" There, I worked part-time as a translator and interpreter. It was indeed a magnificent experience to work with members of this demanding theatrical profession. Every day was a constant surprise and a constant challenge to my linguistic abilities. I had to put works of great emotion, the off-stage as well as the on-stage monologues, of these fine actors into comprehensible form, structure, and prose for the delight and edification of others and for audiences of all ages.
This constant, daily, living act of translation also highlighted for me the delicate balance between subjectivity and objectivity in the art of translating another's words and thoughts into another language and cultural system of ideas. Beyond decoding the meaning of the source text or voice, and recoding it into the language and meaning of another text and voice, I learned that in the immediacy of life there is always an element between the distinct process of translation, which consists of transferring the words, meanings, and ideas expressed in writing from one language to another, as opposed to the nature of interpreting. Interpreting consists of transferring ideas expressed orally, and thus also encompasses the interpretation and use of the subject's gestures as well as the individual's words.
This is why, although interpreting can be considered a kind of subcategory or subspecialty of the process of translation from the point-of-view of analyzing the processes involved in translation studies, in practice the talents required for these two activities are quite different. My capacities as a translator had already been honed, but my capacities as an interpreter were stretched and developed through this part-time work. However, ultimately I believe that a strong capacity as an interpreter of culture and gestures only adds to one's credentials and abilities as a translator. Interpretation enables a translator...
For much as I enjoyed my tenure with the theatrical company, for me, even more gratifying than making the arts understandable is the ability to make the often difficult and frightening world of medicine and science comprehensible. To see my knowledge of a language bring comprehension, the understanding of the 'yes, I see,' or the 'a-ha' in the eyes of another is as satisfying as landing a well-spiked volleyball over the net, another of my favorite leisure time pursuits, or of hearing applause while standing on the stage.
My knowledge of technical subjects and fluency in the language of scientific technology has been honed through my computer knowledge and my proficiency in technical languages. I am fluent in Windows98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. Microsoft Applications such as Word, Excel, Access, Explorer, FrontPage, PowerPoint, Publisher, Photoshop, and I have a good knowledge of HTML programming and the languages involved in web design.
Translation, regardless of the language and the lexicon -- scientific, computer, medical, or artistic -- is about the conveyance of meaning as perfectly as possible into a language and a manner understandable to another person's language and lexicon. To be a translator is to be the human facilitator in the process of creating meaning and bridges between cultures. It is a skill I have performed in the past, and one that I hope to further sharpen and perfect, in school and in my professional life.
