In today's globalised economy, where information can be accessed from just about anywhere at the tap of a finger, the quality of translation into local languages will greatly contribute to your success — whether you are introducing a new product on the market, spreading an important message or sharing your discoveries with the rest of the world.
This is the reason why you should entrust your translation projects to experienced professionals, who will not only know how to correctly translate your words into another language, but also how to shape the meaning they convey so that it reaches your intended audience.
Working as a professional translator since 2005, I have acquired a vast experience in technical, marketing and medical translation. I can provide you with the services you need to get your message across from English into French and from French into English.
Showing a great attention to detail and accuracy in my work, I also know how to use a writing style which will make translations more fluent in the target language, thus avoiding the usual blandness of "word for word" translation which sometimes hinders the proper transmission of the core message.
Genuinely interested in many various topics, I like to read and learn about those I encounter in my work, so as to provide you with results which meet your expectations. A good translator has to clearly understand what they are working on in order to produce a quality translation — which is why I make it a point to clarify any unclear matter with my clients.
Throughout the years and the translation projects I've worked on, I have refined my knowledge in industries as diverse as papermaking, medical research, environmental protection, forestry, defense, sustainability, lighting management, tourism, safety, professional training, mechanics or electrical systems, and also contributed to the translation of many magazines.
Whether you are a private person looking to have a single document translated, or a global company on the lookout for a long-term translation partner, I can provide you with translation services that will fit your needs.
I can provide translations for a wide array of technical documents — from specification sheets to user guides and installation manuals — in fields such as telecommunications, electronics, energy, mining, forestry,... My past experience has given me the opportunity to work for prominent industrial players such as Metsä Group, ABB, Terex, Ponsse, Schneider Electric, Legrand, BroadSoft, Blancco, Nokia, BEI Sensors, Valmet, CompAir, e2v, Helvar, Descartes, Leroy Somer, Suunto — to name only a few.
I offer translation services in the fields of medical research and clinical trials, based on my long-term experience working with published researchers, international research institutes, as well as medical companies such as Siemens and Pfizer. My keen interest in science brings an additional drive to my work on such projects.
Need a hand in translating your brochures, marketing documents, corporate magazines, general terms or sales contracts? Whatever the field — telecommunications, electronics, environmental management, security, etc. — I will make sure your message gets across.
Whenever my work comes up in a conversation, I often get asked whether translation is something I do for lack of a "real job"... This, unfortunately, reflects the general opinion on translation — which is made all the worse by the large number of automated translation services, which claim they can make a translator out of anyone. Let us shed some light on some widespread stereotypes about translation!
As appealing as Google Translation or any other machine translation service may seem, always keep in mind that they are just that: machines. Fine-tuned as they may be, they will always lack that human touch that makes a perfect translation. Let's be honest here: machine translation services are the perfect tool for ordering tapas in Barcelona or for buying a phone from a Hong-Kong seller — because no one expects you to be fluent in every language. Of course, you might end up with something that is not exactly what you ordered, which, all things considered, is but a minor hiccup. But when it comes to higher stakes, only an experienced, well-trained and knowledgeable translator can guarantee your translation is perfect and fit for purpose — and make sure you will not have to face dreadful consequences due to machine errors. Contrary to automated translation systems, which execute the tasks at hand without thinking, translators put all their brains and competences into making sure your message reaches its audience, while keeping in mind all the cultural differences and references in play — which a machine cannot do.
This is probably the most common misconception about translation we, as professional translators, have to face on a daily basis. There is so much more to translation than just picking words from a dictionary and stitching them together! It all begins with mastering both the source language (i.e. the language in which a document is originally written) and the target language (i.e. the language in which the document needs to be translated) to near-perfection. This alone takes a number of years of practice, and implies keeping in constant touch with how each language evolves. In parallel, a translator also needs to develop their writing skills and constantly enrich their knowledge of the fields they work in. Not to mention keeping up with the developments in every other aspect of life. A few years ago, a French company decided to translate their Website into English all by themselves, with a trusty dictionary and a limited knowledge of the English tongue. One button in particular bore the label "Ajoutez ce site à vos favoris". In French, the word "favoris" can either refer to the "favourites" in a Web browser or to that immortal beard style of the disco era known as "siderburns" — both translations being given in the dictionary, of course. The person in charge of the translation, who had limited skills in English, probably decided to pick the fanciest-looking choice: in its final English version, the Website thus prompted visitors to add the site to their "sideburns" rather than adding it to their "favourites". Pretty poetic, but complete nonsense!
When something seems to good to be true, there is usually a catch. This rule can apply to most — if not all — aspects of life, including translation. Like so many other markets today, the realm of translation has become quite the jungle, with an infinite number of offers to consider. And, sure enough, you will find international translation providers claiming they can work in all languages, for the lowest rates ever! But beware: these enticing offers lead more often than not to bitter disappointment. At best, your translation will be worked on by someone with a limited knowledge of the target language. And in the worst case, you will simply pay someone to run your text through a free automated translation system! You will most probably end up with a translation which cannot be used without heavy editing — and might eventually have to spend more to get things right, than you would have if you had chosen a not-so-cheap translator. This was the bitter discovery a large actor of the ERP/CRM industry made in 2011, when they decided to forsake the French translation agency they had worked with for years, in favour of a cheaper South-American provider. Two years later, that big company came back knocking on the French agency's door, in desperate need of someone who could sort out the mess left by the cheaper provider, which had rendered the french version of their software virtually unusable.
You have every right to do so! But before you proceed, make sure whoever will work on altering a professionally-made translation has the language and writing skills required to do so, so that the final result remains perfect in every aspect. Quite often, clients wish to bring a translation their "personal touch", but actually make things worse by introducing errors or inconsistencies, which can sometimes lead to some quirky results. Like this English-speaking client who decided, after their corporate magazine was translated from English into French, that they would keep the section titles in English. One of those sections, about food and cooking, was entitled "Bites": perfectly in tune to an English reader, it would however have read "Dicks" to a French native! The client was fortunate enough that the translator identified the problem while doing some final review work and resolved the issue before publication.
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