Rita Kloosterziel – Translator

I love books, both professionally and privately, and own far more than my shelves can hold. (Which doesn't keep me from buying more ...) In my twenty-eight years as a freelance translator working from English to German I have translated non-ficitional as well as fictional texts such as romances, historical novels and detective novels, but I also love reading them, anything from classic literature to cozy mysteries.

As a translator I am very thorough (think dog with a bone), researching technical terms on pottery, dementia care or psychotherapy or hunting down that word for a particular style of straw bonnet worn by English country girls in the 18th century.

What I like most about translating, however, is finding the right tone of voice, making jokes in English sound funny in German and conveying the tension or light-heartedness, joy or sadness the author intends his or her readers to feel.

For me, the most important point in translating is making a story come to life in another language. This goes far beyond making the words of the original understandable; it also means re-creating the atmosphere of a setting, the distinctive traits of the characters and the way they interact. Re-reading my translation again and again not only silently but also aloud helps me get the rhythm and flow of the text right. The best thing that can happen to a translation is when readers don't notice that what they are reading is a translation!