Citation, Documentation of Sources

Q. When an author is quoting a source in a foreign language (in this case German), is it permissible to translate the quote into English without making mention of the fact that it has been translated? Or would it be sufficient to simply have a notice at the end of the article that says something to the effect that all quotations have been translated into English from German?

A. Translations must be identified as such; otherwise you are implying that the English version appeared in the book you cite and that the original author is responsible for something you actually wrote—including your mistakes or misinterpretations. It’s fine to make a blanket statement that all quotations have been translated by the author, preferably at the beginning of the notes or in the first translated note.