I love words and wordsmithing, so doing translations comes somewhat naturally. I also formally studied translating in Spain and in Washington, DC.  My preference is to translate from other languages (Portuguese, French, Spanish) into English.   I have translated and/or proofed translations for academics, international organizations, writers, and businesses.

I charge by the word (original text/source language) for longer translations.  The per-word charge depends on the complexity of the text.  For very short texts I give a flat rate.

My translations are, I hope, a bit lyrical and satisfying, rather than stiffly literal and direct. Translation is in part a study of cultures. I love thinking about the real meaning of what the writer is trying to get across, the rhythm and poetry of the source and target languages, and what the reader in English will best relate to.

How did I come to be fluent in four languages you ask?  Great question!  Since I was very little, I was always interested in foreign languages. My parents sometimes spoke French at the dinner table, and two of my older siblings lived and worked abroad.  I started to learn Spanish in elementary school in an after-school program, continued through high school with a wonderful teacher (Emilia Bruce), and then I lived in Mexico and Spain.  I took French in college, lived in Switzerland, and I have close friends who are French.  Now Portuguese is really my second language (after English) although I only started to study it in college. I immediately fell in love with the language and I took courses in literature and history.  I first went to Brazil in the mid-1980s, ended up doing my graduate research there, and I then spent the better part of a decade living there.  I love when Brazilians ask me, with a slightly puzzled expression, what part of Brazil I am from! I have near-native fluency.

I’ve taught Portuguese to college students and to a range of clients.  A hobby of mine is singing Brazilian music.  The language is filled with poetry and rhythm.

I’ve also studied Italian and a little bit of Polish but I am not fluent in either.