”There are no synonyms. There are only necessary words, and the good writer knows them.”
-Jules Renard
I am a lover of words, I like to find the right combination to express an idea, an emotion. Finding exactly the right words is a bit like writing a music score. They have to sound right. There is no room for false notes.
As I am passionate about linguistics, I do not confine myself to the rich and beautiful language of Molière alone. I am also interested in Shakespeare's language, which is no less beautiful and rich.
And, as both French and English are spoken in different countries, these languages goes along with the habits, customs and cultures of the countries in which they are spoken. It is appropriate, indeed necessary, to take this into account when writing and translating.
I have travelled to many countries and, from experience, words are not used or perceived in the same way from one country to another, even when the official language is the same. Adapting to the culture is like an actor's job (If you're going to refer to Molière and Shakespeare, you might as well keep going).
The art of using words to convey emotion, energy, character, while respecting your identity or your company's identity is an asset that can make all the difference.
Writing a text is a skill that requires using the subtleties of the language to get the best out of it. Words and their impact are of great importance; they help create an atmosphere, generate an emotion, an opinion, set a context and arouse the reader's interest. This is a crucial step, whatever the type of text to be written.
Writing a text for one or more clients, for a public (large or small), is not like writing a shopping list or an expense report. You have to target the type of reader and, beyond the message to be conveyed, the perception they will have of the information. It is essential to choose the right angle from which to approach a given subject, the information to be highlighted and the way in which it should be formulated so that it is correctly received, appreciated and eventually passed on.
For example, here I do not emphasise my skills in spelling, grammar, syntax or vocabulary. Instead, I emphasise my ability to capture a personality, a context, an atmosphere, an emotion... Because I am targeting an audience that will want to use my services to make the most of words and their impact, not just to write a prescription without spelling mistakes on the name of the medicine.
Writing requires sensitivity, adaptability and fluency in verbal expression. It is both an art and a science.
And with translation... well, it's the same. You have to capture the essence of the text, the intention behind the words, the personality behind the writing. It's not just about translating grammatically correct formulas. It's about conveying the quintessence of the author or, at the very least, conveying the message he or she conveys, inducing the same feelings.
What is the advantage of using a translation service instead of an online translator ?
It's very simple: contextualization.
A software program will not take into account the context or the intention. Some words or phrases cannot be translated literally. Others can be, and the result will be grammatically correct, but... nobody would say it that way! You risk being quickly exposed and losing credibility.
Your texts must be carefully studied in order to find the most faithful and adequate translation, while taking into account the customs, expressions, contexts... and without losing quality in terms of the basic message. The emotion and subtleties of the atmosphere created by the author must be kept intact. You have to know how to take the reader's perception into account.