Meet our translators: Cristiana

Say hello to Cristiana, one of Acclaro’s experienced translators. Based in Naples, Italy, she has spent more than two decades in the industry. Cristiana uses her fluency in Italian, French and English to translate, write and edit content for websites, software, marketing assets and advertisements. Join us as we get to know her!

An early love of languages

“A good translator never stops wondering what a language can do,” said Cristiana. This innate curiosity revealed itself in Cristiana’s childhood, as the native Italian speaker first began to learn English.

“I always tried to translate every thought into the new languages I was learning,” she said. “My passion for languages made me want to become more and more fluent.”

Luckily, there was an international high school near her home in Naples where she was able to continue her studies. When it was time for university, Cristiana attended the University of Bologna in Forli, Italy, to study interpretation and translation. She also spent time in Lyon, France, learning French as an exchange student, and picked up the “secrets” of professional translation.

An international career from home

Soon after graduation, Cristiana returned to Naples to work at a marketing agency. She spent two years gaining valuable experience in that field before jumping into work at a translation agency. That’s when her career really took off.

After spending seven years in translation agencies and being promoted to senior project manager, Cristiana’s personal life took center stage as she married and had children. Following the birth of her second daughter, Cristiana struck out on her own and became an independent translation and localization specialist.

She currently works at both a co-working space and from home, and appreciates the flexibility that comes with that. “However, I like to keep work and my private life separate, so I tend to set a regular schedule,” Cristiana said.

A few favorite things

Cristiana is always learning, and she especially enjoys working on information technology related marketing assets, like white papers.

“I find this particular field is like a window into our future,” she revealed. “It makes me understand where we are going as a global society.”

She uses her broad knowledge to help clients across numerous industries. She recalled a recent software localization and internationalization project where her multilingual expertise resulted in a big breakthrough, which helped the client avoid costly delays.

“When I started working on the user interface, I realized the entire code was written specifically for the English language, and it did not have room to accommodate languages like Italian,” she shared. “After working with the project manager and the client, the software developers rewrote the code to accommodate the needs of other languages.

“That was my first experience as an internationalization consultant, and it was inspiring to be thanked by the client.”

What makes a good translator?

With her wealth of knowledge and deep experience in the field, Cristiana knows what it takes to succeed as a translator.

“Good translators are attentive to the intent of the source language and play with it to help the audience make the most of the translated content,” she said. “To complete the profile, translators should also be curious, learn continuously and have a passion for all the aspects of linguistics.”

Napolitana through and through

Though Cristiana has lived abroad and traveled widely, she is rooted in Naples.

“I am proud to live and work where I was born and try to give back to my community by sharing knowledge and supporting local cultural initiatives when I can,” she said. “Naples is the most wonderful and interesting city in the world.”

When Cristiana’s not lending a hand to support her beloved city, she enjoys playing the piano, listening to classical and pop music and traveling (before the pandemic). And, even after working as a translator for many years, she still loves it.

“After more than 20 years in the localization industry, I still enjoy my job as much as I did on the very first day,” she shared.