I’m not an ordinary translator. I’m a storyteller. I tell brand stories.
And my own story started with a fairy tale
When I was a little girl we had a beautifully illustrated big book of fairy tales that our dad used to read us before bed. They were written in English, so he had to translate them into Czech for us on the spot. My sister and I always laughed as he read, and those English/Czech fairy tales are some of my most precious childhood memories.
Learning languages behind the Iron Curtain
Learning foreign languages while living in a country where you weren’t free to travel seemed like a pointless endeavour, but I still studied English and French in the hope that one day I might use my knowledge for more than just singing songs by the Beatles and Jacques Brel. When the Iron Curtain fell a few months before I graduated from high school, I knew that foreign languages would become more than just a hobby.
From fairy tales listener to fairy tales translator
A few years later I had graduated from university and found myself at home with two young sons. I remembered my dad’s old book of fairy tales and decided to translate those wonderful stories for my boys. When my dad found out what I was doing, he offered to show my translations to a friend who owned a publishing house. She liked them and asked me to work with her. So it was the book from my childhood that led me to a career as a translator.
From fairy tales to brand stories
Since then I’ve been telling stories to more than just my own children. At first, they were mostly fiction – romantic, entertaining, exciting… Then I moved from literature to marketing and discovered brand stories. I found that they too are entertaining, exciting, and compelling.
And my translations take them to a whole new audience. I want people in my country to hear these stories. Because they remember a time when brand names meant the free world, the world they had no access to – a time when owning anything from a brand name (didn’t matter whether it was Nike shoes, Levi’s jeans or Nestlé cocoa) was a dream come true.
Dreams come true
I like it when dreams come true, so I am happy that, now that we have access to whatever brands we like, I can introduce people to brand stories and help them find the ones that speak to them. I teach English and French-speaking brands Czech so they can win the hearts of Czech customers, who are ready and eager to be won.
It’s a compelling adventure and an exciting journey, and it all started with a fairy tale.
Why do I translate? Because languages are my destiny and my true love.
English has been part of my life ever since I can remember.
The first sentence I heard was, “Catch the ball!” I was 2 and my father – a passionate Anglophile to this day – was the speaker. He’s unbeatable at Scrabble, so don’t even try, and he knows more synonyms for beer than the thesaurus. I had zero chance of avoiding his English lessons. Resistance was futile – his enthusiasm was contagious. English was my destiny.
At 14 I fell in love. With François Villon and with French. And later with France itself and the French people. With Paris, fashion, perfumes, croissants and macarons. With wine. With the unique French art of living. It became a lifelong love.
And I want to pass that love on. To others in my native country, because they are amazing. I want them to know that you are amazing, too, and that you have something to offer them. I want them to use your products and services and take joy in them. I want you to understand each other. Because that’s what translators are for: to help people from different cultures, speaking different languages, to communicate and find common ground.
I would be honoured to act as your guide along the way.
Why do I translate? Because languages are my destiny and my true love.
English has been part of my life ever since I can remember.
The first sentence I heard was, “Catch the ball!” I was 2 and my father – a passionate Anglophile to this day – was the speaker. He’s unbeatable at Scrabble, so don’t even try, and he knows more synonyms for beer than the thesaurus. I had zero chance of avoiding his English lessons. Resistance was futile – his enthusiasm was contagious. English was my destiny.
At 15 I fell in love. With François Villon and with French. And later with France itself and the French people. With Paris, fashion, perfumes, croissants and macarons. With wine. With the unique French art of living. It became a lifelong love.
And I want to pass that love on. To others in my native country, because they are amazing. I want them to know that you are amazing, too, and that you have something to offer them. I want them to use your products and services and take joy in them. I want you to understand each other. Because that’s what translators are for: to help people from different cultures, speaking different languages, to communicate and find common ground.
I would be honoured to act as your guide along the way.
Are you interested in translation and brands?
That’s what my blog is about.
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