About me
Having studied German for four years in high school, who would have ever guessed that I would end up many years later as a French to English translator?
After randomly signing up to take French to satisfy my college language requirement, I found that I loved French language, culture, and literature, and ended up majoring in French. This led to study abroad for a summer in Tours as an undergraduate, completing a master’s degree in French at SUNY Binghamton, and teaching English for a year at a French university: Université Lumière Lyon 2. I couldn’t have imagined doing any of this growing up in rural southwestern Pennsylvania!
Although I had done a few translations in the past, it was when someone asked me to translate a movie script that I realized how much fun it actually was. I then completed a Certificate in French to English Translation at New York University and I haven’t looked back since.
About translation
You may be wondering if you really need to hire a professional translator. Maybe your colleague studied French for a couple of years in college or your brother lived in Belgium for a few months. Couldn’t one of them do the translation? Maybe. But then again, maybe not. Speaking two languages doesn’t automatically mean someone will be a great translator, or even a decent one. This is one of those times when it really does pay to hire a professional. You wouldn’t let some random person work on the brakes of your car or bake your wedding cake, right? You’d hire an expert!
If you’re new to the translation process, don’t worry. I’ll walk you through it. The first step is to contact me with information about your document (What is it? How long is it? What is it for?) and your deadline.
For more information about translation, have a look at this short guide from the American Translators Association (scroll down a little for the French version):