I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead[1]. So said Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Christian philosopher in a letter to a friend in December 1656.[2] The quote, often misattributed to Mark Twain and Abraham...
Sometimes my first answer is NO if I know I am not qualified to perform a task. However, if the authorities persist due to the nature of an incident, that incident is likely to be documented. It comes down to personal ethics; more precisely, it...
Our family recently embarked on an educational journey when we put our son into an online homeschooling program. In my job as an interpreter, trainer, and advocate for our profession, my days are already focused on finding the most effective educational tools and resources for...
The hotel housekeeper has a complaint, and I am there to interpret it. Sitting beside the housekeeper, I speak into a cheap handset speakerphone. On the other end, the hotel owner and district manager listen, encouraging the employee to air her concerns fully into the...
By Barry Slaugther Olsen, Co-President, InterpretAmerica The word “technology” means different things to different people. But when it comes to interpreters, the “T” word tends to conjure up all sorts of largely unfounded fear and denial. “Will I be replaced by a computer?” or “Oh, a computer...
By Katharine Allen, Co-President, InterpretAmerica “Crowdsourcing is the process by which the power of the many can be leveraged to accomplish feats that were once the province of a specialized few.” So said Jeff Howe, a magazine writer credited with coining the term crowdsourcing in his 2006...
By Katharine Allen, InterpretAmerica © 2012 "Rejected Afghan Interpreters Get Second Chance to Come to Canada"[1] “US Contract Interpreter Missing and Believed Kidnapped in Iraq”[2] "Families of Dead US Soldiers Sue Over Afghan Interpreter's Armed Rampage"[3] “Iranian Refugee Nearly Latest Victim of Poor Translation”[4] “Japanese Earthquake Highlights the Need for Multilingual...
The Supreme Court and the interpreting profession weigh in on the answer, but they may have to agree to disagree. By Barry S. Olsen and Katharine Allen Seasoned interpreters and experienced translators alike are keenly aware of the different skill sets required for interpreting and translation. Both...
