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Issue #17 www.interprenaut.com
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 Welcome to the latest issue of The Interpreter's Launch Pad. This newsletter is designed to bring resources, tips, and a bit of fun to the lives of professional interpreters. Fasten your seatbelts and prepare for countdown! |
 Q: Interprenaut, how do interpreters save lives?
A: Interpreters save lives all the time. There are lots of interpreting heroines and heroes in our midst, working everywhere from hospitals and clinics to conflict zones. Many interpreters help in times of disaster, and are out there right now in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, working side by side with first responders.
Are you signed up as a volunteer interpreter for emergency settings in your country? Interprenaut certainly is, and has been for many years. Preparedness is critical, so if you can help, make sure to contact your local relief worker organizations (such as the Red Cross) now, before a disaster takes place in your area. It's easy to sign up! Just contact them and let them know you're willing to help in the event that your life-saving interpreting skills are eventually needed.
 Do you have questions or issues of importance to the field of interpreting that you'd like to see Interprenaut address?
Send them along.
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 When an interpreter by any other name is not the same...
Last month, I mentioned that I would be traveling to 10 different cities in October to herald the arrival of Found in Translation ( Click here to see an online scrapbook from the tour). Since I am known primarily for my work with interpreters, I anticipated that several people would ask why the title of the book says "translation" instead of "interpreting." To my surprise, wherever I went, many people thanked me for this essay, as published in the most recent issue of the American Translators Association's Chronicle. The article is an exploration of the words that we use to describe ourselves and how they differ from the words used by the public at large. In reality, the distinction is not always as straight-forward as we might like. One very interesting comment came from Erandy Pacheco, whom I met in Michigan. She told me, "As I was reading, I also thought of how, once, when I had to defend myself in court from an attorney that wanted to play the incompetent-interpreter card in court as a legal strategy, I said 'the interpreter stands by her translation,' because I was afraid of the connotations of 'interpretation' you mention in the article." So many people came up to me and expressed appreciation for this piece that I thought I would share it with readers here from around the world who might not receive the magazine. You can download the full PDF version of the article as it appeared in the print magazine at the link above, or click here to access the online version. Thanks to the folks at the ATA for selecting it as the featured article. And as always, please send me your feedback. Do you have a resource you'd like to share with other interpreters? Send your ideas! |
 I recently had the chance to visit Peter Less and personally deliver a beautiful album full of words of gratitude from people all over the world. Now, I am sharing a video taken during my visit, during which he was looking at the album and taking in the many beautiful expressions of thanks that you sent. Every place I went, I told Peter's story, one of the most important stories in the book. Toward the very end of the tour, his story was shared on National Public Radio with millions of listeners, something that made me extremely happy, as it adds to his legacy. There is no better time to do a tribute than when a person is still here with us. Peter's daughters told me that your expressions of gratitude lifted his spirits and made him feel so appreciated. Even though he is in hospice care and with a breathing tube, that did not stop him from trying to open the door for me as I left. He also stayed at the door, waving goodbye, until the very last moment I was in view. I am so honored to share his legacy, and I lost track of the number of people who came up to me to tell me they would have never known about his amazing story otherwise. Thank you for helping to celebrate Peter Less, one of the true heroes of the field. Is there an interpreter from your country or field with a remarkable story to tell? Send your suggestions for inspiring interpreters you'd like to see featured here.
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 Terms and Phrases that Trip Up Even the Best Interpreters
Last month, I asked interpreters to share some of the tricky words and phrases that had caused them to stumble recently. Here are some of the ones that your colleagues shared:
"Partizipativer Workshop" (German into English) At a conference two weeks ago, the best I could come up with was "highly interactive workshop." Basically, it means that participants play an active role in the workshop instead of being on the receiving end of a classroom-style lecture. Any other ideas out there?  "I need your John Hancock right there..." (English into Spanish) I just said, "I need your signature there". I let the receptionist and patient know there was not a good equivalent for that in Spanish, but I explained to the patient who John Hancock was and that it was a U.S. expression. My question to the group is if there is an equivalent to John Hancock that would make sense in this context? "Attachment disorder" (English into Spanish) I explained it as "el trastorno de no poder demostrar cari�o. Luckily the provider followed right away with a good explanation. Otherwise, I probably would have back peddled asking for more clarification. "I think you have a bug." (English into Spanish) In my 3 years doing medical interpreting, I'd never heard a doctor use a slang term as the diagnosis for an illness. Since the doctor had previously mentioned that this is the time of year for viruses, I interpreted "bug" as "virus." But it initially "threw me for a loop" (another term I've had to interpret). If you have feedback about these terms and phrases, please send them, and I'll be glad to pass them along or share them in a future newsletter. |
Take This Month's Poll and Automatically Be Entered for a
Chance to Win a Signed Copy of FOUND IN TRANSLATION
 What Do You Think of the Word "Terp?"
I've seen many conference interpreters refer to themselves this way. On the other hand, military interpreters often tell me that this term is negative. What do you think?
Your name and identifying information will never be shared without your permission.
Do you have a question you'd like to get input on from colleagues around the world?
Send me your suggested topics for next month's feedback section. |
 Medicine in Translation: Journeys with My Patients
 There are so many books about conference interpreting in comparison to other areas of the field, such as medical interpreting. So, I was happy to see this book from Danielle Ofri, which includes all kinds of interesting stories about cultural differences in health care practices.
However, what is even scarier is the number of times professional interpreters are not used in the stories recounted throughout the book. The book is full of many tales of family members interpreting for patients, revealing just how far there still is to go to help providers understand why using professional interpreters is so important. Still, this book is an interesting resource and certainly has some interesting anecdotes related to medical interpreting and cross-cultural health care.
Do you have a book you'd like to recommend to Interprenaut? Send your suggestions.
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 New York City Residents Saw the Sign, and It Opened Up Their Eyes
During times of disaster, the vital role interpreters play at times becomes clear even to the general public. Case in point: in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, the mayor of New
 | The world loves interpreters, including Lydia Callis!
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York City appeared on television with an interpreter, Lydia Callis, who has become a veritable phenomenon in the United States. People are often mesmerized by sign language interpreters, but in this case, as millions of people were glued to every word, she stood out even more. Check out this video from the Daily Beast / Newsweek to get a sense of why New Yorkers, Americans, and people throughout the world were so intrigued by Bloomberg's interpreter.
What are your favorite interpreting-related videos?Share them and they may be featured in a future issue. |
 Howard University Interpreting Program
When attending a conference recently, I was delighted to learn more about the important program for simultaneous interpreting at Howard University, one of America's historically black universities. The certificate program trains interpreters in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Swahili, Arabic, and Haitian Creole.
 The faculty and students at Howard have managed to meet with and discuss the importance of simultaneous interpreting with an impressive number of business leaders, including Bill Gates of Microsoft and Eric Schmidt of Google. You can read more information about Dr. Marilyn Sephocle, the German professor who started the program, and who speaks nine languages, here.
Do you know of an interpreter or group of interpreters of interest to others?
Share it and help your colleagues stay connected to the interpreting community.
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 Stop... Wait a Minute Mr. Postman! Interpreters are found in all kinds of interesting places. But did you know that even the mail might not run on time without interpreters? I was intrigued to
 | What the mailman sees in Nunavut
(stop sign in English and Inuktitut)
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learn that 2,400 delegates from 192 nations relied on a team of 40 interpreters recently in Qatar, at the World Congress of the Universal Postal Congress.
Interpretation services were provided in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.
Do you have an interesting story, example, or bit of news about interpreting that you would like to share with others?
Email it so that interpreters around the world can find out about it!
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 Ready for launch? Before you head into orbit, please observe the following pre-launch announcements from Mission Control...
Just look how far Interprenaut has traveled!
Each month, Interprenaut visits thousands of interpreters all over the world! If you live in a country that is not listed here, send in your mailing address via email to receive a postcard via regular mail.  A new book that's all about you! Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World, published by Perigee/Penguin USA, is available at a bookstore near you. This book explores the many ways in which your work shapes society, everything from sports to entertainment, politics to religion, even love and war! Co-authored with Jost Zetzsche, this book will help your neighbors, friends, and clients see why translators and interpreters are essential. Read the advance praise for the book, and mark your calendar for the book tour! 
Subscribe and get a free telephone interpreting book! If this email was forwarded to you by a friend or colleague, why not sign up? Just click here to subscribe, or SMS (text) message the word INTERPRENAUT to 22828. All new subscribers will receive a free digital copy of the book, Telephone Interpreting: A Comprehensive Guide to the Profession. To purchase a hard copy of the book, click here. Your comments are welcome! Do you have a resource you'd like to share with your colleagues? A book you would like to see reviewed? An inspiring interpreter you believe should be featured? Email your suggestions, observations, and reactions. To see what readers are saying about Interprenaut, click here.    Connect with Interprenaut!
Find her on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn! |
"As serious as this storm is, Michael Bloomberg's frequent press conferences have also provided New Yorkers a legitimate reason to smile: Her name is Lydia Callis, and she's the mayor's official sign language interpreter."
-- New York Magazine
"I can say that my interpreter literally saved my life."
-- Vladimir Georgiev
"Never fear! Interpreters are here"
-- Interprenaut
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(C) 2012 Nataly Kelly www.interprenaut.com Issue #17
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