Free-lance Interpreting: The Nitty-Gritty

Kathleen Shelly

Kathleen Shelly is a Delaware translator and interpreter certified by the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts. She has a master’s degree plus doctoral work in Latin American literature from the Ohio State University, and was a college professor for 12 years.  She has been a member of NAJIT since 2005, and currently holds the office of secretary on the board of directors.

As we prepare to soon launch the official blog for the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT), I have asked those interested in being part of that blogging team to make guest appearances on my blog to start publishing their views and becoming familiar with the logistics involved in this art form. Kathleen is the first to share her posts from that group. I know you will enjoy her takes- Blogmaster

The following is the first in a series about the practical aspects of being a free-lance interpreter. We will be discussing topics such as car maintenance, managing assignments, record keeping and general protocol. My idea is to help newcomers become acquainted with the nitty-gritty of the profession, and get feedback from those whose experience and knowledge are greater than my own. All comments and ideas are welcome!

About thirteen years ago, I was informed that my state had become a member of the National Center for State Courts, and that an exam for court interpreters was being offered. Trapped in a dead-end job fielding Spanish-language calls at a credit card company, I jumped at the chance, passed the exam and entered the ranks of free-lance interpreters. Work was rather sparse at first; looking back at my records, I see that I made a whopping $4,450.74 my first year. Over time, I developed my business and client-base, and I am now doing a heck of a lot better, although still far from wealthy.

I love my work. Even at its dullest, it beats the 9 to 5 treadmill I had found myself in before. That is not to say there are no drawbacks. There are indeed. Sometimes, as I drive that hundredth mile, I find myself yearning for the security of the staff-interpreter, that lucky soul who enjoys benefits, a short commute, a guaranteed parking space, taxes deducted automatically, etc. Unfortunately, that option is not open to me, but over time I have learned to deal with the exigencies of my trade.

What is a free-lance interpreter? In essence, we are self-employed business persons who must handle our own work schedule, our own taxes, our own benefits, our own marketing, our own record keeping and, just as important as any of these, our own professional development. The money we make must pay not only for the hours we work in court, attorney’s office or medical setting, but also the time we spend attending to business. People who know how much money I make an hour are often shocked and sometimes outraged. They have no idea how much work it has taken to get to this stage in my career, and the ongoing hours of paper work, study and preparation. I have gone through many years of education—high school, college, graduate school, travel abroad to prepare myself for this work. And, since I rarely work eight hours a day, the amount I earn does not even reflect a full day’s pay.

I always feel a little grim when someone says to me, “Well, being a free-lancer must be great! You can name your own hours, work whenever and wherever you want!” Well, yes and no. You can pick and choose assignments as long as you accept the fact that you will make less money if you get too picky. In addition, it is to your advantage to accept certain assignments to get your foot in the door. If an agency calls you repeatedly and you always turn them down, they will eventually stop calling you. I also hate hearing: “Oh, Monday’s a holiday! You won’t have to work!” Unlike a regular employee, if I don’t work, I don’t get paid, period.

So let’s take a look at some of the facets of being a free-lance interpreter. My next entry will be about car maintenance. Gotta go. I have an appointment with the dealership to find out about that pesky engine light that keeps popping on!

In the meantime, I would love to hear  your freelancing stories so please leave your comments below.

Interview With Prize-Winning Translator in Cuba

Dr. Lourdes Arencibia

(Please scroll down for the translation of the original Spanish into English)

Me siento muy orgullosa de presentarles una colega y compatriota que recién conocí en San Francisco durante el congreso de la FIT.  Se trata de la doctora Lourdes Arencibia Rodriguez,  ganadora del premio 2011 de dicha organización por su traducción en el género de ficción.  Lourdes viajó de Cuba a San Francisco para aceptar esta distinción y no saben cuál fue mi sorpresa y emoción cuando además de ella, otro cubano, Rodolfo Alpízar, también triunfó en dicho foro. Lamentablemente, él no pudo asistir a la ceremonia. Dos  de cinco premios me parece un logro fenomenal para nuestra  pequeña isla caribeña, cuyos ciudadanos vienen experimentando un sinfín de graves problemas desde hace muchas décadas.

Lourdes gentilmente accedió a concederme una entrevista para contarnos un poco sobre su trayectoria y la situación actual de la profesión  en Cuba. A pesar de lo cerca que está la isla de EE.UU., no estamos muy al tanto de la evolución del campo de la interpretación y la traducción allá, debido a la situación política que limita el intercambio normal entre colegas.  Ella me ha pedido que  realizáramos el diálogo en  castellano a fin de sentirse más a gusto durante nuestra plática ya que esta es su lengua materna y la que emplea en su desempeño  profesional.

A continuación, les invito a disfrutar de mi charla con Lourdes.

¿Cómo te iniciaste en el campo de la traducción?

A pesar de que por mi formación universitaria (Licenciada en Economía y Doctora en Filosofía) era de suponer que me inclinara hacia otras profesiones, para mí la traducción no es un amor tardío. Llegué a ella tan temprano como en los años 50 a través del francés. En esos años yo estudiaba en la Alianza Francesa que está en el Vedado, al lado de mi casa en la Habana,  y tomaba allí cuantos cursos de ese idioma y esa cultura ofrecían, incluidos los de alta costura , cocina y canto. Años después, fui becada para estudiar Relaciones económicas internacionales en París, de manera que cuando se creó la Facultad de Lenguas Extranjeras en la Universidad de la Habana, empecé allí a dar clases de traducción a los alumnos que cursaban la Licenciatura en lengua francesa. Luego, cuando se abrió el palacio de Convenciones en la Habana, integré el primer equipo profesional de intérpretes de conferencias, un trabajo con el cual casi le he dado la vuelta al mundo.  A partir de ahí, ya quedé vinculada a la traducción y luego incorporé el italiano, el portugués y posteriormente el inglés a mi práctica profesional hasta el día de hoy, siempre de las lenguas extranjeras al español.

¿Qué tiempo llevas ejerciendo la profesión? 

Pues como ves, más de cincuenta años consecutivos.

¿A qué tipo de traducción te dedicas mayormente? 

Al principio, hacía de todo: traducción documentaria : científico-técnica, económica, publicitaria, periodística, política…pero luego me fui inclinando  hacia la literaria y hoy día he traducido también novelas, cuentos, poesía, ensayo… Actualmente, soy más selectiva, pero si un texto me atrae o me interesa y me lo encargan traducir, lo asumo independientemente del género o la tipología en que encaje.

¿Qué especie de cliente les pide interpretación y traducción en Cuba, además del gobierno?

Los organismos regionales del sistema de las Naciones Unidas (FAO, UNESCO, CARICOM, etc) u otras personas o entidades que realizan actividades en el país o en la región con una audiencia plurilingüe.

¿Los traductores en Cuba suelen trabajar mucho para clientes en el exterior? 

Sí, siempre que se propicie, Actualmente esta actividad no está desautorizada ni mal vista por las autoridades. Sucede que existe una Empresa de Servicio de Traducción e Interpretación, que es estatal, cuyos trabajadores realizan trabajos de traducción para entidades extranjeras pero pertenecen salarial e institucionalmente a la plantilla de esa empresa. Otros traductores e intérpretes sin embargo que son trabajadores independientes, se pueden contratar libremente con clientes nacionales y extranjeros.

Cuando se envía una traducción fuera del país, el gobierno está involucrado en el proceso? 

No necesariamente. Lo hace si en el proceso participa el ESTI, que es la empresa que detallo en el punto anterior.

Cuéntanos sobre la obra que te ganó el premio en la FIT.

Yo concursé en la FIT con mi obra completa en la categoría de ficción, a partir de mi currículo de todos estos años.

¿Cómo te sientes después de recibir ese galardón?

Me siento muy comprometida a seguir  trabajando sobre todo para elevar la dignidad de la profesión para todos los traductores latinoamericanos  cuyos méritos no son, me parece, suficientemente conocidos

¿Lo esperabas? 

Cuando uno concursa, siempre sabe que por ahí hay alguien juzgándote, pero en realidad, cuando se concursa con un número tan amplio de profesionales del mundo entero, pues, bueno, ya esas son palabras mayores

¿Qué nos puedes contar de tu colega cubano, Rodolfo Alpízar Castillo, que también ganó un premio en San Francisco?

Alpízar es excelentísimo, es terminólogo y tiene algunas obras teóricas escritas. Trabaja con el portugués aunque además es escritor, poeta y ha publicado varias novelas. Su fuerte ha sido la traducción técnica y por eso presentó su candidatura en la categoría de no ficción. Hemos sido colegas de toda la vida  y le aprecio muchísimo.

¿Es difícil conseguir permiso para ir a aceptar un premio en EE.UU.? 

Hay que iniciar los trámites con cierta antelación, no te digo que sea fácil, pero no imposible. Personalmente, es la quinta vez que visito Estados Unidos, y siempre he sido tratada correctamente.

¿Qué te pareció el congreso de la FIT? 

Yo sólo pude llegar a la ceremonia de la premiación y por supuesto que me habría gustado presenciar el resto. Me parece que debemos trabajar para que los traductores de América latina tengamos mayor representatividad en la FIT. Sólo conocía a dos o tres personas, no más. Lo que más me impactó fue justamente ese desbalance que se aprecia, aún el prestigio del traductor es bastante eurocéntrico.

¿Qué proyectos tienes en el tintero en estos momentos?

Pues ahora mismo,  estoy trabajando con el Ministerio de la Investigación de España y el Instituto Cervantes, en dos proyectos cuyos directores son dos profesores de Barcelona: uno de los proyectos es el diccionario de traductores hispanoamericanos y el otro la biblioteca de traducciones hispanoamericanas (desde el siglo XVI).  También estoy traduciendo en la Habana, dos novelas de autores caribeños francófonos  y un ensayo de crítica literaria. Preparo mi conferencia de clausura del próximo Congreso de Traducción vinculado a los proyectos que te detallo arriba, que tendrá lugar en Barcelona en octubre  próximo.  Y por supuesto, sin abandonar mi curso en el Máster de Interpretación y Traducción  que imparto desde hace trece años como profesora en el Instituto de Lenguas Modernas y Traductores de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, que es una tarea por la que siento un gran cariño.  Y por el momento, eso es todo.

¿Has percibido algún adelanto en el ámbito de la traducción en los últimos años?

Por guardar relación con el ámbito de la edición y la traducción en Estados Unidos, pudiera ser de interés dar a conocer a  los lectores, editores y traductores  norteamericanos y latinos, lo siguiente. El pasado 27 de mayo, en la ciudad de Nueva York, se anunciaron y entregaron los 2011 International Latino Book Awards,  auspiciados por una organización norteamericana radicada en California que se llama Latino Literacy Now y que premia anualmente los mejores libros latinos escritos y publicados en inglés,  en español o bilingües,  traducidos o no, en distintas categorías,  por nominaciones de sus respectivas editoriales. Este año, en la categoría de Mejor Libro de Arte, se le otorgó Mención de Honor a un libro en edición bilingüe, traducido por mí en La Habana, del italiano al español y retraducido de mi español al inglés por una colega de Nueva York nombrada Beatriz Peñín. Ambos créditos figuran en el machón interior del libro.   La obra se llama: “Una colección de arte cubano”,  y su autor es un coleccionista italiano de arte que reside en Cuba llamado Claudio Marinelli.

Lo más curioso es que por primera vez que yo sepa, se reconoce también el trabajo de traducción  en una obra premiada, pues el Director ejecutivo de la Latino Literacy Now, el Sr. Jim  Sullivan,   me escribió una carta personal como traductora que dice lo siguiente:

Dear Dr. Rodríguez:  (tú sabes que muchas veces se pone el segundo apellido como si fuera el primero)

Latino Literacy Now wanted to express our respect for your translation of Mr. Claudio Marinelli’s book, Una colección de arte cubano, which was recently awarded an Honorable Mention in the category of Best Art Book, bilingual.

Although the work of a translator does not always receive the recognition it deserves, it is obviously an integral part of the process. Congratulations on your fine work. Sincerely, Jim Sullivan, Executive Director Latino Literacy Now.

Lourdes, muchas gracias por compartir con nosotros.  Te deseamos todo éxito con tus proyectos y espero sigamos en contacto para que nos cuentes el desenlace de los mismos.

TRANSLATION OF POST INTO ENGLISH:

I am very proud to introduce you to a colleague and fellow countrywoman whom I recently met in San Francisco during the FIT Congress. She is Dr. Lourdes Arencibia Rodríguez, the winner of the 2011 FIT prize for translation in the fiction category. Lourdes traveled from Cuba to San Francisco to accept this honor and you have no idea how surprised and proud I was to learn that, in addition to her, another Cuban, Rodolfo Alpízar, also won an award in said forum. Unfortunately, he was unable to attend the ceremony. Two out of five prizes is a fantastic achievement for our little Caribbean island, whose citizens have been beleaguered by many severe problems for several decades.

Lourdes kindly agreed to allow me to interview her so that she could tell us a little about her career and how the profession currently stands in Cuba. Despite how close the island is to the U.S., we are not very familiar with how interpretation and translation have evolved there because of the political situation that limits normal exchanges between colleagues. She has requested that we hold our dialogue in Spanish in order to feel more comfortable during the conversation, as that is her native language and the one she works into from a professional standpoint.

I trust you will enjoy my chat with Lourdes.

How did you start out in the field of translations?

In spite of the fact that my college education (I have a degree in Economics and a Ph.D in Philosophy) would lead you to think I would have favored other professions, translation is not a late fancy of mine. I started in that field as early as the 50s, through the French language. At that time I was studying at the Alliance Française, which is in the Vedado neighborhood close to my home in Havana, and I used to take whatever courses they offered in that language and culture, including haute couture, cooking and singing. Years later I was awarded a grant to study International Financial Relations in Paris.  When the School of Foreign Languages was created at the University of Havana, I began to teach translation to students working toward a degree in French. Later, when the Convention Hall was inaugurated in Havana, I was part of the first professional conference interpreting team, a job that has practically taken me around the world. After that, the link to translation was established and subsequently I added Italian, Portuguese and, eventually, English to my professional practice as it stands, always going from the foreign languages into Spanish.

How long have you been practicing your profession?

As you can see, it’s been over fifty consecutive years.

What type of translations do you usually do?

In the beginning I used to do everything: document translations, including scientific-technical, financial, advertising, journalism, [and] political material… but later I started to become more partial to literary works and so far I have also translated novels, stories, poetry, essays… Currently, I am more selective, but if a text is appealing or interesting to me and I am asked to translate it, I will take it on, regardless of the genre or type of work it falls under.

What sort of clients ask for interpreting and translation in Cuba, in addition to the government?

The regional organisms within the United Nations (FAO, UNESCO, CARICOM, etc.) or other individuals or entities engaged in activities in the country or region with a multilingual target audience.

Do translators in Cuba often work for clients abroad?

Yes, whenever feasible. Currently this work is not unauthorized, nor frowned upon by the authorities. There is a government agency , the Center for Translation and Interpretation (ESTI), whose employees do translation work for foreign entities, but they are part of the staff and on the payroll of said institution. Nonetheless, other translators and interpreters who are freelancers can work freely for national and foreign clients.

When a translation is sent outside of the country, is the government involved in the process?

Not necessarily. They are if ESTI is involved, which is the agency I referred to previously.

Tell us about the work that won you the prize at FIT.

I competed at FIT with my whole body of work in the fiction category, based on my CV from all these years.

How do you feel after receiving this honor?

I feel very committed to continuing to work, especially to raising the profile of the profession for all Latin American translators, whose merits, I believe, are not sufficiently acknowledged.

Were you expecting it?

When you are competing, you always know that somebody out there is judging you. But actually, when you are competing with such a large number of professionals throughout the whole world, well, that’s a pretty big deal.

What can you tell us about your Cuban colleague, Rodolfo Alpízar Castillo, who also won a prize in San Francisco?

Alpízar is excellent. He is a terminologist and has written some theoretical works. He works with Portuguese, although he is also an author, a poet and has published several novels. His strong suit has always been technical translation, which is why he competed in the non-fiction category. We have been lifelong colleagues and I am very fond of him.

Is it difficult to get permission to travel to the U.S. to accept an award?

You have to start making arrangements with some lead time. I am not saying it is easy, but it is not impossible. Personally, this is the fifth time I visit the United States and I have always been treated correctly.

What did you think of the FIT Congress?

I was only able to make it to the award ceremony and, of course, I would have liked to be there for the rest. I think we should work toward getting translators in Latin America achieve greater representation at FIT. I only knew two or three other people, no more. What impressed me the most was exactly that notable imbalance;  the prestige attached to translators is still pretty Eurocentric.

What projects are you currently working on?

Well, at this time, I am working on two projects with the Spanish Ministry of Research and with the Cervantes Institute, the directors of which are two professors from Barcelona. One is the dictionary of Hispanic American translators and the other is a library of Hispanic American translations (since the 16th century). In Havana, I am also translating  two novels by French-speaking Caribbean authors and a literary critique in the form of an essay. I am preparing my closing presentation for the next Translation Congress, which has to do with the projects mentioned above, to be held in Barcelona next October. And of course, I am doing all of this without leaving behind my course in the Masters in Interpretation and Translation, which I have been teaching for thirteen years as a professor at the Institute for Modern Languages and Translation at the Complutense University of Madrid, which is an endeavor very dear to my heart. And for the time being, that is it.

Have you noticed any advances in the field of translation in the last few years?

Due to the fact that it has to do with publishing and translation in the United States, it may be of interest to inform American and Latin readers, publishers and translators of the following. Last May 27, in New York, the 2011 International Latino Book Awards were announced and awarded. They are sponsored by an American organization based in California by the name of Latino Literacy Now, and they award prizes annually to the best Latino books written and published in English, in Spanish or both, whether they are translated or not, in different categories, upon being nominated by their respective publishers. This year, a book that was published in bilingual format in the category of Best Art Book, which I translated in Havana from Italian to Spanish, and was later retranslated from my Spanish into English by a colleague in New York, named Beatriz Peñín, received an Honorable Mention. Both credits appear in the inside cover. The work is entitled A Collection of Cuban Art and its author is Claudio Marinelli, an Italian collector who lives in Cuba.

The interesting thing is that, for the first time that I am aware of, the translation aspect in a winning entry is also recognized, as the Executive Director of Latino Literacy Now, Mr. Jim Sullivan, wrote me a personal letter as translator, which reads as follows:

Dear Dr. Rodríguez:  (You know how many times they write the second last name as if it were the first)

Latino Literacy Now wanted to express our respect for your translation of Mr. Claudio Marinelli’s book, Una colección de arte cubano, which was recently awarded an Honorable Mention in the category of Best Art Book, bilingual.

Although the work of a translator does not always receive the recognition it deserves, it is obviously an integral part of the process. Congratulations on your fine work. Sincerely, Jim Sullivan, Executive Director Latino Literacy Now.

Lourdes, thank so much for sharing your insights.  We wish you the best with your projects and trust we shall stay in touch so that you can let us know how they turned out.

Interpreting Journal Club Review of First Session

The first virtual chat just took place over Twitter yesterday using the hash tag #IntJC.  We discussed the merits of a personality test to determine a person’s aptitude for the interpreting profession.  For background and for the sake of efficiency, see my recent post to introduce the concept to my readers.

It was great fun and constructive!  Lasted about an hour and a half.  What did I like the most about it?  The fact that interpreters, students of interpreting and individuals interested in our field were able to get together informally from locations all over the world such as Brussels, Caracas, Paris, Bratislava, Tokyo, Barcelona, Neubrandenburg and Miami to casually discuss a topic pertinent to the profession. I think it is a great platform for all of us to expand our horizons and form networks outside of our immediate areas. I must say I was very surprised that we did not have a better representation from the U.S., but I am sure that as the momentum grows this will improve.  Everyone was responsible and diligent in taking the test and reading the literature in order to opine.

What did I find out?  That I am not as much of an oddity as I first thought after taking the test (that was somehow comforting) At least two other interpreters on the call shared my profile of INFJ. You can find out the personality implications of each type by clicking on the Kiersey personality interpretations on the same page as the test and you can see a transcript of the session here. I found the personality assessment to be valid in my case although I share the opinion that it is not indicative of whether a person can become a good interpreter. Other comments made were that the test could be helpful in getting to know interpreting students better although our host from Tokyo, felt that the test was grossly skewed towards a Western perspective. I venture to say that he is quite right.

Our next session will be held on September 24, 10 p.m. Tokyo time or 9:00 a.m. EST, and we will be discussing the effects of stress on interpreters.  To prepare and join in, please keep on checking the IntJ C Google site which will soon have all the pertinent information posted.  It is very easy to get on Twitter and either just monitor the proceedings or monitor and participate.  If anyone has any questions, do not hesitate to contact me personally and I will be glad to walk you through it.  Hope to see you there, and please leave me any suggestions for future sessions and I will be glad to pass them on.  We all want this effort to be a collective endeavor of interest to all.

The Interpreting Journal Club; Save the Date and Participate

Carl Jung

If you are serious about your profession, would like to discuss it with other colleagues from all over the world whilst having a good time in the format of a stimulating, fun conversation, please join us. Interpreters, lovers of language and students of the profession are all welcome.

What am I talking about?

A  colleague, Lionel Dersot, The Liaison Interpreter based in Tokyo, has come up with a novel idea of discussing interpreting-related topics on a regular basis over the Internet.  The first chat will be held over Twitter.com on Saturday, September 10, 10:00 p.m. Tokyo time, which is 11:00 a.m. EST that same day.  I know it’s during  working hours but some of us, depending on assignments, will be available. The hash tag that is being used on Twitter is #IntJC.  You can do a search there for that tag to see what kind of a buzz this has created. Another interpreting colleague, Michele Hof, The Interpreter Diaries, suggested that the topic for the first chat be a personality test based on the work of Carl Jung, which has been used as a model to study interpreting aptitudes.  I found it very much on the mark insofar as I am concerned and it explained some contradictions that I had noticed in my personality, quite well.  I am an INFJ, a rare bird from what I am reading. To find out what this is all about, take the test here.  If  after taking the test you are intrigued by the concept, visit the site Lionel has created so that you can read the actual material that will be discussed regarding the test, and see how the meeting will work. Interestingly, the study in question was also mentioned in the most recent issue of Interprenaut.

This is a great opportunity to end the summer doldrums making new acquaintances and learning something new about how our personalities influence our profession. Make a date to be there.  Drop in and let your voice be heard!

P.S.  You do not have to be a geek to participate.  Twitter is very user friendly and insofar as the material is concerned, that’s what we do, study the texts that are going to be discussed in conferences or legal proceedings (when we are lucky enough to get them) and it’s all very interesting to boot.

The Critical Jobs of the Interpreters Who Teach at the Defense Language Institute; an Interview with Tony Rosado

Defense.gov News Article: Panetta: Language Training Critical to U.S. Interests, Security

Tony Rosado

I was grabbing a quick lunch with a colleague, Tony Rosado, recently, between sessions, at a language conference we both attended in San Franciso.  See my prior post on FIT. The conversation naturally turned to work and I asked him what he was up to. To my amazement, as I am so far removed from this sphere,  he went on to tell me that he was off to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, where he has been working for some time as a “trainer of trainers”.  He  teaches our servicemen and women foreign language skills to enhance our  national security and defend U.S. interests abroad. I honestly did not know of Uncle Sam’s interest in this initiative which I find very intelligent and commendable, in accord with an opinion that Madeleine Albright and Chuck Hagel wrote for USA Today on the subject a few months ago, especially in view of the language cuts we are constantly seeing.  To see the op-ed, click here. Coincidentally, I was just reading today about a new technological offering by Lockheed, Martin, to offer remote interpreting through a smartphone on the battlefield.

I have  asked Tony to fill us in on this interesting aspect of our profession  through a brief interview as follows:

How did you become involved with interpreting?

I went to law school and practiced law for a few years. When I was an attorney I worked with many interpreters. I have always been fascinated by words and languages, so I made a decision that forever changed my life and became an interpreter! It has been almost 30 years, and so far, so good. I believe that going to law school in Mexico City, taking the California bar, and practicing law in Mexico and the United States allowed me to learn correct legal terminology and understand both legal systems. For this reason I am convinced that it is of outmost importance to learn the right terminology in your language pair.  When I practiced law I did everything: Civil and criminal law in Mexico, and then family and immigration law in the States. As an interpreter, I have specialized in Mexican legal terminology  and American legal terminology. This works really well because it has opened the door to an extraordinary group of clients: The Mexican attorneys, companies, and government, and it also serves me well when I work for the courts, as in a good portion of the United States, the majority of the Spanish-speaking defendants come from Mexico.  This is very interesting because when I interpret for them and I use Mexican legal terminology, they understand and feel at ease.  The truth is that this is the Spanish they grew up with, the one they saw on TV and read in the papers.  It is only after they come, and find themselves talking to Spanish speakers from other countries, and after they are exposed to the “made-in-America Spanish” that they have to re-learn their vocabulary.  I always tell my colleagues who believe that Mexicans forget their Mexican Spanish when they come across the border and try to convince me that they will only understand words and “legal terminology” made-in-America, that it is only because of them, the interpreters who use those words, that they start understanding “aseguranza” and “acuerdo declaratorio”.  I feel that we are a real profession, and when we interpret for professionals, we should sound like professionals (attorneys in this case) That is why I go around the country teaching “Mexican legal Spanish and proceedings”  If other Spanish speaking professional communities were to do the same, we would be able to provide the best possible service to the attorneys, parties, and judiciary.

How and when did you start working for the Defense Language Institute?

Actually I do not work for DLI. I am a contractor and a subcontractor. It started several years ago when I began working as an interpreter for the Department of Defense, specifically the Northern Command and NORAD. That gave me the opportunity to work closely with the military. From the beginning, I fell in love with their sense of duty, dedication, and commitment. Therefore, when I was approached by a defense contractor to participate in a new and challenging program that the U.S. military was implementing, I got involved right away. It has been an incredible experience. It is very rewarding. As an interpreter, it made me increase my vocabulary, and knowledge of geography.  Military conference interpreters will know what I am talking about, but for the rest of my colleagues, let me give you an example:  As an interpreter for NORTHCOM/NORAD you have to interpret for military personnel from all different branches of the service, and from many countries.  One time I had to work a conference that required ample knowledge of naval vocabulary, as well as the capability to recognize all military ranks and their equivalents in the other branches of the military and foreign armed forces.  A captain is not the same in the army and navy, for example. Unfortunately I cannot give more detail of the type of knowledge you must have as an interpreter to be able to work these assignments, but please believe me when I tell you that it is very challenging and different from what most interpreters do every day.  Working with military interpreters, personnel, and foreign language instructors has given me the privilege to see the world through other people’s points of view. It is really great to hang out with other colleagues after a conference or a long trial, but believe me, getting together with colleagues from other countries who have witnessed first-hand the war in Afganistan, or having dinner with one of Sadaam Hussein’s interpreters during his trial, is a different experience.  To all my teaching colleagues: The sense of duty and patriotism that envelops you when you are working with our finest and bravest is the most rewarding experience you can have as a teacher.   Military interpreters are not just good interpreters, they are also brave people with a sense of duty.  In early August of this year the Taliban shot down a U.S. helicopter in Wardak killing American servicemen, among them some of the Seals who took out Bin Laden, according to the press. One of those killed was the Seals’ interpreter.  Many interpreters have lost their lives in times of war.  I do not know of any other type of interpreter who has to keep an eye on the person he is working with so he doesn’t kill him.  Military interpreting is an essential part of our national security, and we have come a long way from the end of World War II when the U.S. prosecutors arrived in Europe after the war for the Nuremberg trials without a single interpreter (They never thought about needing one). I can tell you that we are only a few years away from seeing many of these magnificent men and women join the other fields of interpretation as they retire from the military.  It was very exciting to go to InterpretAmerica in Washington D.C. earlier this year and see how other interpreters are now recognizing and embracing military interpretation as a fundamental part of our profession.

What type of courses/skills do you teach there?

Military interpreting is a type of interpretation just like conference, legal, medical, and community. Military interpreters learn the same basics as all interpreters in consecutive and simultaneous interpretation as well as sight translation. The difference is that their work is so complex, and it is executed under such difficult conditions, that they have to utilize their military training on top of the basic interpretation/translation skills and vocabulary. Can you imagine interpreting while people are shooting bullets, choppers are flying over your head, and there is an expectation that you must get it right all the time? Other interpreters complain of noisy hospitals and courtrooms!  When you train the trainers you teach interpretation to language instructors who are very capable and have mastered their language pairs.  Many of the people you work with at this level are top professionals in some scientific or technical field somewhere in the world.  One thing I find fascinating is the constant need to keep up with all the world languages, and the need to continue to add new ones. The world is definitely getting smaller in the 21^st century.

Are you familiar with prior students of DLI who have gone on to pursue a career in languages?

The program is new, but I am convinced that in the future our profession will be enriched by many smart, dedicated, and capable military interpreters who will eventually enter the other areas of interpretation. They will be awesome.

What portion of your time do you typically allocate to instruction vs. interpreting/translating?

To me, the secret to be able to last in this profession without getting tired is to achieve a balance that will work for you. In my case, I try to do one-third interpreting, one-third translating, and one-third teaching.

Do you enjoy any aspect of your work more than the others?

I enjoy all aspects. But the truth is that sometimes I do enjoy one more than the others. It really depends on the project. At this time, I am very involved with teaching and the business side of the profession, and I am enjoying it very much. I also want to mention that attending professional conferences is a very important part of my motivation to keep going. I have not missed many and I plan to continue to attend.  Lately I have spent quite a bit of time teaching because I see that as the profession evolves and becomes more specialized, there is a greater need to provide the proper instruction for specialized fields.

We are like physicians who went from being the doctor for every possible illness, dentists, veterinarians, and yes, even barbers, that have evolved to become specialists in  very  specific aspects of their profession.  I am sure that is also happening to us.  Clients will more and more look not just for a plain- vanilla interpreter, but for a legal Mexican Spanish interpreter, a  Korean interpreter with experience in neurology,  a Tagalog boxing interpreter, etc.

I am also spending a good chunk of my time on the business side of the profession.  I have always looked after this part of my practice along with the interpreting and translating services portion.  Some time ago I realized that the world economy and technology would change our profession and  how we do business.  I am working on  strategies to stay competitive in the 21^st. century to be ready to compete with machines, ever-changing technology, services offered by other countries at a lower fee, and an economy where one of our main sources of work: The government at all levels, is cutting expenses, reducing its budget, and there is a perception that even in the private sector quality has been sacrificed to save a buck.  Either you evolve and adapt or you will be gone like the dinosaurs.  Traditional interpretation and translation as we knew it is an endangered species destined to disappear.

I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into the field of military interpreting. We look forward to questions and feedback via comments. Let us know if you have any stories relating to this genre, or whether you are interested in any other particular aspects of our profession that we might discuss in this forum.

FIT 2011 on Interpreting

This gallery contains 12 photos.

  Lollipops and Candy Canes… As a kid, did you ever go to a candy store with your mom and feel so overwhelmed by the variety of sweets within your reach that you had a hard time picking? This being my first time at a FIT Congress, I did not know what to expect and [...]

Eclectic 5th of July Celebration of the English Language

I really meant to do this post yesterday, July 4th, in the U.S. but between attending a traditional parade with the family, having them over for dinner, watching the fireworks and getting ready to leave for the airport a few hours later, I had to give it up.  I thought my post had lost its relevancy and I would have to wait until next year.

At this posting, I am writing from Caracas, Venezuela where I am interpreting at depositions. Much to my surprise when I arrived, I found out that today is their equivalent of July 4th.  It is the country’s date of independence and this year they are celebrating the bicentennial. They started celebrating yesterday when Hugo Chavez returned from his cancer surgery in Cuba.  As a student of business I found in interesting that bond yields had sharp gains from speculations that he might be forced to step aside due to health reasons.

I feel like I am in a time warp and that my Independence Day deadline has been extended, so here you have it.

For a hilarious abbreviated history of the English language, click here.

When I came to this country I was 8 years old and it was a wonderful experience for me and my then three brothers, which quickly turned into four.  We came from a tropical island (Cuba) to New England, which to us was nothing else but “Davie Crockett” country where we experienced snow, and living in close proximity to the woods where my brothers and I went camping, sledding, built teepees etc. With the characteristic exuberance of youth, nothing fazed us.  We were very proud of our initial “F” grades in school before we mastered the language because we thought it stood for “Fine”. I remember going to a speech therapist to recognize the difference between a “sheet” we slept on and the product of our bowels.  It didn’t bother me to have my friends laugh with me as I diligently practiced to commit the sounds to memory.  I wanted to learn the language so badly that I spent every spare minute reading everything from fairytales to Nancy Drew to the Encyclopedia Britannica, resorting to a flashlight under the covers after lights out.

At this tender age  I learned words by reading that one does not commonly use. For years I thought thigh was pronounced like “fig” starting with a “th”. I will always remember how at the “grown-up” age of 21 when I was starting to interpret, a judge asked me to stay for a moment after a hearing to see how I was doing.  He asked me how everything was working out and I answered him very seriously that things were somewhat  ”awry”, pronouncing it to rhyme with “story”.  I had always loved that word but had never had the opportunity to actually say it.  I was very chagrined when the judge was barely able to suppress a smile and told me with a twinkle in his eye, “you mean awry” and he pronounced the “ry” as in rye bread…  Live and learn. That is the name of the game.  I went from writing short stories in cursive during elementary school for extra credit, to teaching myself to type my term papers and college newspaper articles on an antique typewriter that my mother purchased in a garage sale.  This all paved the way to my doing translations later and my writing this blog now.

English is a beautiful language and we must all do our part to keep it from losing its venerable form. I read a wonderful  article I want to share with you in this regard, by a fellow blogger.

Please share your language stories with me and tell me how you see the status of the English language.  Is it going downhill?

A Conference Interpreter Offers Insights About Inherent Language Skills

Ewandro Magalhaes

I am thrilled  to introduce a friend and well known conference interpreter who will be an occasional, hopefully regular contributor to Musings. His writing is delightful because it is anecdotal and  entertaining as well as informative.  I know that you will recognize the value in it.  His perspective from the conference angle of a professional working outside of the U.S. will serve to round out our appreciation of  the current status of our industry. Enjoy…

Ewandro Magalhães is a seasoned conference interpreter, author and interpreter trainer. He holds a Master’s in Conference Interpretation from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and is a former contractor with the U.S. Department of State, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Organization of American States and several other international organizations. He is the author of Sua Majestade, o Intérprete – o fascinante mundo da tradução simultânea (Parábola Editorial, São Paulo) and an active member of TAALS. A national of Brazil, he has worked in four continents and now lives with his family in Geneva, Switzerland, following his appointment last year as Chief Interpreter of the International Telecommunication Union, the UN agency for ICTs. Ewandro is a gifted writer and presenter with a passion for learning and disseminating knowledge.

As an intro to his post:
Think bilinguals have a natural edge in interpreting? Well, think again. In a recent article featured in the ATA Chronicle (May 2011), Ewandro Magalhães explores how the virtues or limitations of our languages configure and discipline our way of thinking and how we function as interpreters. Beware! What you know may be working against you in the booth. Click here to learn why!

Whimsical Language Post

 Today is my birthday, so as a present to myself,  I get to write about light-hearted, fun, or just interesting stories that are  language-related which I have recently come across. On the subject of  interpretation, I have written in recent posts about the interpretation of body language and the language of smell and forensics.  We can now add to that dream interpretation.  At first glance, this could seem like any quack could set himself up to do this in an Arab country or anywhere for that matter. However, it is not as simple as that in the UAE.  In Islam,  it turns out that  dream interpretation is only permitted if it is done by a trusted scholar, pursuant to an UAE fatwa issued in 2008! Furthermore, certain interpretations have been standardized.

I found the following article about Grosjean’s new book, Bilingual: Life and Reality, to be very insightful.  I encourage you to click on the links with excerpts from different chapters.  His blog on bilingualism from a psychological standpoint is also very original and will be of interest to all linguists.

As I have gotten flowers today, I felt I needed to know more about the language of flowers and I find myself  in complete agreement with the metaphysical stance of the last sentence in the article referenced.

I will close by sharing with you the next book choice on my summer reading list that promises to be  informative, fantastical and entertaining!  It’s called In the Land  of Invented Languages by Arika Okrent.  Click here for excerpts.

The Wavering Fate of Language Programs and Languages in General

This is a persistent issue that the world needs to solve.  I just came back from the InterpretAmerica Summit in Washington where we heard from Dr. Kayoko Takeda talk about the fact that there is not more research being conducted on interpreting is the U.S. because there are no doctoral programs for our profession and that is where in-depth research projects are usually carried out.  Moreover, the Monterey Institute of International Studies‘s  masters in T&I are the only ones left to date in the States.  It is mind-boggling that our country is not taking the necessary steps in this direction to equip our students with professional language tools that will enable us to compete properly in the relentless process of globalization.

I just signed a petition on Linkedin launched by the AIIC group in that forum to ask the University of Westminster not to cut its conference interpreting program.  I urge any of you that can support it to sign in and do so. The University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Relations teaches some of the world’s hottest languages of the developing world such as Arabic, Urdu, Hindi and Chinese.  They receive federal funding, as well they should, because we need to be able to communicate fluently with these countries, in their languages, for business and international relations to prosper.  Nonetheless, because of our economic predicament these programs are slated to receive drastic cuts that will severely hinder their ability to provide this very needed service. It is happening not only here but in countries such as Malayasia that is struggling as its language, which was the lingua franca of the Malay Archipelago, is losing its dominance to English. In this regard, I have always been intrigued by the talks that our colleague, Dr. Georganne Weller, has given at professional forums regarding INALI, and the very important work they do to promote indigenous languages in Mexico. I understand there are over 200 indigenous languages in Mexico! Speaking of indigenous languages, the Cherokee Nation apparently understands this problem here and has created a private language immersion school for Cherokee, in Oklahoma, that is applying for charter status.

I will close on an interesting note which caught me by surprise.  Chinese proficiency testing is growing in Mexico, at the Confucius Institute of the Autonomous University of Yucatan. Read about it here. Perhaps a reader from Mexico might be able to shed some light on why this effort is gaining popularity there.