No long post today, just a couple of ideas for thought:
We've all seen bilinguals looking to get their "start" as interpreters. But my question is, who are they starting on? And what are they starting with?
All these thoughts tonight got started when I found where I'd written down a Cynthia Roat quote after hearing her speak at a medical interpreters' conference in Lexington, Ky. I put it here below, then leave you with that:
"The emergency room, the courtroom, these are not the places to be practicing!"
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They start at low paid jobs. Unfortunately often medical and legal interpreting start at $10 per hour. Just look for temp agencies ads, they often start at $10 per hour, especially in smaller towns. As I often say to my "uneducated" (equals customers, who so far didn't learn the hard way) customers - Buying translation is like buying a car, you usually get what you pay for. Luckily there are so many bad and cheap translators and interpreters, who work hard every day to educate their customers about the above fact of live, that if I meet "uneducated" customer, I often recommend them some "reliable" low cost providers, who educate them reliably and quickly. Most of people, who complain about no respect for translators/interpreters are those, who do not charge enough for their work to command respect. I never heard $500 per hour lawyer or surgeon complaining about no respect. If you charge less per hour than your plumber or car mechanic, do not complain than you have less respect than they do (smile).
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