We welcome Mateusz, an English to Polish translator, to our growing hall of fame. His love for languages grew mainly because of his other interests, while his desire for learning proved to be essential to his career in translation. He advises new translators that, by having the right attitude toward clients, it will lead them to becoming a preferred translator and eventually a Gengo Wordsmith.

What languages do you speak and what are your experiences with learning them?

My native language is Polish but I also speak English and Italian, and can understand German, Russian, Latin and HTML. My experiences with learning languages range from obligation to fascination. As a child, I had to attend classes in German and Russian, the main foreign language taught in Polish schools. But learning languages through choice worked better for me. I’ve always been fascinated with video games, apps and web design, hence my strong interest in English and HTML.

In the mid-1990s, I became an avid football fan so I felt I had to learn Italian to understand all the quarrels over la moviola (slow motion). In high school, I started to appreciate German more because of one of my favorite writers, Franz Kafka, who is precise, and simple yet sophisticated. In university, I got acquainted with Latin, the language of law and an integral part of my legal studies. In 2008, I started a postgraduate study in English translation. Then in 2012, I completed a course in software localization.

What are your favorite translation tools?

I use SDL Trados Studio, which is very useful for repetitive content and quality assurance, Google for contextual research, various professional dictionaries, and Proz as a last-ditch rescue resource.

What are your tips to become a Wordsmith?

Apart from training your fingers to type quickly, it is important to become a preferred translator for as many clients as possible. How? First, you need to develop a quality-assurance procedure. For me, this means triple checking every completed translation. I first compare source and target texts to check whether everything is there, then I check whether the translation reads well, and then if everything is correctly spelled.

Another important factor is your attitude toward the clients. Remember that you need to be professional and pay attention to their needs. Carefully read their comments, ask questions if necessary, and try to understand their requirements as you translate so you get the functional context of the translation you are producing.

Want to become a Gengo translator?

Join us