Have you ever heard the term, word picture? If you are a trained interpreter, chances are you have. Often, it is explained as a remedy; a way to describe a term that has no equivalent in the target language. However, word pictures are much more...
The song "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife" became a hit in 1970 when Marty Robbins wrote and recorded it. It quickly rose to the top of the country charts in the US at a time of great social and economic upheaval. The 1960s and its...
Maybe it is time to make friends with Spanglish. …And Italish, Portinglish, Haitian Creolish and any other language +English! It happened this way: Judge (English): “…mortgage…” Me (Spanish): “…hipoteca…” Litigant (No language): [Blank stare; look of incomprehension and confusion.] The question was repeated. All at once, understanding dawned and the litigant...
By Armando Ezquerra Hasbun ©2017 It is bound to happen. You spend most of your professional career trying to get where your ambitions lie. And then you spend most of your time trying to improve, to catch up, to seek elusive perfection in your craft. And in...
- By Armando Ezquerra Hasbun © 2017 Depositions can be grueling. Sometimes we deal with hostile parties, long hours without back up, complex subject matters… often made worse by the unwillingness to advance or share information about the case based on the mistaken belief that we...
We don't want our new readers to be left out or our fans to forget nuggets we have shared here before. That's why we periodically republish a few gems. This time, Janis comments on professional behavior, self-awareness and group dynamics. But she does so with...
- by Gio Lester ©2017 Yes, I have lived a sheltered life. At least where languages are concerned. I have always circulated within groups whose languages I understand. As a result, I have no idea what it must feel like to rely on a stranger to...
- Gio Lester© for Proteus, 9/2014 I have always been a curious individual. I recall asking my mom if Jesus was history or legend (got a scolding for that one), and asking my Biology teacher where the first bacteria found RNA to replicate its DNA from...
- By Athena Matilsky There are few things more off-putting than to hear an interpreter fill their delivery with um and uh, second-guess themselves, and interject side commentary. In real-life situations, this sort of delivery makes the listener tune out. On a test, it costs the...
The Couch is back. This is a space where we can share our doubts, our knowledge and help our colleagues. All data that might make the parties or case identifiable have been removed. Please note: all contributions should be sent to the Editor and not entered in...