Occupational hazards (not for the squeamish)
There are relatively few occupational hazards for us translators. Sore throats for the interpreters. The potential of a major case of carpal tunnel syndrome.
One particular side effect for me? As someone who translates a fair share of agriculture documents, I end up learning certain things about which I would rather never have learned anything:
One particular side effect for me? As someone who translates a fair share of agriculture documents, I end up learning certain things about which I would rather never have learned anything:
- To this day, I know of at least three particular names to refer to manure from specific animals: guano, gallinaza, lombricompost (bats, chickens, worms).
- Certain practices related to raising poultry, such as debeaking. I'll spare you, dear reader, the details, but ew.
- Some of the diseases and pests that can affect plants, and the measures taken to control these.
Lack of squeaishness should have been listed in my job description. How do medical translators cope?
posted by jo-hanna at
12:59 PM
1 Comments:
wow, I AM a Medical Interpreter and I have been asking myself the same question lately: How do we cope? But it's the same with any medical profession. The things that we deal with (sickness, transplant, surgeries, death, etc) on a daily basis are the most impactint things that will happen in the lives of each person we see. Sometimes I don't like the fact that I can be "numb" to the pain of certain situations. However, there is no way that anyone in the medical field could allow themselves to feel the full impact of each situation and remain sane. A certain level of numbness is required. As an interpreter, we do have an interesting relationship with the patients, though. We are their link to everyone they speak to in the hospital. They rely on us and our long-term care patients can become very dependent on us. And we run the risk of becoming too attached to the patients. There's a lot to think about, but at the end of the day, I still know that there is no other job I would rather be doing now.
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Christina, at 12:21 PM
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