Hi! I am Arne Prové.
I am an independent translator with a passion for music, writing, and – of course – languages.
I pride myself on being very versatile, with wide-ranging personal and professional interests. That is why I love to translate texts from a variety of different subject areas.
​
My love for language, which is unsurprisingly the common thread throughout my professional life, stems from my love for my fellow man and society in general. This is why I always take a personalised approach, which allows me to deliver tailored solutions through close contact with the customer.
But regardless of the approach, translating is first and foremost a matter of communication between people. This means that the meaning has to come across flawlessly and be crystal clear. That is why, when translating or communicating with the customer, I use unambiguous, straightforward language that is nonetheless pleasant to read.
El Belga Translations seeks to provide quality translations through a personal, professional approach and a meticulous use of language.
Independent translator
​
After working in a couple of writing-intensive positions – including as a copywriter – I started working as a translator and project manager at a translation agency in Costa Rica. I had spent time in the country as an exchange student in 2004, and it has been my permanent home since 2013.
The translation agency provided me with an engaging work environment and a superlative learning experience. As a translator and project manager for certain accounts, I became acquainted with the profession in all its facets, quickly learning the ins and outs of the industry. Yet I soon realised that I wanted to become a freelancer. After a little over two years, the moment was right: since 2016, I have been working independently under the name of El Belga Translations.
Why the name?
​
From 2004 to 2005, I was an exchange student in Costa Rica, a Spanish-speaking country. Although Arne is not exactly a tongue twister for the average Western or Northern European, my time in Costa Rica exposed me to every possible variant of my name, from Ernie to Arnés and Yearn.
This is probably why several of my friends (including my host family) opted for the catchier “El Belga”, meaning “The Belgian”. The name stuck, and many still use it to this day. Furthermore, “El Belga” is easily pronounceable in just about every language, making it ideal as a nickname and a company name as well!
Native language only, several services
I translate from English, French, and Spanish. Because I want to be able to consistently guarantee top quality, I only translate into my native language, which is Dutch. In addition, translations are not my only professional activity: you can also contact me for proofreading or correcting texts. Aside from occasional exceptions, copywriting is not a part of my standard service offer.
Areas of expertise
I am a generalist by choice: my translations cover a wide array of fields rather than a specific area of expertise. I find it much more pleasant and interesting to take on projects that cover a variety of subjects. I guess you could call me a specialist in versatility!
During the last couple of years, I have built up translation experience in the following areas:
- Tourism
- Journalism
- Real estate
- Government (migration, public housing, environment)
- Company policy
- User agreements
- General financial
- General technical
- Machinery
- Manuals
- Retail
- Product presentations
- Commercial translations
- Websites
- Catalogues
- Art exhibition copy
- Events
- and more!
Personal service
So, do you have a text that need be translated or proofread? Do not hesitate to contact me!
In order to provide you with the best possible result, I would be more than happy to go over your personal needs (content, special requests, target audience, etc.).
Is your text just a tad too specialised or field-specific for me? Not a problem! I just might be able to refer you to one of my professional contacts in the world of translators!
Working method
1. Send the document that needs to be translated to arne@elbelga.be. Please do not forget to mention the target language – in other words: into which language do you want to have the document translated? Apart from that, additional useful information includes special requests, target audience, use of certain terms, and so on.
3. As soon as you send me your confirmation, I can start working on the project.
2. You will receive an e-mail from me with an analysis of your project. It will contain the following information:
- number of words to be translated / hours for proofreading
- applicable rate
- total amount
- delivery time
4. You will receive an invoice by the end of the month in which the translation was delivered. The payment term is 30 days from receipt of the invoice.
Please note
I live in Costa Rica (time zone GMT -6). This means that during wintertime, I am 7 hours behind countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Spain, or 6 hours behind the UK. During summertime, the difference grows by an additional hour. So, please be aware that you might not receive an answer until the afternoon (European time). Nevertheless, you can count on receiving my answer the same day. Thank you in advance for your understanding!
