French & Spanish into English
Words that arrive as if they were written here.
I’m Mira Castell, a translator and conference interpreter based in Chicago. I help museums, clinics, companies and publishers say exactly what they mean in English.
14 years
in practice
1 day
to a written quote
3 languages
French, Spanish, English
Interlinear
Meaning first, then the words.
A good translation keeps what a sentence does, not just what it says. Three small examples of the choices behind every page.
FR → EN
Il pleut des cordes.
It’s pouring.
An idiom, not an inventory. Nobody is counting ropes.
ES → EN
Me costó un ojo de la cara.
It cost me an arm and a leg.
Same price, different body part.
FR → EN
Ce n’est pas ma tasse de thé.
It’s not my cup of tea.
Sometimes the literal version is the right one.
Services
Four ways to work together.
01
Translation
Written French and Spanish into English: reports, contracts, catalogs, websites and patient materials. Every job is translated, rested and revised before delivery.
From $0.16 per word
02
Conference interpreting
Simultaneous interpreting between French and English for conferences, webinars and board meetings.
From $650 per half day
03
Consecutive interpreting
For interviews, site visits and negotiations, in person or by video.
From $380 per half day
04
Editing and transcreation
Revision of existing translations, and copy rewritten for English readers when a literal version will not land.
From $70 per hour
Selected work
Recent projects, start to finish.
French → English
Translation
Atelier Rouvray exhibition catalog
A 42,000-word catalog for a retrospective of light installations, translated from French for an English-language co-publication.
Spanish → English
Translation and review
Patient materials for a clinical study
Consent forms and patient diaries for a multi-site study, translated from Spanish and checked line by line with the medical team.
French ↔ English
Simultaneous interpreting
Founders’ summit interpreting
Two days of simultaneous interpreting between French and English for a 300-person founders’ summit in Montréal.
How a project runs
Clear steps, no surprises.
01
Send the text
Share the file, the deadline and who will read it. A PDF is enough to quote.
02
Get a fixed quote
Within one business day: price, schedule and any questions about the source.
03
Translate and revise
Translation, a rested second read and a final check against the original.
04
Delivery and glossary
Your files in their original format, plus the terms we agreed for next time.
Kind words
“Mira caught three errors in our French source before they reached the printer. The English edition reads better than the original.”
Head of publications
Independent art museum, Lyon
“Our delegates forgot they were listening to an interpreter. I can’t think of a higher compliment.”
Program director
Startup association, Montréal
Notes
Short guides for clients.
Why I quote per word, and when I don’t
Per-word pricing is clear for most written work. Here is how a quote is built, and the cases where an hourly or day rate is fairer.
Read the note →
What to send with your translation request
Four things that make a quote accurate and a translation better: the file, the readers, reference material and one named contact.
Read the note →
Consecutive or simultaneous? Choosing an interpreting mode
Consecutive interpreting suits small meetings and interviews. Simultaneous suits conferences. A short guide to choosing, and what each one needs.
Read the note →
Have a text that needs to travel?
Send it over with your deadline. You will have a fixed quote within one business day.