EXTRAS
Translation jargon buster ↗
The ‘Translation jargon buster’ is an A-Z list of jargon used in the translation sector. It will be useful for (i) newbie translators or people thinking about becoming translators (even in the age of AI, there’s still demand for humans) or (ii) people who live with / are close friends with / are related to a translator and want to better understand their world.
Downloads
A-Z of the IPA
PDF | 0.9 MB | 7 pages
You won’t find this particular IPA in a bar but it will intoxicate you with its elegance, conciseness and universality! OK, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit but I would say that if you’re interested in linguistics or are learning a language, it’s worthwhile learning the International Phonetic Alphabet — or at least learning about it.
And given the anarchy that is the English spelling system, I think the IPA is very useful for people learning English. Why? Well, the usual way of giving the pronunciation of English words is to string together a few made-up short words, for example grah-tyoo-i-tes for gratuitous. This is OK for getting by but if you want to get the pronunciation right first time you need to learn the IPA. Once you know how, it’s easy to decipher /ɡrəˈtjuːɪtəs/
An overview of the modern Greek alphabet
PDF | 47 KB | 1 page
Once you’ve mastered the IPA, take a look at this file about the Greek alphabet. In the Greek language, there is a very close relationship between what’s written and what’s pronounced. So with the help of this guide, you’ll be reading Greek in no time! (Understanding what you’re reading is another kettle of fish altogether — that will take a lifetime!)
Yucatec and wooden combs
PDF | 1 MB | 9 pages
This fun file describes a clever experiment that linguists carried out among speakers of Yucatec in the Yucatán peninsula. It shows how language influences the way people conceptualise the world around them.
Languages are endlessly fascinating!
Handy unicodes and Alt codes
PDF | 0.4 MB | 11 pages
This handy reference for users of Windows computers contains the shortcuts to many characters. It also explains what every user needs to know about entering special characters.
The file is by necessity highly subjective because there are literally tens of thousands of characters available a few key strokes away. So to keep it at a manageable size, it mainly covers special characters I use from day to day. However, if you want to create your own customised version with the special characters you use most often, I’m more than happy to provide the original Word document that you can use as a template. Just drop me a line!
You have no more excuses for writing Beyonce instead of Beyoncé!
medical text matters
Your medical expert for language services
Please note that this is an extremely slimmed-down version of my website for smartphone screens. For the full version, please visit my website on a larger screen on a tablet, laptop or desktop computer.
SquareSpace’s Fluid Editor broke my soul.
Services
Translation
I can take on most translation projects in the medical field in the following language combinations:
French to English,
Greek to English,
Spanish to English.
Editing services
If you have a text that is already in English, I can — depending on how finalised it is — either proofread it or edit it to make it publication-ready. Editing is for texts that still need substantial changes to become publication-ready. Proofreading should be the very last check before a text is published. As a proofreader, I check for errors at the level of individual characters and words such as missing punctuation or misspelt words.
If you’re not sure whether your document requires editing or proofreading, send it to me so I can evaluate it — I’ll also provide a quote and delivery date at no cost and no obligation to you.
Other services
As a freelancer, I’m not boxed in by rigid or narrowly defined job descriptions. This means that in addition to the language services mentioned above, I have done other types of work, including subtitling, copywriting, writing scientific article abstracts and, in relation to scientific conferences, reviewing slideshows and designing posters.
Experience (as freelancer)
FIELDS: Medicine | Surgery | Nursing.
PRODUCTS: Traditional small-molecule drugs | Biologicals | Blood-derived products | Medical devices | Imaging devices.
THERAPEUTIC FIELDS: Oncology | Cardiovascular diseases | Endocrinology esp. diabetes and obesity | Haematology | Genetics and rare diseases.
Experience (as employee)
Journalist covering the pharmaceutical sector (2y).
Proofreader / editorial coordinator for a medical publisher (3y).
Writer / editor for a European portal on rare diseases (1y).
Medical writer / translator for a pharmaceutical industry service provider (3y).
Technical writer for a vendor of preclinical research tools (3y).
Let’s talk!
Contact me to discuss your project or to get a free quote.
I can be contacted via:
● the contact form on this website,
● email at either of these addresses:
andytheo.mtm (aτ) gmail.com
contact (aτ) medical-text-matters.com