Category: Our partners

Charlotte from England: Experience in Translating

CategoriesNew, Our partnersPosted on

This week, it’s the turn of our intern Charlotte to answer Marie’s interview questions and share a little bit about herself and her experience with BigTranslation. “I was born in the south of England (Crawley) and when I was nine, I moved to France with my family, where I’ve been living for the last ten years (Limoges).”

Share
Tweet

Translating into English with BigTranslation

This week, it’s the turn of our intern Charlotte to answer Marie’s interview questions and share a little bit about herself and her experience in translating with BigTranslation.

english native translator

Please introduce yourself (where you’re from, where you live, past or present studies, etc.).

How long have you been working with BigTranslation?

I was born in the south of England (Crawley) and when I was nine, I moved to France with my family, where I’ve been living for the last ten years (Limoges). I did a scientific baccalauréat and then a year of classe préparatoire littéraire.

At the moment I’m studying at the faculty of Philology in Valencia, doing the first year of an undergraduate course in German Language and Literature. I’ve been working with BigTranslation for a few months.

Which are your working languages? What is it that you most like about translating?

Right now I’m working with Spanish and English, although I’ve also translated from French to English and vice-versa. Translating well is always a challenge, and I guess that’s what I like the most about it: the satisfaction of confronting a difficult text and to be able to find the exact expressions in another language. If you succeed in doing so, you turn into a kind of chameleon capable of blending into the people of any country and being taken for native (one of my goals!).

Have you always wanted to be a translator or did you consider other careers? For you, is translation a passion or a pastime?

My grandmother is an English/French translator and since I was little she’s helped me with languages, to learn French for example. She’s passed on to me her passion for languages, grammar and literature, as well as for Latin and Greek, and for that reason translating has always interested me. I don’t have any definite plans right now, or specific professions in mind, but translating is a possibility. In any case, I’m sure that I want to learn a few more languages.

In what capacity do you work with BigTranslation and what was it that made you chose the company? In your opinion, what makes it stand out from other companies?

I’m doing work experience in the company and I found it a bit by chance (a poster in the faculty). However I like the style of work and being part of a big multilingual team, and the experience is very interesting.

english translation

What essential qualities or skills should a translator possess? What’s your ‘motto’ on translation, if you like?

Like I said before, my grandmother passed on to me her passion for grammar, and I think that’s essential when translating – good knowledge of how different languages work, because just knowing vocabulary isn’t enough. It’s also useful to have lived in different countries to know how things are usually said, so that you don’t write or speak like a dated exercise book. I think a good translator needs to be rigorous, patient, and above all needs to be passionate about languages and enjoy working with them.

Imagine a world without translators. What would it be like?

Such a world would be very sad! What’s so fascinating about translating is to be able to share different cultures and views on the world, to spread knowledge, to explore languages and the way they work, which always reflects something about the people who speak them… If there were no translators, it’s obvious that conflicts would be far more frequent (although we still have a lot to improve in that matter). Translators are linguistic diplomats, bridges between cultures: to make do with just one language is to cut oneself off from the rest of the world, and the more open we are to countries different to ours and the more we understand each other, the better we’ll all live.

Rugilė from Lithuania: Working in Translation

CategoriesBigT news, New, Our partnersPosted on

This week, our intern Marie, the most recent addition to our in-house team, interviewed one of our senior Lithuanian translators, Rugilė. This is a little post put together by Marie using Rugilė‘s answers to her questions.

Share
Tweet

Rugilė works with BigTranslation as part of the excellent Lithuanian translation team!

 

Rugilė, tell us a little about yourself.

I am Lithuanian but I have lived in Spain for just over 15 years. For the last 10 years, I have always had language-related jobs. I studied Translation and Interpreting at university and, since graduating, I have worked exclusively in translation.

What languages do you speak, and how do you maintain your proficiency?

At the University of Vilnius, I had the chance to study English and Spanish as primary languages. Currently, my working languages are: Lithuanian, Spanish, English and Russian. For me, translation is a tool which bridges the gap between people that speak different languages. It is indispensable for international communication.

 

lithuanian translation

 

 Was being a translator your dream job when you were little?

Have I always dreamt of being a translator? In all honesty, I can’t say that I discovered my vocation as a child, but my interest in languages did start at a young age. That interest grew and took shape as I travelled to different places over the years, discovering different worlds and different peoples. As well as a translator, I also work as an intercultural mediator and I believe that these two professions are those which best define me professionally.

How did you become a BigTranslator?

I work as a translator and proofreader for BigTranslation. Sometimes life presents you with unexpected proposals and exciting opportunities, and that was the case with BigTranslation. One day I got a call from the team, saying that they were interested in my profile and here I am, forming part of this great and diverse team. This is a young, dynamic and enthusiastic company. Each translator, proofreader, coordinator, etc. has high standards and, together, the team works hard to always ensure that they offer the very best services to their clients. This is a translation agency which not only has the experience, energy and dynamism to adapt to the demands of the market, but also an able IT team working alongside them to make sure that all of the tools, processes and services run smoothly and efficiently.

 

lithuanian translations

What are your top tips for translators who are just starting out?

I believe that a good translator has the courage to move away from a text’s words when necessary in order to transmit its message. They skilfully manage the text in such a way that its message and purpose remain unchanged and the message is transmitted to the recipient in the most understandable way possible. Honestly, I can’t imagine a world without translators – translation is an ever more sought after profession, thanks to the rise in globalisation and the expansion of technology. Nowadays, all new technologies and research need to be communicated to the largest number of users as possible and, as such, translation will always be vital.

Want to become a BigTranslator?

Join now!

Rugilė from Lithuania: Lithuanian Translations

CategoriesBigT news, New, Our partnersPosted on

This week, our intern Marie, the most recent addition to our in-house team, interviewed one of our senior Lithuanian translators, Rugilė. Below is a little post put together by Marie using Rugilė‘s answers to her questions.

Share
Tweet

Rugilė is one of our English to Lithuanian translators…

lithuanian translations

You provide Lithuanian translations, but where abouts are you based?

I am Lithuanian but I have lived in Spain for almost 15 years. For the last 10 of these, I have always had jobs related to the use of different languages. I have a degree in Translation and Interpreting and, since finishing my degree, I have worked on numerous different Lithuanian translations.

What languages do you use in your translation work, and how do you maintain your proficiency?

I studied at the University of Vilnius & University of Jaume I in Castellon, I had the opportunity to study Spanish and English language. Currently, my working languages are: Lithuanian, Russian, Spanish and English. For me, translation is a bridge that unites people that speak different languages and an indispensable tool for communication.

Was being a translator your dream job when you were little?

I can’t say that I discovered my vocation as a child, but my interest in languages did take shape over the years from my travels and my discovery of different worlds and the people that inhabit them. As well as a translator, I am also an intercultural mediator and I believe that these two professions are those which best define me professionally.

How did you become one of BigTranslations native translatiors providing Lithuanian translations?

I work at BigTranslation as a translator and proofreader. Sometimes life brings you unexpected surprises and exciting proposals, and that was the case with BigTranslation. One day I received a call and here I am, forming part of an extraordinary team. This is a young, dynamic team, with lots of enthusiasm, and which always ensures that all of its services are of the highest quality. I believe that the core pillars of this translation agency are its ability to adapt to the demands of the market and its strong technological foundation.

 

lithuanian translation

 

What are your top tips for professional translators who are just starting out?

I would say that a good translator is not afraid to move away from a text’s words in order to transmit its message. They manage them in such a way that the message and the purpose of the text are unaltered and the message is transmitted to the recipient in the most understandable way possible. Truthfully, I can’t imagine a world without translators even less, as Lithuanian translations is becoming a highly sought after profession, thanks to the rise in globalisation and the growth of technology. All new technologies and research need to be communicated to the greatest number of users as possible and, as such, Lithuanian translations will always need to be present.

Want to become a BigTranslator?

Join now

 

Professional Translation Team: Stefanie Crolla

CategoriesBigT news, New, Our partnersPosted on

Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Stefanie and I’ve been a Dutch translator for BigTranslation for several years now. I was born in Belgium and am currently living in the Netherlands.

Share
Tweet

translator-dutchProfessional translation into Dutch:

Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Stefanie and I’ve been a Dutch professional translator for BigTranslation for several years now. I was born in Belgium and am currently living in the Netherlands. During my academic career, where I achieved a BA in Language and Literature, MA in Business Communication and MA in Journalism, one thing was always on my mind: I wanted a career as a professional translator, and one way or another I was going to achieve it. And I did!

A passion for translation

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been passionate about languages and professional translation. As a kid, I was always looking for spelling mistakes in newspapers and magazines. I would read the subtitles on television to see how translation and subtitling worked. I would watch kids’ television in French, English and Spanish without subtitles, just to develop my language skills. Because that’s what it is: language is a passion, professional translation is a passion. Trying to find the right words, putting them in the right place, conveying connotations and meanings that are created by putting specific words together and helping someone else understand something they never could before. Without professional translation and translators, we might have never heard of some faraway countries, we would never have understood the lyrics to our favourite songs and we wouldn’t be able to follow a movie in another language.

Translation as transferral

To translate is more than just replacing one word after another with words of a different language. To translate is to replace one language with another, transferring the meaning of the text, but also conveying the words between the lines, all the nuances and suggestions. It’s like the famous English writer Anthony Burgess once said: “Translation is not a matter of words only: it is a matter of making intelligible a whole culture.”

Marijke van Veelen – Dutch translations

CategoriesBigT news, New, Our partnersPosted on

I have been a translator at BigTranslation for some time now, and recently became a validator as well. I like BigTranslation for their easy Dutch translations of products and for their flexibility: you can take work when you can, as much as you can.

Share
Tweet

Dutch Translations: Freelancer Marijke van Veelen

I have been a freelance translator English-Dutch since 2008.

 

dutch translationWhat’s great about carrying out Dutch translations as a freelancer?

What I like about Dutch translations is also the hard part of it: trying to find creative solutions to overcome the limitations of language. Translating is like solving a puzzle. Besides translating in different fields like toys, fashion, games, marketing and others, I also frequently work on reviewing texts, transcribing audio, and I have even done some subtitling for American and British shows being broadcast in the Netherlands. That is the second thing I like about translating: the diversity. As a Dutch translator, you never know what your day will bring when you wake up in the morning. But the good thing about being a freelancer is that you can easily structure your day yourself and take a break when you need to. Whatever happens, you are still in control.

What challenges do you face in your work?

The downside about being a freelance translator, besides the lack of colleagues, is the danger of overloading yourself with too much work or not getting enough work. For me, I tend to take on way too much work for one day and I find it hard to keep track on what I have to do during the day and when my deadlines are. But by watching the clock regularly, taking notes on what I have to do and when it has to be done, and not being afraid to turn down a job sometimes, I always make it and that makes me feel proud.

Dutch translation for BigTranslation…

I have been a Dutch translator at BigTranslation for some time now, and recently became a validator as well. I like BigTranslation for their simple Dutch translations of products and for their flexibility: you can take work when you can, as much as you can.