Virginia Spencer

VIRGINIA SPENCER – RAPID, RELIABLE, READABLE

MOTHER TONGUE:         BRITISH ENGLISH

Language pairs:           Italian – English  and  French - English

Specialisations:           CVs, marketing, travel/tourism, History, architecture, religious life, literary translation

IN-HOUSE TRANSLATION EXPERIENCE:

Ordine Equestre del Santo Sepolcro di Gerusalemme, Rome (1995 – 2004)

ITALIAN & FRENCH to English

8 years' Vatican experience translating from Italian and French to English inc. conference papers, annual cultural-historic publication (Annales), newsletter (articles therein also from German to English), two voiceover scripts for video documentaries on the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, architectural documents, homilies, messages and circulars...

FREELANCE EXPERIENCE:

ITALIAN translations include:

Website & Works Specification for Buy-to-Let Deluxe Holiday Homes at a ski resort in the Italian Alps (includes tourist information).

A book on the fountains of Rome. The original includes many quotations in “old” Italian (from the 16th century onward), so the work involves applying a more modern and appealing style. The book is approximately 300 pages long, plus illustrations, and sections are to be used for a website

A thesis about the singer Francesco Guccini; 2005;.

I Ponti di Leonardo : Leonardo’s Bridges, Leonardo3 srl, Milan, Italy; 2005-2006.

The Virtual Codex Atlanticus of Leonardo da Vinci:  Leonardo3 srl, Milan, Italy; 2005.

(These two are for a travelling exhibition including information panels, voiceover, descriptions and instructions for interactive terminals and illustrated booklets to accompany a CD-ROM and a wooden model relating to the work of Leonardo da Vinci, mainly bridges and war machines. The exhibition was shown in New York in 2005.)

Many other translations of conference papers and programmes for religious communities and editorial assistance with: Tristan da Cunha – l’isola leggendaria by Anna Lajolo & Guido Lombardi, published in Italian and English by the Museo Marinaro Tommasino-Andreatta, l’obiettivo snc, 1999.

FRENCH translations include:

CVs, advertising text and presentations for the cosmetics and fashion industries; 2005-2006.

A short graphic novel for a lay religious community designed to present the history of that community and interest young people in the religious life (narrative and dialogue); c.1998.

A guide book to the Holy Land; c. 1998.

Genealogical material in old French; c. 1981.

PROOF READING:

In English, Italian and French.

2006 - proof read 4 scripts for DVDs promoting an Italian National Park

OTHER INFORMATION:

I love words and, as well as French, I studied German to ‘A’ level; I still use German to translate for friends. I have also studied basic Russian and Spanish.

Having worked as a secretary for approximately 30 years, I have good general knowledge of everyday commercial terminology as well as familiarity with wider areas such as insurance, the environment, nature, etc.

My hobbies are reading, listening to radio, sending lots of e-mails (mainly in Italian), going for walks and cooking. I used to like gardening but no longer have the opportunity.

REFERENCES:

·    Maura Micheloni - Via Circondaria Nord, 58 - 41013 Castelfranco E. (MO) - Italy

·    Polyphonia- 19 rue Chapon - 75003 Paris - France

QUALIFICATIONS in commercial French from the Bilingual Secretarial College of the French Institute in London and in Italian from the Accademia Classica, Rome.

EQUIPMENT:                                                           OUTPUT:      

Microsoft Word 2000 XP, PowerPoint, Excel             2,500 – 3,000 words/day.