Profile:
Full time translation services: Romanian into English and viceversa

Profile:

I am a full-time freelance translator based in Glasgow, Scotland, which has been my home for a decade now. I work from Romanian into English and vice versa, with the former being my 'mother tongue' and the latter my 'language of habitual use'. Indeed, I have used both languages for academic, work and personal purposes most of my life and am therefore bilingual in these two languages. I also have a very good grasp of the French language, which further helps me in my linguistic understanding in general and my work as a translator.

I am fortunate to be able to say that I love what I do and anyone who has had the opportunity to set up their own business will know how taxing as well as rewarding this can be. Working on your own means you never really stop working or at least thinking about work; if something goes wrong, you only have yourself to blame so you will always make double and triple sure that you do your job very well and make every single one of your clients happy; you never get bored because you always learn (this is particularly true in the field of translation) and you do not crawl out of bed every morning thinking of excuse x, y or z not to because your motivation is below freezing level.

With a solid academic background (including a published academic article) and diverse work experience in Romania and Scotland, I am what you would call a very curious person. This perhaps is not such a bad thing but it does mean one may end up in a permanent state of disorientation and be nothing but a Jack of all trades who, as we know, is master of none. Thankfully, I was blessed with a passion and skill for languages and, as such, translation was the obvious career for me: I love languages, writing  and research, which are the quintessential traits of a translator. It also provides me with the excuse to continue to learn about anything under the sun. Like I said, I am a very curious person.

Nevertheless, there is a limit to what a translator can do and that limit is called 'specialisation'. Whilst I am open to all challenges and am always willing to learn what else I am capable of, I can also recognise when something is clearly outwith my remit. Thus, I have been known to politely though regretfully turn down assignments where I did not master the knowledge and terminology required. I have my own website where I have published my full CV and I update my experience as a translator in real time. You will also find information there about the subject areas I have worked in so far. Among my current clients are The Big Word translation agency which works with the British Government, as well as the Berlin-based copywriting agency Adapt. I have also translated the website of the Imagistica advertising agency in Cluj and, through them, the new website of the Clujana footwear company. Over the years I have been working with various translation agencies and private clients  from the UK, Romania and worldwide.

I am particularly interested in doing Romanian to English translations, though I also equally enjoy and have a wealth of experience with the reverse. There is, I believe, a particular need for good-quality Romanian to English translations and it is translators like myself, i.e. bilingual, who can fill in that gap. If you believe, like I do, that excellent communication is crucial to any business, then I would be delighted to hear from you and assist you with my expertise.

Monica Mircescu, Glasgow, UK