Translation, interpreting and language services with a South Karelian attitude.
Sanaraja is a company offering translation services, interpretation and language assistance. It is run by two South Karelian women, whose friendship was founded at the university studying the English language and translation. As Karelians, we are wordsmiths by nature and all our commissions are handled in a lively and spirited manner. However, we do not merely whistle while we work. We take our work seriously and treat it with the respect and care it deserves. Our translations are professional quality and we have developed our professionalism during our studies at the University of Eastern Finland as well as in working life before and after starting our own business.
Translating is not just following a predetermined formula to change a word into another. Language is a beautiful and lively entity with diverse expression we should celebrate. It is our goal to promote information on translation field and language use: not even translation needs to be overly serious – let us value our differences and our ways of expressing ourselves!
Our company name “Sanaraja” is a combound word consisting of the Finnish words “sana”(lit. word) and “raja” (lit.border). Our task as enablers of multilingual communication is to use our words and to “deliver the message across the border”.
Asta
Asta began to study languages at elementary school
. At the time, her language of choice was German, and throughout the years she has studied several other languages as well. The English language especially captured her interest, and with that language she also completed her Bachelor of Hospitality Management diploma in an international programme before her studies in English Language and Translation at the University of Eastern Finland. Travelling, languages and cultures are important to Asta, and it is impossible to know ”too much” about another culture’s customs and ways of life. During her studies at the university of applied sciences and at the university, Asta seized the opportunities to exchange studies and internships abroad. These journeys took her to Taiwan, Japan, Russia and the UK.
In addition to studies in translation and the Finnish language, Asta studied German, Japanese Language and Culture as well as Interpreting as minor subjects at the university. She found interpreting to be particularly interesting, and she would love to spend more time doing just that. She wrote her pro gradu thesis as a literary review of the history, the current situation and the future outlook of machine-assisted translation. This allowed her to highlight her interest in IT and its benefits and drawbacks, and she pondered, among other things, the influence of artificial intelligence to the translator’s job description.
Translation assignments in the field of IT interest her, as well as assignments related to travelling and restaurant industry. Through her free-time activities, Asta has also developed strong competences related to video games, board games and competitive sports. Additionally, creativity is an important aspect of Asta’s life, and texts where she can express her creativity are close to her heart. Play with words, for example when translating poems, is a challenging and interesting experience, and a skill that Asta would like to develop even further.
Sanaraja Oy
Asta Munnukka
asta(at)sanaraja.fi
Leenu
Language skills, multicultural communication and the
meeting of cultures has always been important to Leenu. She has made friends around the world through the Scouts, exchange studies and working abroad. The interest specifically to English language guided Leenu to study English Language and Translation at the University of Eastern Finland. However, already before her studies at the university, she invested in long-term language studies, for example, when she studied in the International Baccalaureate programme in Imatra. The love for translation, on the other hand, was inspired by her favourite author J.R.R. Tolkien. Leenu produced her first “translations” during elementary school for her friends by translating The Lord of the Rings fanfiction with the help of an old dictionary. The love for Tolkien’s literary works can be seen in her adulthood as well. Leenu wrote her Master’s thesis on comparing culturally significant elements in the two Finnish translations of The Hobbit. In addition to the main subject studies Leenu minored in literature, Japanese language and culture, interpreting and internationalisation. As a creative person, during her studies Leenu pictured herself translating fiction for a living. However, she has since found many rewarding sides in translating factual texts. Especially the texts in teaching and education as well as tourism have been interesting. The newest and growingly interesting challenge Leenu has found in translating software and interface texts.
Sanaraja Oy
Leenu Miikki
leenu(at)sanaraja.f
