Through Mind Words, I help companies in various industries communicate their vision. Their ideas translated into clear messages in Portuguese.
COMMUNICATING
WITH AN
OPEN MIND
HOME
HI!
My name is Rui Sousa and I’m a professional translator. I spend my days helping businesses from all over the world in the marketing, technology, business management and communications, tourism and lifestyle sectors express themselves in Portuguese.
– Is your company expanding into the Portuguese market?
– Are you part of an import/export company operating in or with links to Portugal?
– Are you planning to start communicating with your customers through press releases, brochures or newsletters?
– Do you want to invest in Portugal’s tourism industry?
– Do you run a startup selling innovative products?
– Are you promoting a new product in the world of electronics or technology?
– Do you need to translate training materials aimed at people working within your organisation?
If you said yes to any of the above, you’re in the right place. I can help.
Collaborating with a trusted partner can make all the difference to the growth of your business.
Keep reading to find out more about my services and specialisations.
Urgent Projects
Free Quotes
Confidentiality
SERVICES
HOW I CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS
Technical manuals, contracts, product brochures, patient information leaflets, reports and accounts… Vast numbers of words are translated into multiple languages every day. And that all makes a difference to our daily lives, even though we often don’t realise it. It helps the cogs in company wheels keep turning, keeps conversations going and facilitates communication in general.
There are more than 7000 languages in the world. Out of them, I chose to work with four: English, Spanish, French and German. I translate from all those into my native language: European Portuguese.
TRANSLATION
You can rely on me for a comprehensive service, from the moment you request a quote to the moment you receive your translated and revised document.
My focus is on preserving the original message and facilitating multilingual dialogue, making sure it all makes sense from the reader’s point of view. All that so the final text feels like an original, not a translation.
Get a free quote for the translation of your documents
LOCALISATION
Imagine getting an email talking about Memorial Day celebrations or visiting an online shop with prices only in euros or dollars. Localisation is more than just translation. It takes the context and the readers’ cultural and linguistic expectations into account, making sure a text is perfect for its new target market.
Any type of content that includes the following needs to be localised: references to national holidays, celebrities, monuments, food/drink brands, currencies, etc.
Contact me for more information about the process of localising your content
TRANSCREATION
This is exactly what it says on the tin. Transcreate = translate + create. It’s widely used for marketing, because direct translation just doesn’t go far enough.
Transcreation takes the cultural context into account, making sure the words do the product justice. A transcreator has more freedom, whilst always making sure the results fit the client’s needs perfectly.
Schedule an online meeting to talk about your creative project
LINGUISTIC CONSULTANCY
Need your website content or marketing materials reviewed? Looking for specialised advice on the best way to reach your target audience?
Have you created a new brand, but aren’t sure if the name will be well received by Portuguese speakers? Not sure about using a certain term? Linguistic consultancy is all that and much more.
Contact me to discover how I can help transform your communication
TRAINING
Translators often feel like the academic education they receive doesn’t prepare them for actually working in the translation world. Continuous personal development is essential in any profession, and linguistic services are no exception. That’s why I take advantage of each and every opportunity I get to share my knowledge and experience, encouraging the values and skills I consider essential. I currently provide a range of training courses for translators and translation project managers.
Like to advance your career, but don’t know where to start? Like to gain project management skills so you can expand the range of services you offer?
Contact me for personalised training solutions, both for individuals and teams
SPECIALISATIONS
MY AREAS OF SPECIALISATION
There are countless types of documents and texts that regularly need translating. And there’s no way just one translator could ever provide quality translations for all of them.
That’s why I only translate content for the industries I’m specialised in. Thanks to my personal interests and tastes, I’ve acquired experience and extensive knowledge of terminology and style specific to the following areas:
MARKETING
A good marketing campaign normally means a sizeable investment. So what’s the sense in throwing all that away by not investing in a translation that does it justice?
Trust a professional to make sure your message is communicated perfectly through your promotional materials and digital marketing or social media content. People will never even know they're reading a translation.
“The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well
the product or service fits him and sells itself. ”
Peter Drucker
TECHNOLOGY
Technology never sleeps. Every day new products, software, applications and consumer goods are developed. For them to be marketed, they must be accompanied by usage and safety instructions translated into the user’s language. That’s the only way we can make the most of the technological innovations that people put blood, sweat and tears into.
Technology is one of my personal passions. This means I’m up to date with the terminology and style used in this world, and can promise my clients working in information and communication technology accurate translations.
“Today the world moves so fast and technology changes so fast that if people don’t have their fingers on the pulse, by the time they discover a technology it will already be obsolete. ”
Belmiro de Azevedo
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION
To operate smoothly a company needs to communicate well. Communicate with clients, leads, partners, suppliers and, of course, internal staff.
Clear, appealing and consistent communication helps people understand your brand's vision and soul so that everyone works in harmony.
“A CEO should never be so absorbed by immediate, everyday tasks that they stop analysing the company’s trajectory, or reflecting on strategic priorities. ”
António Horta Osório
LIFESTYLE
When I’m not at my desk, you’ll find me surrounded by family and friends, trying a new wine, sampling delicious delicacy or discovering new hidden treasures in my beloved city of Porto.
So it’s no wonder one of my specialisations is lifestyle. I often translate content related to travel, hospitality, tourist information, gastronomy, what to see and do, fashion and luxury items.
“Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life. ”
Séneca
ABOUT
MY JOURNEY
I’ve been in the languages industry since 2006, starting as a translation intern at a multinational printing and technology company, and then moving onto a project management role at a translation agency. My experience at different companies means I fully understand project management company culture. But it was the potential for growth, flexibility and freedom that tempted me down the freelance route. I adore my own city, Porto, but I love to travel and explore new cities and cultures. As well as training related to languages and translation, I try to regularly visit the counties where my working languages are spoken to stay up to date with the quirks and cultural nuances of each of them.
What is Mind Words?
Created in October 2013, in collaboration with fellow translator Luísa Matos, Mind Words is the brand under which I offer a range of services. For example, if you need content translated into a few languages, or need a translation in a niche that I’m not specialised in, I can take care of your multilingual project with the help of my network of trustworthy providers.
The Mind Words brand reflects the personal values everything I do is based on: commitment, confidentiality, punctuality, reliability and responsibility.
Professional qualifications
My professional mission is to help my clients reach their overall goals, building lasting partnerships as well as helping boost the credibility of the profession in Portugal.
I’m a Certified Pro member of the biggest online translators’ community: ProZ and, in 2015, I helped found the Portuguese Association of Translation and Interpreting (APTRAD).
Through this association I help professionals at different stages of their careers develop the values and skills they need to succeed in the translation industry. To work with me through APTRAD’S mentoring PRO programme, just fill in this form.
Sharing knowledge
From early on in my career, I noticed various gaps in the training of professional translators in Portugal. And, as the famous saying goes, if you realise that a book that should exist doesn’t, then you should write it yourself.
So, armed with considerable experience in the industry and in collaboration with two colleagues, I’ve compiled my knowledge in the e-book Beginning, Middle and End: How to Be a Managing Translator and Deal Effectively With Your Projects, launched in 2016 and winner of the Proz Community Choice Award for best book.
I've also had the opportunity to run various workshops for translators and translation project managers, and speak at professional conferences or higher education organisations.
CONTACT
READY TO GET STARTED?
Tell me about your project. You’ll get a free quote from me within 24 hours.
Would you like to see a sample of my work? Confidentiality is one of the pillars of my work so, for that reason, I don’t share any of the content translated for my clients.
However, I’m happy to do a short free test so you can see the quality of my services for yourself (conditions TBC).
Alternatively, take a look at these testimonials from some of the happy clients I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
Contact me on weekdays between 9 am and 6 pm (GMT) by email or phone. Or if you prefer, say hi on social media!