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Translation

So what’s involved in translation? For me, translation is about reflection. I reflect on the meaning, the message, and all the ingredients that have gone into the original text, so I can cook up the best way to present it to a French-speaking audience. Just as Mexican food is generally spicier than French food, words are used differently between one language and another.

Why should you keep using a human translator when you can get machine translation with post editing? Your translator is certain to read your text more attentively than anyone else. Translating involves extracting all the meaning from a text to convey it in another language. That’s when a human translator might notice that the writer of the original made a mistake, used a wrong expression, mixed up left and right, forgot to add something important to a list, and so on. It often takes a human to notice these perfectly human errors.

I can also compile a bespoke glossary of terms used in your translations and apply them to later projects, to keep your message clear and consistent.

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Transcreation

Transcreation is a blend of translation, and creation that is becoming more prevalent for website content, and rightly so. It takes account of the unique cultural characteristics of the target country or language, so it’s better suited to some types of text, especially marketing, than a straightforward translation (which conveys the meaning of the words in the original text into another language).

If you want to translate humour, or a play on words, or a culture reference; if you want the target text to respect certain constraints, such as starting every word or sentence with the same letter, or not exceeding a certain number of characters, then you need transcreation.

Similarly, if you want your translation to convey your values of inclusivity in French, then you need inclusive translation. Rather than trying to patch it up at the end of the job, we will plan your translation from the outset, so that the French language version addresses your whole audience, while maintaining an elegant style. Get in touch to plan out a recipe for success that best suits your palate.

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Editing

Because two pairs of eyes are better than one, I provide editing services for your French copy. More than just marking your copy in red ink, I offer advice and partnership working to get the best out of your project.

Of course, the objective is to weed out any errors. At the same time, I’ll check the spelling and grammar, the organisation of the text, and the flow of ideas.

If I’ve learned one thing during my years as a translator, it’s that the person who wrote the text is often the person least able to find errors, inconsistencies, lack of clarity, etc. That’s because our brain, which is always looking for efficient ways to do things, has an annoying tendency to read what we think we wrote and not necessarily what is actually in front of it. And what seems obvious to us might not always be clear to others. The solution is to use a second “brain” to go over your text with a fine-tooth comb to bring more clarity to your project.

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Content Writing

Are you buzzing with ideas, but you don’t have time, or can’t find the best way, to put them down on paper? Is writing not really your thing? Would you like to delegate your content creation so you can spend more time on what brings you joy, without losing control of the message? Let’s discuss how we can bring your project to life on paper or on screen, in your own words.

With my skills and love of writing, I will be delighted to put your ideas into words. We can also strategically plan your copy, to grow your communications, establishing firm roots and nurturing the core message so that everyone can admire your ideas as they blossom on the page. Rather than churning out a mish-mash of random ideas, let’s carefully craft content that really speaks to your audience and tells them what they actually want to know.

If you want to cultivate your audience as well as your organic search results, we can also incorporate SEO into your copy. We’ll identify the relevant keywords, the ones your readership is interested in, then create content to make sure that you can be found - both by your audience and by search engines.

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