For many years we’ve been translating texts for a very special museum in Rotterdam, the Maritime Museum Rotterdam.

In the heart of the city, in the very spot where the port of Rotterdam was founded, is a whole world of experience and education. It’s an ideal place for young and old alike, with just the right mix of adventure and technology. Not to mention a good dose of Rotterdam panache. An absolute must!

If you’ve ever visited the museum, it’s very likely that you’ve read ‘our’ English in the exhibitions.

Living on the Water, Offshore Experience, IHC Merwede, Dutch Maritime High-Tech, The World on your Plate, Fishermen’ Sweaters, Cape Horn, Bright Minds Expedition, How We Ditched the Dutch, Waterproof, Dealing with Drugs, The Port, Maritime Masterpieces: these are just some of the titles of exhibitions for which ‘the Maritime’ has asked us to provide translations.

We recently received a very unusual request to check the existing translations of 12 types of wood that had previously been used in shipbuilding and were now to be used in the construction of a gallery in the museum. Wouldn’t it be great if the names of the wood could actually be engraved into each type of wood? But then the names would absolutely have to be correct. A detailed search ensued to find the right terms. Some names, for example, appeared also to refer to bushes. We worked closely together and drew up a final list. Ready for engraving.

Photo: Herman de Man