In our linguist spotlight post this week, meet four more talented linguists from our team who bring passion, precision, and creativity to every project they touch. From Netflix shows to financial modules, metro tunnels to car manuals – they’ve seen (and translated) it all.
Ikue
First in this week’s linguist spotlight, meet Ikue, a Japanese freelance translator and content writer specialising in audiovisual translation, including subtitling, dubbing, and audio descriptions. With ten years of experience as a full-time translator and interpreter for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, she transitioned into freelancing after earning a Master’s in Audiovisual Translation from UCL.
Ikue’s passion for translation began when she heard Donald Keene discuss the living nature of words, a concept that resonated with her and sparked a deep fascination with language. Her breakthrough moment came when she subtitled a film about the Great East Japan Earthquake, and since then, she has been dedicated to audiovisual translation.
One of her most challenging projects was creating Japanese audio descriptions for The Witcher, which she completed under a tight deadline. Despite the pressure, Ikue loved every moment of the challenge. For her, the most rewarding part of translation is finding the perfect word that conveys the cultural nuances and meaning of the original text.
When it comes to the future of translation, Ikue believes that while machine translation can assist, it will never replace the need for human expertise. “Words evolve,” she says, “and only humans can truly shape powerful language.”
As for language quirks, Ikue shared a few fun cultural insights:
- A phrase that doesn’t translate well into English: Hiyari Hatto, the onomatopoeic expression for a near-miss.
- An idiom that doesn’t make sense in English: “To sell oil,” which means to avoid work.
- Has she ever mixed up languages? Not really – Ikue’s command of language keeps things clear!
Erica
Erica is a native Korean translator specialising in HR, marketing, web content, and e-learning. Before becoming a full-time freelancer, she spent eight years working in R&D for chemical companies, where she first started her translation journey.
Erica’s passion for translation began while working on technical documents, like MSDS and TDS, for chemical imports. She found it incredibly rewarding to see her work applied immediately, which inspired her to pursue a career in linguistics full-time.
Her most challenging project to date was translating a financial training module with no references or screenshots – “like being in a pitch-black room,” she says. Despite the difficulty, Erica’s favourite part of her job is seeing her translations come to life in finished materials, whether it’s websites, e-learning modules, or marketing flyers.
Looking ahead, Erica sees the rise of AI as a significant shift in the industry, but she remains firm in her belief that human expertise will always be crucial. “AI is just a tool. More jobs will become MTPE, but the human touch, especially in editing, will become even more important,” she explains.
When it comes to language and culture, Erica shared a few interesting snippets:
- A phrase that doesn’t translate well into English: 먹고 죽은 귀신이 때깔도 좋다 – “Even a ghost looks better after eating,” reflecting Korea’s deep cultural connection to food and wellbeing.
- An idiom that doesn’t make sense in English: Erica once mixed Japanese and Korean mid-sentence in class, which caused some confusion!
Carles
The next linguist in our spotlight post is Carles: a freelance translator and interpreter, working from English and French into Spanish and Catalan. Specialising in technical and legal content, he has had a passion for languages from an early age.
Carles’ journey into linguistics started with a self-driven love of languages. Long before Google, he taught himself English and phonetics. After studying computer science, he began learning Japanese as a hobby – a clear sign that a career in languages was calling him. A fateful meeting at a translation agency, involving some IT help with a loose cable, led him to his first job in translation.
The most challenging project Carles has worked on was translating tender documents for the Madrid metro. With high stakes, dense content, and immense pressure, it was a real test of his skills. Despite the pressure, Carles finds the most rewarding aspect of his work to be the creativity involved in phrasing. “Getting creative with phrasing to evoke the same reaction in the reader as the original text – that’s the magic,” he explains.
Looking to the future, Carles believes that machines can handle the quick-and-dirty tasks, but true quality translation will always require human skill. “You don’t hire a painter for speed – you hire them for quality,” he says.
Carles also shared some fun insights into language and culture:
- A phrase that doesn’t translate well: Mira tú por dónde – It carries a regional charm and tone that doesn’t have a direct English equivalent.
- An idiom that doesn’t make sense in English: Ser un cantamañanas – Literally, “to be a morning singer,” but actually means someone unreliable.
- Has he ever mixed up languages? While interpreting for hours at medical congresses, Carles admits it’s easy to trip over technical terms, especially ones like percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy!
Hanae
Hanae is an English into Japanese translator and proofreader with more than 10 years of experience in the automotive, IT, and marketing industries. Her journey into translation began while working in sales for a Japanese auto parts manufacturer, where she first encountered the power of clear communication across languages.
Her lightbulb moment came when she saw how her Japanese translations helped factory operators carry out their work more smoothly. It was this real-world impact that made her realise she wanted to pursue translation as a full-time career.
One of the most challenging projects Hanae has tackled was translating a dense internal standards document packed with industry-specific terminology. It pushed her out of her comfort zone and expanded her technical vocabulary. But for Hanae, the most rewarding part of her work is the opportunity to keep learning and to contribute to projects across a wide range of sectors.
When it comes to the future of translation, Hanae believes that AI and machine translation will continue to grow, but that human translators will still play a vital role. “The demand for nuance and quality won’t go away – we just need to evolve with the tools,” she says.
Hanae also shared some of her favourite language quirks:
- A phrase that doesn’t translate well: Sakura fubuki (桜吹雪) – a beautiful, poetic image of cherry blossom petals swirling like snow.
- An idiom that makes no sense in English: Inochi no sentaku (命の洗濯) – which literally means “washing one’s life,” and refers to taking a soul-restoring break.
- Ever mixed up languages? Hanae says Japanese-English hybrid terms often slip into her daily speech without her even noticing!
Come back next week to read our next Linguist Spotlight post! Interested in working with our talented team? We’re ready to take on nearly any project! Contact us for a quote today!
10 April 2025 10:19