Interpreters and Translators Making a Difference

Summary

The speaker, a bilingual individual, shares their journey as a translator and interpreter, highlighting the challenges and joys of the profession. They recount working on a telephone app, creating new terms now used by millions, and the profound experience of aiding asylum seekers in Greece. As a court interpreter, they emphasize the critical role they play in people's lives. The speaker also discusses the variety of projects, from subtitling commercials to working remotely, and the high ethical standards they uphold. They conclude by stressing the importance of language proficiency in global communication.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The speaker grew up in a bilingual household, which fostered an appreciation for languages and led to a career in translation and interpretation.
• 🏨 Specializing in tourism and hospitality, the speaker's early experiences traveling with their parents influenced their career path.
• 💻 A significant project involved creating new terms for a telephone app, impacting millions of German users.
• 🌍 The speaker worked as an interpreter for asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos in Greece, which was both challenging and rewarding.
• 🏛️ As a court interpreter, the speaker takes their role very seriously, understanding the impact they have on people's lives.
• 📺 A memorable translation project was subtitling adult diaper commercials, which was both interesting and led to humorous targeted ads.
• 📚 The speaker finds the work of translators and interpreters remarkable and believes in upholding high ethical and professional standards.
• 🏡 Living in a remote area, the speaker enjoys the flexibility of working from home and being their own boss.
• 🗣️ There is a common misconception among people in the speaker's area about the difference between translators and interpreters.
• 🌐 The speaker emphasizes the importance of being able to communicate in another person's language in today's globalized world.

Q & A

What is the speaker's background in terms of language and upbringing?

The speaker grew up in a bilingual household where languages were appreciated and cultivated.

What led the speaker to specialize in tourism and hospitality?

The speaker's extensive travel experiences with their parents influenced their decision to specialize in tourism and hospitality.

What was one of the speaker's most enjoyable translation projects?

One of the most enjoyable projects was creating terms for a telephone app, which are now used by millions of Germans.

Can you describe a challenging and worthwhile interpreting project the speaker worked on?

The speaker found working with asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos in Greece to be a challenging and worthwhile interpreting project.

What is the speaker's role as a court interpreter?

As a court interpreter, the speaker sees their job as critical, holding people's fates in their hands.

What was an unusual and interesting translation project the speaker worked on recently?

The speaker recently worked on subtitling adult diaper commercials, which was an unusual and interesting project.

How does the speaker feel about the profession of translation and interpretation?

The speaker finds the profession of translation and interpretation interesting and never dull, as it always involves learning something new.

What does the speaker think about the daily work of translators and interpreters?

The speaker believes that the daily work of translators and interpreters is remarkable and holds themselves and others to high ethical and professional standards.

Where does the speaker live and how do people react when they learn about the speaker's profession?

The speaker lives in a remote area in Oregon, and people are often surprised to learn about the speaker's profession as a translator and interpreter.

What is the common misconception people have about the speaker's profession?

People often mistakenly assume that the speaker must be traveling all the time, confusing the roles of translators and interpreters.

How does the speaker describe the work environment for translators and interpreters?

The speaker describes the work environment as flexible, allowing them to work from home, set their own hours, and be their own boss.