Our preferred form of certification is the following "Translator's Declaration":

Translator's Declaration

I, Wang Feng, declare under penalty of perjury that I understand the Chinese language and the English language; that I hold accreditation from the Chinese Translators Association for translation from Chinese to English; and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the statements in the English language in the attached translation of _____________, consisting of _____ pages which I have initialed ______, have the same meanings as the statements in the Chinese language in the original document, a copy of which I have examined.

Note that this declaration must be attached to the translation, with individual pages of the translation initialed. That requires delivery of the actual paper. As of early 2003, no other means of certification seems equivalent though, with the agreement of all parties, electronic transfer of a PGP-encrypted file might be acceptable.

This certification/declaration seems to have very limited value other than as a legal formality. Any translator will produce a translation which is correct to the best of his or her knowledge and belief. It would be extremely unusual for any translator to certify to any higher (or lower) standard. Notarization indicates that the person signing the certification has provided the notary with identification, but says nothing at all about the quality of the translation.

Certification and notarization will involve an extra charge of $50 (subject to change) to cover the notary's fee, the time and trouble for notarization, and shipment of the paper copy.