I would like to use this post to share with you this third edition of “Tecnitranslations, Up Close and Personal”.
Personally, I look forward to these interviews since – believe it or not – even I get to learn about and know better those who I work with and what they do regularly.
Today, we are going to delve into the profession of interpreting, and tell you what it is about, the different modalities involved and when they are needed, and even reveal a few funny anecdotes.
I would not like to “misuse” more paragraphs, as the interview we conducted on María Gabriela is much more impactful than any other thing I could write for you here. But I do want to tell you that she is an extremely experienced and passionate person when it comes to the interpreting field, as well as a superb professional I personally and deeply admire.
So now I leave you with our dear Gaby!
Please tell us what the work of an interpreter is about?
According to the Real Academia Española, an interpreter is a person that explains to others, in a language they understand, what has been said in a language they do not speak. The interpreter’s work is the most fascinating thing there is. I heard once that you should strive for your vocation to become your vacation, and as for me this is luckily the case. Interpreting seems to be just to tell something in another language, but it is much more than that. It is about becoming a bridge between languages, between cultures. It is not only about speaking the languages that are being translated, but also about understanding the soul of each language, feeling in that other language that is not your own. It is about facilitating communication and understanding between people. To me, this is a real passion. An interpreter always works at different settings and with different topics, which makes it a highly versatile and interesting job. We are constantly learning about multiple matters.
What are the different interpreting modalities available? Tell us a little about the challenges of each of them. Is there any one harder than the rest?
There are different interpreting modalities.The most widely known are simultaneous, consecutive, whispered, LESCO, and nowadays as a result of the situation we are all facing worldwide, remote interpretation as well. Each of these modalities has their own complexity, and all of them require you to remain objective, impartial and poised. At any of these modalities it is always important to avoid losing your focus and also to remember that the interpreter should be “invisible”. As for simultaneous interpreting, you have to listen and understand in a specific language and then to speak in a different language, while you keep listening to the original audio so that you do not lose the thread of what is being said. The advantage of this modality is that no time is lost, unlike consecutive interpreting where the speaker talks, but then stops and the interpreter proceeds to translate the message into the other language. This takes double the time for everything. Whispered interpreting consists in placing yourself behind the person that is being served and whisper to this person what the speaker is saying. It is used in small groups and sometimes turns out to be a bit uncomfortable. LESCO, which is also conducted simultaneously, consists in reproducing the message for hearing-impaired people, but usually in the same language. And finally, we have the modality that is wildly trending these days – courtesy of the COVID19 pandemic – that is, remote simultaneous interpreting. As the name suggests, it consists in interpreting remotely. All parties involved, including those interpreting, are at different locations, even in different countries. The difficulty of this modality is based on the fact that the interpreter is often unable to see the speaker, which is a very important part of interpreting required to clearly understand and convey the message. They don’t see the interpreter either, so the speaker often forgets that his/her message is being translated into a different language and then tends to speak too fast, thereby making it difficult for us to do our job. Also, our reliance on technology can also become an obstacle, as it often fails. Internet connection may be interrupted, or we can experience a power shortage… and this happens not only in our third-world countries. Internet connection originating from more developed countries many times pulls some pranks on us. Despite all this, I must admit that the remote modality saved our job and allowed us to make our ends meet. Otherwise, we would not have been able to keep working. In other words, it became our lifeline, and it has been working perfectly well, to the extent there is Internet connection, of course.
I would say that there is no interpreting modality that is harder than the rest. Each of them has their own pros and cons, but my favorite is simultaneous interpreting, either in person or remotely.
What are the events in which you like to participate the most as an interpreter?
Actually, I do not have major preferences on any topic. Economy issues are highly complex. Let’s say I am not so fond of them. Interpreting in legal trials is extremely stressful, which is why I would not rank it on the top of my list either. If I had to choose a topic, I prefer those involving medical issues. I really enjoy congresses and lectures on medical and scientific topics, but overall, I can say I am up for everything. I have never refused to work because of a specific topic. Besides, our sector is small and it is hard and unprofitable to specialize in a single topic.
Have you had the opportunity to work for some high-ranked officers or renowned persons during any session? Do you have any examples?
In this sector you have the chance to work in many different settings and environments. I have worked at a construction site with a hydraulic hammer and lots of mud, at a plantation during a presentation on how to make organic compost – and it turns out I am terrified of worms (that time I almost did have a heart attack). Sometimes you also have to work at the “highest echelons.” I had the opportunity to work as an interpreter for Costa Rican presidents Abel Pacheco, Oscar Arias Sánchez, Laura Chinchilla, Luis Guillermo Solís, and Carlos Alvarado. I have worked with State Ministers, both from Costa Rica and other countries, high officials of the IMF, OECD, PAHO, and WHO. This one time I was assigned to work with Philippe Cousteau, grandchild of famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. I was also there when Mrs. Hillary Clinton came to Costa Rica. As you can see, this work is so diverse that you get to know many and very interesting people, from all fields and levels.
What tips would you share to make sure you have a successful interpreting session?
When it comes to interpreting, I believe success lies in giving each and every session, meeting or client a special treatment. Every event must be addressed in a unique manner, as if it were your first… or your last… As a tip, I would say: NEVER LOSE YOUR PASSION.
Finally, is there any funny or curious anecdote from work you would like to share with us?
Rodrigo Carazo Odio, who was the President of Costa Rica from 1978 to 1982, gave me one of the most important lessons of my career as an interpreter. Having already left office as president, I was assigned to work during a meeting where Mr. Carazo served as speaker. I was in my early days as an interpreter. Those were the days when we carried our hardcopy dictionaries to these meetings. We had to carry those huge books, sometimes regarding different topics, to be able to do our jobs. Nowadays it is easy for us, as these dictionaries are available online; I even have them on my phone. Well, back to Mr. Rodrigo, at that time he used the word “codicia” in Spanish. At that point, I went blank because suddenly I did not remember the equivalent English term. I grabbed the dictionary and looked for the term at full speed, found the term “greed” and mission accomplished… A few seconds later, Mr. Rodrigo turned and asked me directly: “How did the interpreter translate the word ´codicia´?” I almost died at that point! I managed to almost whisper: greed… I was terrified! And he responded: “Excellent. That was the word I wanted”. If I had not searched for that word a few minutes earlier, I would not have been able to answer his question, made a fool of myself and looked like an incompetent. My work would have been questioned just for one word… That can be another tip for a successful interpreting session: never let your guard down as the unexpected can happen any time!
TECNITRANSLATIONS, UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: SECRETS FROM AN INVISIBLE INTERPRETER
I would like to use this post to share with you this third edition of “Tecnitranslations, Up Close and Personal”.
Personally, I look forward to these interviews since – believe it or not – even I get to learn about and know better those who I work with and what they do regularly.
Today, we are going to delve into the profession of interpreting, and tell you what it is about, the different modalities involved and when they are needed, and even reveal a few funny anecdotes.
I would not like to “misuse” more paragraphs, as the interview we conducted on María Gabriela is much more impactful than any other thing I could write for you here. But I do want to tell you that she is an extremely experienced and passionate person when it comes to the interpreting field, as well as a superb professional I personally and deeply admire.
So now I leave you with our dear Gaby!
According to the Real Academia Española, an interpreter is a person that explains to others, in a language they understand, what has been said in a language they do not speak. The interpreter’s work is the most fascinating thing there is. I heard once that you should strive for your vocation to become your vacation, and as for me this is luckily the case. Interpreting seems to be just to tell something in another language, but it is much more than that. It is about becoming a bridge between languages, between cultures. It is not only about speaking the languages that are being translated, but also about understanding the soul of each language, feeling in that other language that is not your own. It is about facilitating communication and understanding between people. To me, this is a real passion. An interpreter always works at different settings and with different topics, which makes it a highly versatile and interesting job. We are constantly learning about multiple matters.
There are different interpreting modalities. The most widely known are simultaneous, consecutive, whispered, LESCO, and nowadays as a result of the situation we are all facing worldwide, remote interpretation as well. Each of these modalities has their own complexity, and all of them require you to remain objective, impartial and poised. At any of these modalities it is always important to avoid losing your focus and also to remember that the interpreter should be “invisible”. As for simultaneous interpreting, you have to listen and understand in a specific language and then to speak in a different language, while you keep listening to the original audio so that you do not lose the thread of what is being said. The advantage of this modality is that no time is lost, unlike consecutive interpreting where the speaker talks, but then stops and the interpreter proceeds to translate the message into the other language. This takes double the time for everything. Whispered interpreting consists in placing yourself behind the person that is being served and whisper to this person what the speaker is saying. It is used in small groups and sometimes turns out to be a bit uncomfortable. LESCO, which is also conducted simultaneously, consists in reproducing the message for hearing-impaired people, but usually in the same language. And finally, we have the modality that is wildly trending these days – courtesy of the COVID19 pandemic – that is, remote simultaneous interpreting. As the name suggests, it consists in interpreting remotely. All parties involved, including those interpreting, are at different locations, even in different countries. The difficulty of this modality is based on the fact that the interpreter is often unable to see the speaker, which is a very important part of interpreting required to clearly understand and convey the message. They don’t see the interpreter either, so the speaker often forgets that his/her message is being translated into a different language and then tends to speak too fast, thereby making it difficult for us to do our job. Also, our reliance on technology can also become an obstacle, as it often fails. Internet connection may be interrupted, or we can experience a power shortage… and this happens not only in our third-world countries. Internet connection originating from more developed countries many times pulls some pranks on us. Despite all this, I must admit that the remote modality saved our job and allowed us to make our ends meet. Otherwise, we would not have been able to keep working. In other words, it became our lifeline, and it has been working perfectly well, to the extent there is Internet connection, of course.
I would say that there is no interpreting modality that is harder than the rest. Each of them has their own pros and cons, but my favorite is simultaneous interpreting, either in person or remotely.
Actually, I do not have major preferences on any topic. Economy issues are highly complex. Let’s say I am not so fond of them. Interpreting in legal trials is extremely stressful, which is why I would not rank it on the top of my list either. If I had to choose a topic, I prefer those involving medical issues. I really enjoy congresses and lectures on medical and scientific topics, but overall, I can say I am up for everything. I have never refused to work because of a specific topic. Besides, our sector is small and it is hard and unprofitable to specialize in a single topic.
In this sector you have the chance to work in many different settings and environments. I have worked at a construction site with a hydraulic hammer and lots of mud, at a plantation during a presentation on how to make organic compost – and it turns out I am terrified of worms (that time I almost did have a heart attack). Sometimes you also have to work at the “highest echelons.” I had the opportunity to work as an interpreter for Costa Rican presidents Abel Pacheco, Oscar Arias Sánchez, Laura Chinchilla, Luis Guillermo Solís, and Carlos Alvarado. I have worked with State Ministers, both from Costa Rica and other countries, high officials of the IMF, OECD, PAHO, and WHO. This one time I was assigned to work with Philippe Cousteau, grandchild of famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. I was also there when Mrs. Hillary Clinton came to Costa Rica. As you can see, this work is so diverse that you get to know many and very interesting people, from all fields and levels.
When it comes to interpreting, I believe success lies in giving each and every session, meeting or client a special treatment. Every event must be addressed in a unique manner, as if it were your first… or your last… As a tip, I would say: NEVER LOSE YOUR PASSION.
Rodrigo Carazo Odio, who was the President of Costa Rica from 1978 to 1982, gave me one of the most important lessons of my career as an interpreter. Having already left office as president, I was assigned to work during a meeting where Mr. Carazo served as speaker. I was in my early days as an interpreter. Those were the days when we carried our hardcopy dictionaries to these meetings. We had to carry those huge books, sometimes regarding different topics, to be able to do our jobs. Nowadays it is easy for us, as these dictionaries are available online; I even have them on my phone. Well, back to Mr. Rodrigo, at that time he used the word “codicia” in Spanish. At that point, I went blank because suddenly I did not remember the equivalent English term. I grabbed the dictionary and looked for the term at full speed, found the term “greed” and mission accomplished… A few seconds later, Mr. Rodrigo turned and asked me directly: “How did the interpreter translate the word ´codicia´?” I almost died at that point! I managed to almost whisper: greed… I was terrified! And he responded: “Excellent. That was the word I wanted”. If I had not searched for that word a few minutes earlier, I would not have been able to answer his question, made a fool of myself and looked like an incompetent. My work would have been questioned just for one word… That can be another tip for a successful interpreting session: never let your guard down as the unexpected can happen any time!
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