Lily Zhang
E-mail: zhanglily89 [at] gmail [dot] com
Phone: +1 614 397 4520

I was born in China and moved to the United States at age 5. My formative years were spent in the lovely Midwestern state of Ohio. I speak Mandarin with my family but my professional focus is on Spanish and Russian, as well as the Balkan languages. Translation is one of my passions and I strive to bring the highest standards of professionalism and expertise to my work.

I am also a formatting and layout expert who will go to great lengths to make your target document aesthetically match the source as closely as possible, saving you the trouble. The difference between one of my deliveries and another linguist's is immediately noticeable, so my clients have told me.

Language Pairs

• Russian – English
• Spanish – English
• Working knowledge of: Albanian, Bulgarian, Chinese (Mandarin), Dutch, French, Italian, Macedonian, Romanian, Serbo-Croatian

Native Language: English (US)

Qualifications

• BA/BS dual degree with Honors and a triple major in International Studies, Russian and Biology,
  
  The Ohio State University, 2009
  • Sciences: multivariable calculus & analysis, organic chemistry, physics
    • Worked 2 years in a molecular genetics laboratory
  • Humanities: global economics, world literature & cinema, international politics
• Certified Translator (Spanish and Russian to English), ProTranslating, Inc., Miami, FL
• Albanian Literature, Language & Culture Seminar, University of Prishtina, Kosovo, 2009
• Intensive Summer Russian Language Program, Tomsk State University, Russia, 2007
• Spring study abroad, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain, 2007
• Achieved a maximum score of 5 on the national, standardized AP (Advanced Placement) Spanish Language Exam, and a 4 in French Language, 2005

Employment History

• FREELANCE TRANSLATOR – 2009 - present
• In-house translator and editor – ProTranslating, Inc., August 2010 – present

·         Other – restaurant server and hostess, non-profit outreach and volunteer coordinator,
            organic chemistry tutor, biomedical researcher, promotional model

Translation Experience

• Medical – patient case history of heart disease, pharmaceutical documentation
• IT – software manuals, publishing instructions
• Formal – confidential corporate memos
• Marketing – vacation packages, credit cards
  

I thoroughly research the context of the source document to provide a translation in the full spirit of the original. (My extensive travel and study-abroad experience often comes in handy; I’ve been to 25 countries.) Then I go back over the text to make sure it reads fluidly in English, as if the speaker were a native of the target language to begin with. This way I produce translations that give you the most mileage.

I can provide sample translations upon request and am willing to submit to short tests.

Editing Experience

·         Grading – evaluated Russian-to-English and Spanish-to-English translation tests for accuracy      and style

·         Industrial plasma cutter manufacturer – operating manuals, web-pages and marketing materials    into 21 languages

• • Ensured strict adherence to each language’s style guideline provided by the client
  • Attention to minute details in matching layout and formatting to source at DTP stage
  • Responded to freelancers’ questions regarding advanced technical concepts
• Major hardware retailer – company-wide bulletins
  • Localized punctuation and style
    

Software Capabilities

• Microsoft Office 2011 – proficient user of all functions
• Programming knowledge – HTML, XML, Java, C/++, Python, CSS, VisualBasic
• SDL Trados with Multiterm
• Adobe InDesign
• Beetext Flow online project manager
• WebCATT online translation applet
• LanguageLogic online translation applet