Name: Lucas Rodrigues Oliveira
Where you live: São Carlos-SP, Brazil
Email: translation.lucas@gmail.com
What you’re doing these days: (translator/interpreter/teacher/professor) I work as a translator and interpreter of English and Spanish into Brazilian Portuguese. My main areas are business and video games.
Something you’re proud of: Quitting my regular 5-days-a-week office job to become a full-time freelance translator.
A bit of your background: I was born in Aracaju-SE, Brazil, but I currently live in São Carlos-SP. I studied International Relations at a university and then worked in the corporate world for 7 years—until 2021. In 2020, I started working as a freelance translator while still at my office job. The career transition took one year, but I finally became a full-time freelance translator in 2021. In 2022, I finished my graduate degree in Translation from English.
How long have you been with ATA? And PLD member? Since August 2022.
What did the ATA membership ATA and/or the PLD bring to you? I joined ATA to improve my network with other translators and translation companies. I also intend to take the certification exam because it will help me get more (and better) clients. I have just joined the ATA and the PLD, but I have already met some translators and attended some online events. I also took a practice test and started preparing for the certification exam.
Current project (or last/future interesting project/activities): I can’t give many details about them because of NDAs, but the most interesting ones, for me, are video game projects. I also really enjoyed working on some recent translation projects about soccer.
A major challenge(s) in your career: I think the major and most common challenges are always looking for new clients and translating the topics I like. Getting interpretation clients has also been a challenge for me, as it is a new area for me, and I have only recently started working as an interpreter.
Do you have a hobby? Yes, I am a soccer nerd. I watch both the UEFA Champions League and the Brazilian 4th division, and I am fascinated by the World Cup. I spent a month in Russia in 2018 and watched seven matches in seven different cities. I also wanted to go to Qatar in 2022 but canceled my plans because of the pandemic. I intend to go to the World Cup in Mexico, Canada, and the USA in 2026 and to all the World Cups in the future. It is also a good “excuse” to travel and learn other languages. 🙂
What is your favorite book in Portuguese Language literature? O alienista, by Machado de Assis. I think it is a brilliant satire of our society, and it makes us think about what is “normal” and what is “crazy”.
Currently on your reading list: Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari (translation by Janaína Marcoantonio), and Não diga que a canção está perdida, by Jotabê Medeiros, a biography on Raul Seixas, my favorite musician.
Thank you, Lucas. We really appreciate the opportunity to learn a little more about you.
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