To say that we interpreters are sometimes exposed to trauma is an understatement. Perhaps the worst is how it can happen so suddenly. I can go about my day nice as you please, interpreting tedious status conferences where attorneys are all legalese about dates and...
We all wish we had one. I saw a beer commercial today that used the concept to sell beer! “The simple life.” Beer? Really? Yes. We all definitely wish we had one. But for judiciary interpreters in particular, and I really don’t know if I can pinpoint why,...
Prima donna: A very temperamental person with an inflated view of their own talent or importance. (Oxford Dictionary) We all know at least one of those, don’t we? Or maybe we have been one at some point or another in our lives (gasp! Do we dare...
I really have no life. No. Seriously. If I am not interpreting in court, I am translating at home. And if I am not doing some work for pay, I am doing voluntary work...
I just read a blog by my dear friend (yes, even if we haven’t seen each other in years!) David Mintz, former NAJIT Chair and webmaster extraordinaire. I so enjoyed reading his irreverent takes on all kinds of different topics that...
“Respect yourself and others will respect you.” ― Confucius The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines protocol as “a system of rules that explain the correct conduct and procedures to be followed in formal situations.” There were no such rules, standard procedures, or protocols for interpreters in courts of law within the...
**First Friday Flashback! Here's a fave from early 2013. Comment below!** Today, a judge compared trial interpreters to a piece of furniture. I couldn’t be more pleased! Happily, this judge has had enough experience with good interpreters to know that our role is, indeed, much like an...
The NAJIT conference in Atlanta was intellectually stimulating and for some of us—or maybe all—it was also very good for the soul. We laughed, we sang, we danced, we ran into old friends and made new ones. In short, a lot of those present thought...
There is something about “being” a translator that is very different from “being” an interpreter. It’s not just about sitting in front of a desk by yourself versus being surrounded by people when you do your work. Translators want to take their time finding that...
**First Friday Flashback** (A favorite of mine, from back in 2013) I am continually amazed by the generosity of the talented writers and thinkers in our profession. What seems to be just a few years ago, our pre-Internet ability to connect with colleagues beyond our immediate reach...
