Hello Eva,

Roberta Menchú (Nobel Peace Prize recipient) will be speaking at Napa Valley College on May 5^th from 5-8 PM. The College is looking for someone to interpret for Miss Menchú as her usual interpreter is not available. Is this something that may be of interest to you?  Please let me know.

As I read her message, I could not believe it! I know who Ms. Menchú is…

First of all, I thought “Are you kidding me?,” but then I felt humbled by the fact that Sara thought I could undertake such an assignment: The fact that she thought of me as a “good-enough” interpreter to help Ms. Menchú made my day. By all means, I am not putting myself down, saying in anyway I am not a good interpreter, but I take my profession seriously, and this was an important assignment with a known personality. I never take my job for granted, and I always feel excited when I am thought of for any assignment, let it be translation or interpreting.

I did not let myself think too much, as I usually do, and I replied to her e-mail right away:

I would be honored!

Well, I started thinking too much as soon as I sent that message. I had an internal dialogue in my head: Visualize the stereotypical situation of a person with the angel over one shoulder and the devil over the other. I was just telling myself all the good things that could come out of it, and, at the same time, all the things that could go wrong.

Not too long after, Sara wrote me back:

Wonderful, Eva. I know you’ll do a terrific job!  Your contact person is Martha. Good luck!

As simple as that! It was too late now to change my mind, and I had to give it a try. This does not mean I automatically was hired to interpret for Ms. Menchú. I got in touch with Martha and talked with her several times the next days after that, since they needed to find out my credentials and experience to make a determination if they would give me the job. I truly appreciated that and Martha’s professionalism.

Yes, I am saying that I was happy Martha and her staff knew their job and the importance of such an event to make sure a competent interpreter was hired.  I have worked as a translator/interpreter long enough to have seen how, many times, persons are hired to interpret and translate when they are not qualified. It’s happened to me plenty of times, just to give you an example, when I get calls to cover interpreting assignments, the person on the other end of the phone does not know me, and I am not even asked a few questions to determine if I’m, at least, bilingual. That could be another article, I guess.

I digress, but let me get back to the “interview process.” Martha even provided me with a link to a YouTube video that showed how Rigoberta worked with her long-time interpreter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irvq1CHPAvo

I watched the video, while I realized I would have to be next to Rigoberta on stage doing consecutive interpreting while she gave her speech, and I was not expecting that. This would certainly be the experience of a life-time, but I honestly have to say that I was quite nervous thinking about being such a focal point to the audience next to the key-note speaker.

Finally, Martha mentioned that her boss wanted to talk to me over the phone. We arranged the phone call for April 28^th in the morning, and I took that as being the final interview. I got the job that day.

The event was taking place the next Tuesday, May 5^th. I was provided with the event flyer, directions to the venue where the event would take place, and a campus map. Also, Martha pointed out to me the most convenient parking area so I could be close to the venue or even visit her office and she would walk me there. Now, this is what I call considerate and organized, Martha, great customer service! I was so nervous about such an interpreting job, but Martha was so pleasant and helpful that I felt so much better.

I arrived to Napa Valley College quite early that day. I met Martha and other staff from her office in person, right before the VIP Reception took place. In the meantime, I walked around the venue, and saw the two podiums on the stage. All of a sudden, I saw Rigoberta and her staff arriving and I proceeded to walk back to the Reception area to introduce myself to her as her  interpreter for the night, and ask Ms. Menchú if there was anything in particular she needed from me, since this was our first time working together. Her answer was “No,” and she mentioned to me that she was pretty flexible and everything should work out well.

I must say that I was very surprised at the level of security surrounding her. It was as if the Secret Service was there. I remember four gentlemen in suits, bodyguards with earpieces, and a lady assisting Ms. Menchú dressed like her in their traditional Guatemalan colorful attire. There was also another lady setting up a table with Rigoberta’s books and other things to be sold to those who were interested in purchasing them: We would all have the chance to get the books signed by her after the speech. Everybody wanted to have a picture taken with Rigoberta and talk with her. There were some journalists there as well.

The Reception time was over and it was time to go to the stage. The venue was full of people with so many attendants that they had to arrange more seating for the overflow audience. A few introductions and some welcoming words were said and it was time for Rigoberta to address everybody.

I had a notepad with me on the podium to take notes as Rigoberta was talking in Spanish, and then I would render the interpreting consecutively into English. I felt really conscious about my interpreting because a lot of people in the audience were bilingual, so I kept thinking about everybody checking on my rendition, but then I let go. For some reason, I also felt a little guilty because I was next to Ms. Menchú, at the same level, and I made a lot of eye-contact with the audience because I ended up interpreting mostly from memory and not relying so much on my notes, where I would have been reading more and looking down at the paper. I had asked the set-up staff to place my podium slightly behind Rigoberta’s, but then it was decided that my podium would be at the same level. Anyway, I felt I was the interpreter, her voice, and I just wanted to make sure I was in the background.

The audience was highly receptive of Rigoberta’s message about hope, endurance, and making a difference in the World.  When she finished, there was an incredible long line of people waiting to have their chance to meet Ms. Menchú and get their books and related items signed. I remember telling her still up on stage: “Rigoberta me ha hecho usted sudar,” and she smiled. As I felt an overall relief in my mind and body, I could not believe it was finally over.

Something really rewarding to me, besides the obvious fact of interpreting for the Nobel Peace Prize winner, was when a few people from the audience came to me and congratulated me on my interpreting: The bilingual audience was checking on me after all! It made me feel humble again, the same as when Sara contacted me for the assignment in the first place, and then very happy to know that I had done a good job.

Culprit

Yes, that’s my handwritting, I just couldn’t help it! I’m sure my fellow translators understand…

This is just one of the many materials in Spanish I see around when working as an interpreter anywhere in the country (U.S.A.)

I truly don’t go around as a private eye trying to get the culprit on the spot. I feel fortunate to be able to say that I am passionate about my job and profession as a translator/interpreter. Yes, it is my work, but it is also an interest of mine, so I am always looking around for materials translated in other languages because I want to learn more and I am always reading… I am also an eternal optimist and I keep hoping to find good translations out there!

Well, to the point again, I end up finding a lot of brochures, manuals, flyers, etc. with mistakes that make my insides turn, honestly.

What to do? Here are some ideas, and I have tried all of them:

1. Pick up the material in question and talk to somebody in the office where you find it to point out to them about the translation problems, after doing a general proofreading of the text so they may see some of the mistakes. I always do this very politely and take the time to explain the mistakes, if they give me the time, and take advantage of that opportunity to educate the public about translation. It may or may not work, as far as this going any further and eventually seeing a corrected version of that translation, but one has to try. I have had both experiences and,  I have to say, that is so rewarding when you see changes made.

2. Take some samples of the materials with translation problems, and write a letter to the  company, agency, or department who publishes them.  Again, tact and diplomacy are the key here. In my letters, I do not sound like an angry person complaining and insulting anybody’s intellect. I am taking the time to let them know about their materials because I feel, if I were them, and I am investing that money in providing translations of materials to my clients/customers, I would want them to be correct, right? Once again, it may or may not work, and I have had both happen to me, but when somebody contacts you about your letter, what a feeling! You never know, good things can come out of it, and they do: I ended up working as a translator with a company I wrote to about their materials.

3. The “chicken” approach, as I call it. I know how to pick my battles, and in some instances you just get the feeling that the staff at a particular office will probably not want to hear from you telling them about their translated materials. In those cases, I do as I did in the picture attached, where I get my pen out and make the correction, then I take a picture! Alright, call me a coward for not telling them directly, but, hey, I have my days, and I don’t always have the energy to fight for the cause… It is therapeutic for me to see that correction in plain sight for everybody to see, he, he.

Time for me to go for now, until the next time…

Thank you. Have a great day!

Eva Molina, M.A.