The Curious Interpreter

In a prior blog, I wrote about the interpreter’s qualifications from a Human Resources perspective. Today I would like to share my thoughts as an interpreter and tell you about some ways I think we gain knowledge and experience, aside from formal education.

I’ve been an interpreter most of my life. My mother is an interpreter and translator, and from an early age, I was able to interact and observe interpreters work and carry on in their daily lives. I’ve met interpreters who had graduate studies, like my mother, and others who have gained their knowledge from independent study. From what I’ve observed over the years, all interpreters who excel in their profession, regardless of their level of formal education, have two qualities in common- an inquisitive mind and passion for the profession.

Interpreters are good listeners and attentive observers of the world surrounding them. In our daily lives, we encounter all sorts of new words and language usage. No matter where we go or what we’re doing, we are always curious about how to say things and how something works. After all, you never know when that knowledge will come in handy at a trial or a conference. Often, interpreters have worked in several fields and have picked up knowledge that will serve them when performing as conference or legal interpreters.

We are constantly adding new words and understanding to our mental database, information we’ll use to better perform when we’re interpreting. We read, travel, and talk to people about their lives, jobs and anything in between. Always gathering different jargon, idiomatic expressions, and technical information, interpreters also participate in professional training whether it is a requirement to maintain certification or not. However, I believe a great deal of professional growth also happens beyond formal training. This growth, as I said before, is fueled by an inquisitive mind and the love of language.

I hope you can comment on this post and share some of the ways you continuously nurture your professional growth. I’d like to share a couple of examples.

In early Summer I traveled to Mexico. While I was grocery shopping for my dad, I engaged in conversation with two women who were working at the store. I was buying eggs, and I asked them if the eggs were sold by the carton, weight, or by the piece. In Mexico, this can vary. I also asked what they called a carton of eggs. They gave me three different names! And I added this to my notes on the phone. I keep glossaries on my phone’s notes app. Writing words down helps me remember them.

During that visit, I also learned people in Colima don’t use an herb called Epazote or Spanish tea in their cooking. I was surprised to find out this herb which is so common in other areas was practically unknown there. And then I got curious about what it is called in English and added the name to my glossary.

In Colima, in my dad’s back yard, I also found wild peppers. Small, red, berry-like peppers called Chiltepines in central and northern Mexico, and Chilpayas in southern Mexico. In English, as far as my research took me, they are called by the Spanish name. My curiosity drove me to learn that all peppers in the world are offsprings of Mexican peppers, and the common ancestor of all peppers is this tiny, hot and flavorful wild pepper I discovered in my father’s backyard. I went online to research how to grow them and I’m now harvesting a second crop. I was also able to grow a particular variety of Epazote I enjoy.

Besides feeling happy with my gardening efforts, I picked up a few gardening terms in English and Spanish during my research. I sometimes interpret for gardening summits, and I’m sure these additions to my mental database will come in handy at some point.

I can’t think of another profession where no matter what you’re doing, you’re on a permanent pursuit of knowledge whether in formal academic settings or in everyday life. Interpreters are, without a doubt, curious lifelong learners.

Reme Bashi has been a certified court interpreter in Wisconsin since 2008. She began her career as an interpreter and translator in Mexico, at the University of Veracruz, where she majored in pedagogy. Being bilingual in English and Spanish lead her to language teaching and then to translation and interpreting. She was a conference interpreter for several years, interpreting for the media and government events in Mexico.

 In the Midwest, Bashi has interpreted in a variety of settings – education, manufacturing, legal, and community. When she’s not interpreting, she likes to learn about new subjects, something that she considers pivotal to becoming a more proficient language access professional. Recently she has immersed herself in hospitality, urban gardening, and ancestry research. Contact: reme_sullivan@yahoo.com