Translations
Brink
Translations
Brink Translations was established in 2012 by Jolanda Brink. Before setting up her own business, Jolanda had spent eight years working at the Dutch offices of one of the world’s largest translation firms, where she dealt with the many aspects of the translation profession. As a freelance translator, she primarily provides translations from English to Dutch, but she occasionally also edits translations from third parties. Sometimes the translations are too literal, leading to awkward language or loss of meaning.
Most of her assignments come from translation agencies in the Netherlands and abroad, with whom she works with regularly. All correspondence is conducted through email, so the lines of communication are short, although you do sometimes have to take different time zones into account. On any given day, assignments can come in Groningen, Spain, Ireland, and the United States. The business also has direct customers, with translation requests coming directly from the companies themselves.
The diversity in different types of texts makes the work highly varied. One day you may be working on a manual for a vacuum cleaner; the next day, it could be e-learning software, interspersed with translations for company emails to customers, newsletters, or training material for sales teams.
Jolanda works increasingly together with colleagues. This allows her to provide translations that follow the ‘two-person rule’, where the translation is reviewed by a second person. By working together, translations from German or French into Dutch can also be supplied, or a Dutch text can be translated into English. Although she has studied English language and culture, she doesn’t translate into English. Most professional translators believe that it is best to translate into your native language. This heightens the fluency of the text and decreases the chance of making mistakes.
Besides delivering high-quality translations, speed and clear communication are also distinguishing factors. Many customers like fast responses and translations.
Moreover, translators are often specialised in a specific field. If a text is too technical or uses legal terminology, Jolanda has the text translated by a fellow translator who has more experience with or affinity for that type of text. This has allowed her to increase her range of services over the years. Jolanda expects to continue this expansion in the coming years.