Human Approach
How translation happens.
Every translation is a series of judgments, not a sequence of equivalences. The work begins with understanding: what the text is trying to do, who will read it, and what has to be true once it has been read. Only then does writing begin.
01Steps
01The brief comes before the quote
I ask what the text has to achieve, who reads it, which market and variant it is for, where it will appear, and whether there is existing Spanish material it must sit beside. If those answers do not exist yet, working them out is part of the value. Only then do I quote, with a scope I can hold to.
02Decisions are made deliberately,
and written down
Register, level of formality, treatment of the reader, handling of English terms, and any place where I departed from the literal source — recorded briefly and returned with the delivery. You should never have to guess why a choice was made, and a reviewer should never have to relitigate it.
03Terminology and variant control
I build and maintain a glossary for each client, aligned to the target market and to any existing corporate language. Where you already have a style guide, translation memory or approved terminology, I work inside it. Where you do not, you will have one after the first project.
04Revision is a separate pass,
not a proofread
I review the translation against the source for accuracy and completeness, then read the Spanish alone, as a reader would. The second pass is where translations stop sounding like translations. Nothing leaves without both.
05Queries, consolidated
Ambiguities are collected and sent once, with a proposed answer for each, so you can approve rather than draft. I do not send a message every time a sentence is unclear, and I do not silently guess.
06Confidentiality by default
Documents, client names and unreleased material stay private without being asked. I sign NDAs, work within your file-handling requirements, and do not display client work publicly unless you have agreed to it in writing.
07Honest capacity and timelines
I hold a small number of projects at a time. If your date is achievable, I will confirm it and meet it. If it is not, I will tell you what is achievable, or what would have to be reduced to make the date work. I do not accept a deadline I intend to renegotiate later.
08Continuity for recurring work
For ongoing accounts, the value compounds: the same person, the same glossary, the same voice, and an accumulated understanding of your organization. I plan capacity around recurring clients rather than fitting them in.
02From you
What helps me do the best possible work.
- The purpose of the text, in one sentence, in your own words.
- The target market, and any preference on variant or level of formality.
- Existing Spanish material, glossaries, style guides or previously approved translations — even imperfect ones.
- Context for anything fragmented: screens, layouts, or where the string appears.
- A named person who can answer a short list of queries, and who reviews the Spanish if anyone does.
Let's begin
Every project has its own requirements. Tell me what your text needs to achieve, and we'll start there.
Tell me about your project