Hello there!  My name is Josh Bassan, and I would like to be your translator/interpreter for the Chinese (Mandarin only), Japanese, and English languages.  For written documents, I charge $50/page, assuming 12 point sized font.  For oral interpretation, I charge $50/hour plus a 50 cent/mile travel charge, if applicable, for the round trip distance.  A minimum charge may apply depending on the nature of your request.  Below is my background:

English: I am a native speaker; I grew up and was educated here in America.

Chinese: I graduated from Georgetown University in 2005 with a BA in Chinese.  I received the Chinese Award upon graduation.  I received a 7 on the HSK Proficiency Exam, tested Superior in speaking and listening and Advanced in reading and writing according to ILR guidelines (http://www.govtilr.org/).  I also spent a semester at Peking University during my junior year.  Before I graduated I looked into positions at both the FBI and CIA.  I passed both of their written tests, which mostly have to do with translation aptitude.

Japanese: My mother is from Japan and thus I grew up speaking it.  In fact, here’s an anecdote about how I learned: when I was five years old, my parents put me on a plane to live with my grandparents for three months (they don’t speak English) and attend a local kindergarten.  When I came back, I had almost forgotten English!  My kindergarten teacher here in the States called my parents to ask if there was something wrong with me.

Academically speaking, I did take a few courses while at Georgetown University to improve my literacy and vocabulary.  As a result, I was able to pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level One.  I also spent a semester at Sophia University during my junior year of college.  I’ve visited about 10 times total during my lifetime.  The last time I was there was October ‘09 for a friend’s wedding.

Current and former customers: PDMP Gallery; Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Union; MATCH Community Day Charter Public School

If you would like to hire me, ask more questions about myself, or discuss your specific request, feel free to contact me:

703-704-6571 (Home)
571-245-8807 (Cell)
josh@valudatadiscovery.com
8380B Brockham Dr
Alexandria, VA 22309

About me: I grew up on my parents’ orange orchard in Hawaii and moved to Washington, DC for college.  I’ve been living in Northern Virginia since finishing school and own my own litigation support business.  I’m translating to supplement my income as well as add variety to my workload.

In order to limit my legal liability, I am translating as an employee of my corporation, ValuData Discovery, Inc., a Virginia state corporation.

Last updated 3/9/11.