Dr. rer. nat. Gottfried Feistner, who earned his degree (equivalent to a Ph.D. in Natural Sciences) in 1982 for studies and research in chemistry and microbiology. In 1983 his research brought him to California, where he pursued basic research in plant pathology, medical microbiology, immunology and neurochemistry at the University of California, Stanford University and the City of Hope. For his research papers he communicated with his international collaborators extensively via the Internet, and eventually this led to the idea of starting a WWW-based consulting business. Further details can be found in his CV. For translation matters, Dr. Feistner can also count on the ad hoc advice of his wife, an adjunct professor of English at the DeVry Institute of Technology and Chaffey College.
With regard to translations, Dr. Feistner is committed to truthfully express in the target language what the author of the original intended to say, in a form that makes the translation look as if it had been originally composed in the target language. While presently focusing mostly on the translation market, ALSC is also ready to fill the growing demand for more direct interactions between clients and service providers in the fields of scientific education and research. The plan is to live life to the fullest with continuous learning, flexible work hours and lots of fun by taking advantage of mobile communication systems and portable electronic data bases as they become available and/or affordable. As Jennifer Corriero, teenage consultant to Microsoft recently put it: "People's lives used to be all about education, then work, then retirement or fun or whatever. But what's happening ... is that all three of these things are all mixed in together. We're always learning, we like our work so we're working more, and we're working when we want to, and we're having fun now as opposed to later." (Michael J. Martinez, Los Angeles Times, Thursday, April 27, 2000).
Rates depend on a) the format in which the originals are submitted (hand-written; Fax; MS Word file; electronic file other than MS Word; electronic file, but not suitable for CAT because of poor language/inconsistent use of terminology; glossaries), b) difficulty of the subject matter (general vs. e. g. fiber optics), and c) turnaround time (rush orders do cost 50% to 100% more). Due to Dr. Feistner's expertise, ALSC tends to get complex and cutting edge assignments, for which the rates are at the higher end of the market's spectrum. However, ALSC's rates have always been and will remain competitive. If you email your original file or FAX sample pages to (909) 463-1076, you will receive a price quote from ALSC free of charge, usually within a few hours (Mo-Fr). Serious "Name Your Own Price" offers also will be considered. Discounts are available for large, repetitive jobs submitted in electronic form. ALSC does have a minimum charge of $50.-.
Sample translations of a variety of texts can be found elsewhere on this website. Sample translations of texts provided by the client are available at a per word rate, but will mostly be covered by ALSC's minimum charge of $50.-.
The short answer is: ALSC is collaborating with some agencies (that add value) and competing with others (that merely repackage). The long answer: If you want to cut costs without sacrificing quality, you want to keep translators/agencies that produce/add value to your product and cut the rest. If you need translations in standard format in a single language, you might as well go to the source, i. e. the translator himself, by taking advantage of the Internet. If you need elaborate formatting and translations into multiple languages, you will need the help of a competent translation agency to bring the right people together to make your product stand out. ALSC is merely letting the end client decide what works best for him or her. To quote a recent phrase from an article about the travel industry, which is undergoing a similar transformation as the translation industry: "... agencies are like gas stations -- there's one on every corner. But they are also like a barber: Once you find a good one, you never leave." (E. Scott Reckard, Los Angeles Times, April 30, 2000). When requested, ALSC will happily refer you to an agency that already collaborates with ALSC and seems to be a good match for your project. On the other hand, if you prefer to work with a certain translator, feel free to ask your agency to include him or her in their team for your project.
In order to be able to update this site on short notice and as frequently as needed, this web site has been designed and is maintained by Dr. Feistner himself. He appreciates your suggestions and comments.
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