Interpreter or Translator? I’m both!

The first disclosure in my endeavor with a blog is: I am not a professional writer, though I’d like to be, someday. There, I said it, so now I can blunder away and I‘ll have an alibi. Friends believe that I’ve got some really interesting stories, both personal and professional, AND they’re always asking me to tell them, so…..

As an interpreter/translator I admit, I have had some pretty interesting experiences. The start of this blog is about sharing my experiences in this field of work for anyone who is interested in the profession or just curious. I mostly work alone and I don’t really socialize with other translators so, I imagine, that like me they wonder if we might have some things in common where our work is involved. (I’ll use the term translator to include the arena of interpreter from here on, although they are two distinct areas of work).

Another caveat: please don’t expect me to always discuss the ‘jobs’ I’ve been on, or the quirky things that happen, for that might become very cumbersome to write and to read; (I’d much rather post on Twitter the snippets of the daily finds – ItransL8). The brief reasons previously mentioned for writing this blog, the stories, insights and the experiences that others might find amusing will have to suffice for now. We are more than the work we do.

I love my work. It’s always different. A journey ventured into the unknown with good and not-so-good things that I learn along the way. The struggles that immigrants have in order to live in this wonderful country and the steps they take to become American. The possibility to see this country grow stronger as an immigrant understands how their contribution, be it taxes, a savings plan or the use of their company benefits work if there is education. None of this understanding can exist unless it’s relayed in the language of the recipient. I’ve celebrated a job well done when someone was freed from incarceration because lack of having English as their language to defend themselves resulting in jail time.

A little about how I ‘fell’ into this profession. In 1962 my mother and I fled Cuba and Castro’s revolution to come to the USA, Chicago Illinois actually, to where my dad also fled and resided for 3 years prior. I was submerged into a Polish neighborhood with other children that only spoke Ukrainian. I was pretty fluent in Spanish and quite verbose for a 4 year old. But, my new friends did not speak Spanish or English, thus, I started with Polish. To date I only remember a few things in Polish (movisz Poposku?). In Kindergarten I struggled with English. The only access I had to the possibility of learning English at home was music and television.

The best way to learn another language:

The best process I found for learning English was IMITATION. I write this in bold because IMITATION is the best tool that we have to facilitate learning and re-presenting (or as I prefer to say, ‘pretending’). As a child I ‘pretended’ to speak like the newscasters on TV or the Beatles singing, “I wanna hold your hand”, which I played over and over until I thought I ‘got’ it. I imitated Mae West (“come up and see me sometime.”), Ed Sullivan (“Ah really big shoe”), Barbara Streisand (“People who need people”), Lawrence Welk (“Welcome to everybody.”), and Howard Cosell (“And I am …..”). Well you get it, Micky Rooney, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, you name it/them, I imitated, talking and singing!
Long-story-short, when my parents found out about my proficiency in English I was utilized to no end for translating and interpreting everything possible. Yes, I know you can sense some resentment, and yes I had a lot, but in the long run they did the best they could and here I am. Did I tell you that I really enjoy translating and interpreting today?

So, in the next additions to this blog, I will tell you more of what I do and what strange and interesting things happen in my world as an interpreter and some of the things I’ve had to translate and why. Experiences that might be something you can relate to if you’re in the business or if you’re curious about the business of a translator. I’ll tell you how a word interpreted incorrectly by an incompetent interpreter landed an innocent woman in jail for 2 years until the appeal resulted in her release; result of her release being in part to the correct translation of the original transcript used for her court appeal by yours truly. I’ve had the privilege of helping and hearing the stories of the immigrants that struggle so hard to live in a free world to provide for themselves and their families. I’ve seen things fail as a result of poor communication and I’ve seen the light in the eyes of someone who finally understood the possibility of reaching success due to the proper understanding.

For now, hasta luego…... And please visit my website at:
www.accuratetranslating.net
Follow me on Twitter: @ItransL8
Email me at: Accentabsent@gmail.com

Ibis Sardinas,
Translator, Interpreter
Accurate Translating and Accent Absent