Birgit's Blog
For most translators, working from home is nothing new. For interpreters, however, moving to remote interpreting (what you call it differs, RSI, video interpreting, distance interpreting ... to name just a few terms) can be a steep learning curve. Someone who is used to working in a booth with audio technicians standing by at all times has to learn how to manage the technical aspects of interpreting remotely. And there are many aspects to consider: Internet bandwidth, how much computing power you have, what kind of headset and microphone you are using, and whether you need additional software or apps. Another important factor is location ... are you lucky enough to have your own office or have you set up shop on the kitchen table? Are you in a quiet location or one with lots of background noise? Might children or pets get in your way while you are interpreting? It's definitely a challenge ... but linguists are innovative and used to learning new things constantly. Remote interpreting offers many new opportunities and the technology is developing quickly. Most professionals are now familiar with Zoom meetings, but there are even more sophisticated systems geared towards multilingual events. Platforms such as Interprefy and KUDO offer interpreters a working environment that mimics the interpreting booth and includes technical support in every phase of the job. Now all we need is a hologram of our favorite booth partner that is able to tap us on the shoulder when it's time for the handover! Happy Interpreting!
I had an opportunity to see where these amazing creatures overwinter in Mexico and was in awe at their beauty, overwhelming numbers, and graceful flight. As a Westerner and interpreter, I am sometimes uncomfortable with silence, but in the presence of thousands of monarch butterflies, our entire group sat in silence and awe. A little shout-out at this point to the JM Butterfly B&B in Macheros, Mexico ... it's a small slice of paradise with all the creature-comforts you need. Ellen and Joel make you feel instantly welcome and if you are lucky enough to participate in a cooking class with Joel's Mom, you'll feel like you're part of the family! Even if your Spanish is spotty, like mine!
A colleague and fellow francophone recommended "Témoins", a French series. I just finished the second series and was struck by the relevancy, not so much in content, but more so in its depiction of strong female characters. Hollywood, have a look at this!
I have finally decided to take the plunge and add a blog to my site. I always wanted an easy way to share information with visitors and I'm super excited to start this journey. Keep coming back to my site and check for updates right here on the blog.
You want to save your company money
and use the least expensive
language provider to have your user manual translated. One line is translated
incorrectly, the machine malfunctions and you get sued.
You expand your sales area and use an automated program to translate your product description.
You are extremely pleased when your sales abroad grow exponentially. But then your Inbox overflows with complaints that the product does not live up to its description.
You find a cost-effective way to translate your company's global employee survey into 5 languages. After months of preparation, the results come in. The statistical evaluation reveals that the answers of one language skew in the opposite direction from every other language. This effectively makes your global survey results unusable and your boss is furious.
You get the point ... quality in translation matters. Here are some other scenarios.
You hire professionals to translate your global employee survey into 5 languages. Two translators ask you to double-check one question because it seems to be missing the word "not." You realize that this is indeed an omission and manage to catch the error before the English survey goes out to everyone in the company.
You find a tech-savvy language provider to translate your website.
She points out that, when double-checking a link, it opened another website with adult content. You are very relieved that your new site had not gone live yet!
These things point to the many advantages of hiring experienced language professionals. They do not just replace words, they strive to understand exactly what you mean and want to achieve. They take the time to check not only their own work, but your original. They ask you questions if they are not certain – all in order to optimize your communication!
You expand your sales area and use an automated program to translate your product description.
You are extremely pleased when your sales abroad grow exponentially. But then your Inbox overflows with complaints that the product does not live up to its description.
You find a cost-effective way to translate your company's global employee survey into 5 languages. After months of preparation, the results come in. The statistical evaluation reveals that the answers of one language skew in the opposite direction from every other language. This effectively makes your global survey results unusable and your boss is furious.
You get the point ... quality in translation matters. Here are some other scenarios.
You hire professionals to translate your global employee survey into 5 languages. Two translators ask you to double-check one question because it seems to be missing the word "not." You realize that this is indeed an omission and manage to catch the error before the English survey goes out to everyone in the company.
You find a tech-savvy language provider to translate your website.
She points out that, when double-checking a link, it opened another website with adult content. You are very relieved that your new site had not gone live yet!
These things point to the many advantages of hiring experienced language professionals. They do not just replace words, they strive to understand exactly what you mean and want to achieve. They take the time to check not only their own work, but your original. They ask you questions if they are not certain – all in order to optimize your communication!
