So You Want to be an Interpreter?
While sitting on their couches stuffing a bag of potato chips in their face and polishing off their third Mountain Dew these people surely think, "I could do that."Guess what? You can"t.
Do you ever have trouble talking on the phone to one person while another person is blabbering away in your free ear?
It"s kind of like that, except in different languages.
It takes a special breed to be a professional interpreter. Years of education to accurately and efficiently take information in one language and immediately spit it out in another is just the beginning. In addition to the formal interpretation education, firms like U.S. Translation Company also require linguists to:
a) Be a native of the target language (i.e. if the target language is German, the interpreter must speak German as their native language.)
b) Frequently travel to this native country, if not currently living there.
c) Be Certified (United Nations, Federal or State court systems, etc.)
d) Have five years of professional, paying experience MINIMUM.
Professional translation service companies do this to ensure the quality and professionalism that clients expect and require.
When searching for qualified interpreters, many times it"s not enough to meet the standards that companies like USTC require.
For example, an event coordinator needs an interpreter in Beijing to translate from English to Chinese in a specialized field like say, Drag Racing.
Most Chinese citizens won"t understand terms like "burn-out," "laying rubber," and "git-r-done." The interpreter used for an event like this has to have experience with the cars, tracks, and common terms dealing with Drag Racing, and then find an equivalent term that the target audience will understand ð€“ all in a matter of seconds.
Talk about pressure, especially when hundreds if not thousands of people are relying on your words to understand the proper procedure for smoking your tires before a race.
If you still think you have what it takes, there are several universities in the U.S. and abroad that have Interpreting Degrees in various specialties. A reputable organization like the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators(NAJIT) -- can provide valuable resources and give you an idea of what"s required for admissions.
Look into it; see what you think, and good luck. You"re going to need it.