The Accidental Interpreter
This picture was taken in Brasilia, on Tuesday, March 17, 1992. It shows the exact moment when I became an interpreter. The gentleman in a light suit is congressman Ibsen Pinheiro. Sitting diagonally from him is His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. I am the young guy in the middle. Yup. The one […]
Are You The Best of the Best?
“Welcome to the largest multilingual summit this office has ever organized. Congratulations on making it here. You are the best of the best.” With these words, the chief interpreter of a top international organization greeted a team of 70 interpreters in Washington, D.C. Gathered around the u-shaped table, they were briefed on the Summit they would […]
5 Detox Strategies for Multilingual Professionals
Jerome, the illustrious theologian and linguist we celebrate as the patron saint of translators, may have been canonized after his death, but while he trudged the earth his temper was rather unsaintly. His knack for languages was rivaled only by a talent for attracting trouble and making adversaries, often going several rounds with them regarding […]
Think You Have an Edge? Think Again
Think You Have An Edge? Think Again In 1988, I was living in Constance, West Germany, as a graduate student. The Seoul Olympics were upon us. I would compromise on anything, as long as I didn’t miss the men’s 100-meter dash final, the long-awaited confrontation between the legendary Carl Lewis and the Jamaican turned Canadian […]