http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/03/28/interpreters_help_bridge_cultures/
When Toyota’s president, Akio Toyoda, testified before Congress last month about dangerous defects in many of the Japanese automaker’s popular vehicles, a crucial person was at his side: an interpreter, who carefully translated his apologies and explanations.
The translator’s job, interpreting Toyoda’s statements from Japanese to English, was vital because Toyoda’s words had to be translated correctly, keeping in mind their cultural context.
“A good interpreter is practically able to read a person’s mind and understand not just the language, but the intention behind the words,’’ says Mayumi Lincicome, a Japanese-English interpreter who has worked for museums, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, telecommunications clients, and other organizations. “An interpreter acts as a bridge between two cultures, conveying ideas and concepts between languages.’’
Interpreting and translating are different professions: interpreters deal with spoken words, translators with written words; many language specialists do both. Lincicome started out as a Japanese language teacher at the college level but decided to strike out as a freelancer.
Early in her career, she acted as an interpreter when a Hokkaido delegation visited Boston in 1993 as part of a sister-state relationship between the Commonwealth and Japan’s northern island prefecture. These assignments gave her more and more experience and aptitude, and she became an indispensable interpreter for clients such as the Boston Museum of Fine Arts when it opened a branch in Nagoya.
“Interpretation is a skill that needs constant practicing, just like tennis,’’ says Lincicome, who came to the United States in 1978, after meeting her husband, who is an American, in Japan.
While demand for interpreters of romance languages, such as French or German, has declined, the State Department and the military have labeled Japanese a critical or strategic language, along with Russian, Chinese, Hindu, Urdu, and Korean. As the global economy and foreign service opportunities expand, employment opportunities for translators and interpreters are expected to increase 22 percent by 2018.
Why did you want to become an interpreter?
When I was a child in Japan, I’d see interpreters on TV with foreign dignitaries or musicians, and they were always so beautiful. They’re like little stars of their own accord. I thought it was such a cool job although I never thought I’d be able to do it myself.
What’s the most challenging part of the job?
Work comes from all different fields, and you need to understand the terminology. For example, I did some interpreting for a theoretical electrical engineering company. There were a lot of technical terms involved, so I had to cram, creating my own glossary and quickly grasping the basic principles involved so I could accurately convey the concepts and ideas being expressed.
How do you practice your English?
I read a lot, and often I listen to NPR in the car for practice, constantly thinking about how I would say the words in Japanese. I’ll “shadow’’ the narrator on the radio, follow exactly what he’s saying, and repeat it in Japanese.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in getting into this occupation?
Sharpen your skill by doing translation work, converting written text from one language to another, which requires 100 percent accuracy. This will heighten your sense of vocabulary. Be curious and proactive, and create your own methodology to improve your language skills.
Have you lost your accent?
Japanese is the furthest language away from English or the Germanic languages. The word order is so different, and there are so many sounds that the Japanese don’t have. So I still can’t shake my accent, but it’s only very slight now, after years in the United States.
© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.
コメント