Interpreters

This is a shout-out to all who translate or interpret. A few days ago I was part of a panel discussion on teaching strategies to a group of approximately 40 parents here in South Korea. Their sons and daughters are attending classes at George Mason University's global campus in Songdo. Two of the panelists spoke Korean. Another panelist and myself did not, thus we needed someone to translate our comments for the audience. Looking back on this experience, which proved to be a positive one, I walked away with a much higher regard for those who perform this important task. They are communication facilitators who serve, in essence, as the bridge between folks separated by a language barrier.    

The other panelist who needed the translator was much smarter about it than I. She prepared her remarks in advance so the interpreter would be able to translate her comments much more easily and with little chance of error or misinterpretation. I, on the other hand, only put together a rough outline of talking points. The bulk of my remarks were ad-libbed. Thus, when it came to translating my remarks, the interpreter had to work very hard to echo all that I said without benefit of notes or guidance on what I was going to be emphasizing. Since then, I have tried thinking about whether I could echo back one person's remarks to another without error. I think not. Shame on me for not being sensitive to this.

As best as any of us who find ourselves in front of an audience that does not speak our language can, it is important that we be a good partner to those with the charge of passing along what we said as accurately as possible. What they do is very much "of the moment." They have virtually no room to reflect or pause. Instead, they have to, in a sense, laser focus on what is being said in order to carry it forward with every pause, point of emphasis, and particular phrase in-tact. Any one who says that is easy simply does not appreciate the responsibility that interpreters carry on their shoulders. Whenever possible, the rest of us need doing all we can to make their jobs easier. After all, at those times they and we are partners.