In today’s Translator Talk, we spoke with English-to-French translator Alicia Pretot. Passionate about languages since her early school days, Alicia has followed a straight course to her current profession, graduating from Strasbourg’s renowned IEMT institute back in 2016. She specialises in marketing and creative translation for many domains, including humanitarian and social issues, sustainability, and inclusivity.
How did you get into translation, Alicia?
I had really enjoyed translation exercises at high school, where I chose English as my major. The idea to work as a translator started to form even then, and I later went on study literary and ‘pragmatic’ translation for English and Spanish to French. Freshly graduated, I then worked in-house for a boutique translation agency for five years, translating everything from tourist brochures to fishing industry studies on bycatch reduction.
And here I am now, a freelancer for almost three years. I work with agencies and NGOs, and occasionally offer volunteer translation services. Through a former colleague and member of the First Edition project management team, I came to collaborate with First Edition about a year ago. Every project and exchange with them is a real pleasure.
What is the best thing about being a translator?
Without a doubt, I would say the collaboration. I love connecting with people, and the fact that translation involves so many stakeholders is just perfect for me. I can pose questions to my clients to better understand their product or target audiences, or I can brainstorm with a fellow translator (be they French or working into another target language) to share ideas or our understanding of a slogan. It’s really fascinating to see how much you can learn with and from other people.
And this answer wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the second best part of my job – (warning, insider joke incoming!) my two feline assistants… or you could say, my CAT tools!
What are your areas of specialisation?
The variety of this job is what I love about it, so I actually cover a lot of areas. I translate information booklets for NGOs, marketing content for brands that I use and enjoy every day, and even website copy for more niche clients who awaken my curiosity.
The choice of what we call in French the mot juste is a key element in my main specialisation, marketing and creative translation (sometimes called transcreation). The culture in France differs a great deal from that of English-speaking countries: French people are very particular about their heritage and cultural symbols. If you then factor in a client-specific style guide and need to fit everything into, say, a 280-character tweet, then you’ve got quite a task on your hands! That’s where I come in.
When it comes to your language combination, English to French, what particular aspects or challenges are there?
This may be considered as both a blessing and a curse, but it’s undeniable: Although English and French are both rich languages with a shared history, they are very different. Take English modals like ‘should’, for instance. You could think of many French translations for this, but they will all depend on a range of variables such as the context and the writer’s intent.
You also hear a lot about the expansion rate when translating, especially in the marketing domain. A French translation will typically be 20% longer than the English source, and that may cause truncations or layout issues. I actually find it a very fun challenge, because it forces me to dissect the source text to provide a concise translation that still conveys the intended meaning. In this regard, I am very interested in the practice of plain language, which combines conciseness and accessibility.
What has been your favourite First Edition project to date?
Without hesitation I’d say proofreading a translation for a French photography book. It was great to reunite with my first love, editorial translation, and to put the final touches to a now-printed publication. Plus, I got to learn more about photography!
Thanks so much for your collaboration and for speaking with us today, Alicia!
If you’d like to know more about what Alicia and First Edition can do for you, you can contact our multilingual project managers at enquiries@firstedit.co.uk.