Well known for its vibrant ex-pat Portuguese community, Manchester hosts a variety of events via InterNations. We wondered whether the existence of such a community organisation enticed Carlos to set-up as an audio-visual translator from Portuguese to English in Manchester.
Interview with Carlos
Carlos: To be honest, I wish I had known about InterNations when I moved to Manchester in 2008. It is always a bit daunting moving to a new place, a different culture, a different way of doing things… But my wife, who works as a Portuguese interpreter in Manchester, moved with me, so we could discover the city together.
KH: Am I right that you got your MA in Portuguese translation from Lisbon University? So how come you complete direct translations from Portuguese audio or video into English? Shouldn’t you be completing work in the other direction? English to Portuguese?
Carlos: I know why you say that. As you know, things work a little differently when it comes to audio or video files. Being a native Portuguese speaker, I can often pick up a lot more of what is being said in Portuguese than a native English speaker. It is easier for me to pick up the nuances and understand the idioms.
KH: So you end up translating the Portuguese speech directly into English, right?
Carlos: Yes, that is the flip-side. But when I work with Knockhundred, you guys can tidy up my English if necessary.
KH: Your English is very good! If you were given some audio with speech in a Mancunian accent, how do you think you would fare?
Carlos: Pretty well actually these days… I think.
If you would be interested in learning more about our direct Portuguese translation and transcription service, do please get in touch.Â
Â
