Work with Samuel Berhie!

• I first research, read, or at least take a quick look at the whole source document so that I could grasp a general overview of the context.

• Then, I go segment-by-segment, translating each sentence and phrases.

• I make sure that I am accurately and efficiently adapting to the culture and nuance of the target while avoiding literal translations and maintaining formatting, punctuation, consistency, style guide, and glossary (If applicable).

• After completing the first draft, I go through the whole target to check for issues like typographical errors, white space & trailing space errors, consistency, deviation(s) from style guide and/or glossary.

• Finally, I read through the whole target, with the source placed side-by-side, checking if the right expressions and vocabulary are incorporated. And If I’m certain of my performance, I complete the project.

Exclusive use of glossaries

I prepare and create an Industry-specific glossary (If the client doesn’t provide one), maintaining consistency and orderliness, throughout the project.

Client’s glossaries

Some clients provide style guides or specific instructions regarding preferred terminology, writing conventions, and branding guidelines. I adhere to these guidelines to maintain consistency with the client’s established terminology and tone.

Context analysis

I consider the context in which terms are used within the source text to ensure appropriate translation choices. Understanding the intended meaning and context helps me maintain consistency while avoiding mistranslations or misunderstandings.

Quality assurance

I check and verify the quality and consistency of my translations. This also helps me to comply with client specifications and standards.

Through my 10-year career as a Freelance Translator:

• Satisfied clients have been continually motivating me with their positive feedback. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I say, trust and efficient communication with clients is the paramount to my success.

• Entertainment and learning platforms such as books, movies, tv shows and especially sitcoms provide me with constant exposure to different cultures, nuances and lexicon, while having fun at the same time, and that motivates me tremendously,

• Passion for languages motivates me as I have a genuine love for languages and enjoy the process of converting meaning from one language to another.

• Professional pride in my work and seeking to uphold professional standards of excellence motivates me too.

As a professional translator, I understand that it is important to steadily update and improve one’s skills and knowledge. In order to provide high-quality translations, I put an extra effort to maintain my sharpest edge by:

• Performing various types of tasks that challenge my abilities and expose me to new topics and terminologies, such as reading books, magazines and digests.

• Making use of the media including resources in my source and target languages, such as books, podcasts, videos, and articles.

• Performing translation exercises to practice my skills, such as translating texts from various domains, or comparing different translations of the same text.

• Dedicating few hours per week to learning something new or improving my existing skills.

• Making sure clear and realistic expectations about the scope, turnaround time, quality, and price of the project are established.

• Communicating with appropriate and professional language and tone with clients, whether by email, phone, or video call.

• Providing regular updates on the progress of the project and inform the client of any issues or delays as soon as possible.

• Asking relevant and specific questions to clarify any doubts or ambiguities in the source text or the client’s instructions.

• Requesting and accepting feedback from the client and make any necessary revisions or corrections.

• Follow up with the client after the delivery of the translation and thank them for their business and trust.

• Translation Management Systems (TMS) that are being developed and introduced to the industry excite me as they would help me and fellow translators manage multilingual content, workflows, and projects more efficiently.

• Advanced Localization is expanding across various sectors, such as e-commerce, gaming, education, and healthcare. That excites me as future expansions could open more job opportunities, on the platforms and technologies I use.

The job

About a month ago, a fellow translator was offered a task, that was about the entertainment industry, specifically TV shows. And halfway through the project, she ran into the expression “binge-watching” and translated it to the target Tigrinya as, “ኮፍ ኢልካ ምርኣይ”, which roughly means “sitting and watching”,

The challenge

The translation didn’t exactly resonate the exact meaning and the client was suspicious enough to contact me to find the right terminology for it, and to review the translation in its entirety.

How I resolved it

The said expression has no direct translation in Tigrinya, so, the best thing to do in my part was to translate the essence in the phrase as, “ክፋላት መደብ ኣከታቲልካ ምርኣይ”, which translates to “to watch programme episodes in succession”.

The outcome

The client found my solution plausible and gave me positive feedback.

The job

About a year ago, I got a task from a multinational company to translate their promotional materials from English into Amharic for a new product launch.

The challenge

Some of the slogans and marketing messages contain idiomatic expressions and cultural references that may not directly translate into Amharic.

How I addressed it

• Requested clarification: My agency reached out to the client via email to request clarification on the intended meaning of the slogans and any cultural references that may not be readily apparent to an Amharic-speaking audience.

• Offered a solution: I suggested collaborating with the client to brainstorm alternative slogans or adapt the existing ones to better resonate with the target Amharic-speaking audience.

The outcome

Through effective collaboration and communication, we successfully overcame the challenge.

It is often challenging to follow the source text word for word, without considering the context, grammar, or culture of the target language. There hasn’t been a time that I have received a request for literal translations before, But, If I get one in the future, I would:

• Explain the drawbacks and risks of this approach to the client

• Offer alternative solutions that preserve the meaning and tone of the original text, such as, using cultural adaptation and creative translation.

My work style may vary depending on the type, purpose and deadline for the project. However, these are my routine characteristics for every translation project:

Accuracy

I always strive to produce a translation that is faithful to the meaning, tone, and style of source text.

Creativity

I do my best work to overcome challenges and limitations of translation, such as finding equivalent idioms, metaphors, puns or cultural references.

Research

I consistently research on the topic, context and terminology of source text.

Flexibility

I always adapt to demands and requirements of the market, such as working with different formats, domains and clients.

Organization

I make sure I plan and manage my time and resources effectively.

The pressure I enjoy

Solving problems

I’m constantly in the realm of overcoming difficulties and limitations of translation, such as finding the best equivalents, adapting to target audience and preserving the style and tone of the source text, That is enjoyable to me.

The pressures I do not enjoy

Low rates Vs. potential client

I don’t enjoy the pressure of being in a place where I have to opt between accepting a low rate or losing a potential client for a large or complex project.

Meeting unreasonably tight deadlines

Working on large projects with unrealistically tight deadlines can be quite stressful and unenjoyable for me.

I recently received a task, from an agency regarding a client who runs a non-profit organization, that focuses on providing education and healthcare services to underprivileged communities in East Africa. The client has a passion for making a positive impact and are deeply committed to their mission. They approached the agency with their promotional materials, including brochures and fundraising campaigns, they shared heartfelt stories about the individuals they’ve helped, the challenges they’ve faced, and their vision for the future.

Inspired by the client’s dedication and empathy, I felt a strong sense of purpose in my role. I was moved by the stories shared by the client and felt a personal connection to the cause. As I was translating the materials, I strove to capture not only the words but also the emotions and motivations behind them.

The job

Not so long ago, I received a proofreading project (English-Tigrinya) regarding a report for an autistic child’s educational progress, on Memoq.

The challenge

The project had some major inconsistency issues, one of which being, the word “settings” inconsistently translated as “መቓን”, “መስርሕ” and “ክወና”, throughout the segments in the target text. All three are correct translations for the word, but only the latter was contextually compatible to the job at hand.

How I resolved it

To ensure consistency, I had to replace the first two with the last one, through the entire 8,177 word project.

As a bilingual writer for Tigrinya and Amharic, I would say, I like to use:

• Simple words, short sentences, and humor to engage my readers. while writing from my own perspective and sharing my opinions and experiences.
• Examples, anecdotes, and questions to make my writing more relatable and interesting.

• Offer very low rates and/or unreasonable deadlines, as such clients may not respect my work, quality, or professionalism.

• Provide unclear, incomplete, or inaccurate instructions or expectations for the translation project.

• Are dishonest, or unresponsive in their communication with me.

• Request translation of illegal, unethical, or harmful content.