Helen Jones
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Where do you live/work?
I live and work in Urmston, Greater Manchester.
Are you mainly a translator or interpreter or both? What languages?
I translate from French and German to English.
What are your specialist fields?
Patents, predominantly in the fields of biology and chemistry. I also work on other chemistry and biology-related texts.
What’s the strangest/most interesting project you’ve ever worked on?
My work tends to be confidential because of the nature of patents, but I love being a part of medical progress by translating patents relating to cancer treatments.
Tell us about a particularly proud moment in your translation career:
It’s a toss-up between qualifying as an MITI, and studying for, and passing, my BSc while working full-time as an in-house translator.
Tell us two reasons why you like being a translator/interpreter:
In the patent field especially, I love learning about new innovations every day!
What is the most interesting place where you have lived/visited?
I lived in the north of France (Valenciennes) for two years. It was fantastic! Not a typical choice of place to live in France, but I found the Nord super hospitable, and loved all the beers!
What are your plans for professional development or a new field you’d like to work in?
I’d like to do more work in scientific fields which aren’t patent-related: translating journal articles, science communication to the general public, and so on.
Tell us something not many people know about you:
I am an AFOL (Adult Fan Of Lego) and our house is full of built Lego sets! My favourite recent build was a boutique hotel, and my next build is a set of succulents.
