English translations

Translate a text into English? I can just do that myself, can't I?

A lot of people can speak and write English, of course, but skilfully translating a text is an art in itself. Precisely because a lot of people are proficient in English and because the language is well-known worldwide, clients expect documents to be in perfect English. Not only that, but you don’t want errors or embarrassing mistakes to make your client lose confidence in you.

In order to be able to translate well into English, you need an extensive knowledge of the language and a large vocabulary. Terminology must be correct and applicable to the sector you’re writing for. Expressions, proverbs and cultural differences are often impossible to translate directly. You can’t just translate everything literally.

Why you need a native speaker

Compared to other languages, English has a really huge vocabulary. That’s because there are often two words for one term: one originating from Germanic and the other from Romance languages. Take for example the word ‘vrijheid‘ in Dutch: you can translate that with liberty or with freedom. But when to use which?

Exito Vertaalbureau has all texts drawn up by native speakers and the texts edited where necessary. That way, you can be sure you won’t get things wrong or be ‘missing the target‘ by making mistakes.😉 

Localisation - every bit as important!

Are you in the process of launching your company in an international market? If so, an English website is a must. An Englishexper website of impeccable quality – an investment that will definitely repay itself. 

Exito Vertaalbureau has a huge worldwide network of English language translators, copywriters, editors and proofreaders, each with their own specific professional knowledge and specialisms. We’re here for you, for revisions, checks and editing in English.

With more than 24 years of experience as a specialist in translating and text processing, we can help you expand your work field with regions or countries where English is spoken.

UK English or US English?

Knowing whether you are aiming for a UK or US target audience also affects the final translation. The translator takes differences in spelling into consideration (‘colour’ or ‘color’ and ‘specialise’ of ‘specialize’), vocabulary (for a UK speaker, ‘football’ is simply football but for a US speaker, it’s American football) and cultural differences (5th of November or 4th of July). So decide beforehand and apply it consistently throughout. One group may well be irritated by the spelling and vocabulary of the other but mixing the two is even more annoying.

Did you know that a large part of the English vocabulary originally comes from the French?  

These words were taken over by the English elite in the centuries following the Norman conquest of England.

Words you will immediately recognise: competition, mountain, art, table, publicity and routine. 

Why use Exito native English translators?

We have experienced writers, copywriters, editors and proofreaders for professional translations for every English-language region
Personal attention – always – with short lines and flexibility
We’re on your side (would be weird if we weren’t!)
Close collaboration with designers and website builders
ISO-17100 certified translations.