Language Work Taken So Lightly

Interpretation work is not something that one should take up so lightly. Even now, after at least some years in language business, I feel quite nervous with every assignment, especially on its first day. This year, I even turned down two interpretation offers because I thought I would not be good enough to provide quality services.

Also this year, I had chances to see other people do interpretation. Some of them were obviously substandard. It may not be considered a big issue when an interpreter, or someone who acts as such, omits tiny details as far as the person get secure hold of the major points. However, it seems that people understand the “main” points differently. For some, they seem to mean what they remember. All others are tiny details. When you are required to make the brain work between two languages verbally, your language proficiency really shows. Interpretation work gives you only a moment of time lag. Even it is a successive interpretation work, you cannot check your dictionary or bring issues that you are not sure of to your home. Clearly, what counts is what you have already stored in the brain. It reveals how insufficient your language proficiency is. And your language does include your mother tongue.

Having looked at others work, I am feeling once again that I should be even more careful in choosing assignments and performing the work if I decide to take it up.

*

昨日の報道だったか、「橋本聖子外務副大臣がイラクを電撃訪問」というのがあった。これってニュース？どっちかって言うと、「イラクを電撃訪問」ではなくて、彼女が外務副大臣であることの方がニュースのように思うけど。みんな知ってるのかなぁ、橋本聖子が外務副大臣だってことを。

*

「南海ブログ」をもうちょっと書き足さなければいかん。今年中にもう１本アップしたい。