Read to Translate Better

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  In this first article, I talk about the importance of reading books to get a good translation.

Whenever someone asks me what a translator should do to improve, one of the first things I say is: read.
Read a lot. Read constantly. Read with intention.

In my own routine, this is a rule: I’m always reading two books at the same time.
One in English — my source language. The other in Portuguese — my target language, which I nurture like a garden.

Preferably, that second book is by a Brazilian author. I want to feel the rhythm of our language, its natural choices, its colors and layers.


Consistent reading is what keeps my sensitivity sharp.

That’s where I find new expressions, recover forgotten words, compare structures, and discover better ways to say what once seemed simple.

For those of us who work between languages, the secret to crossing that bridge with grace is to stay immersed in both shores.

And more than that: reading is not just a work tool — it’s an act of respect toward the languages we translate.

In the end, we only write well (and translate well) when we read better.
Because translation is also a form of soulful rewriting.

A good translator isn’t just someone who understands a language.
It’s someone who has read so many different worlds that they’ve learned how to recreate them — truthfully.

I´m Cristiane, book translator, passioned about literary and complex characters. Curious about how I can help bring your book to Brazilian readers?

Explore my portfolio and editorial services here: website 

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