Hi, my name is Michelle Posthumus and I’m a freelance translator (EN-NL/NL-EN).
If you are looking for a reliable, discrete, patient and inventive translator, I could be the person you are looking for. I go that extra mile, I dig a little deeper, and when I really don’t know, I will tell you, because nobody benefits from a poor translation. I take pride in my work and so far my clients have been very pleased with what I’ve done. In addition, I use translation tools, to guarantee consistency and a translated document that looks as good as its original.
I started translating books in ’95 and slowly moved from fiction and non-fiction to corporate and technical translations. Why? After yet another manual that didn’t make any sense whatsoever, I decided to give it a go myself. According to me you just can’t translate literally, you have to have some inkling on what it is all about. Due to an extensive career in tourism and after that some years at an big international airfreight company, I learned that proper communication is the key to success. Which goes for just about anything you can think of within a company.
Being familiar with company lingo helps. Knowing how the various departments in a company function and think, also helps. With that knowledge I approach each translation differently, because: “When properly used, language can be powerful, but it can also be powerful when used in the wrong way”, ... and nobody wants that.
My fields of interest are: SAP, Engineering, Safety, Security, Chemistry, Medicine, Architecture, Sales & Marketing, Advertising, HRM, Tourism and the Environment. But any topic is welcome. I love a challenge!