The Oral Interpreting Exam has been taken

My appointment for the Oral Interpreting Exam for the Certification of Court Interpreters was earlier this morning. How did I do? Honestly?

I have no idea. I left the examination site in a combination of an euphoric state and a shell-shocked one.

I still can't believe it. And I don't get to find out the results until December. I don't even know if it is early December or late December.

But at least I can now watch TV without practicing my simultaneous translation skills. "¡No... debo.. comerle.. el... cerebro... a.. mi hijo!".

No, I am not translating that. I am not on the clock.

I got credit!

So, for no good reason, I use Google to search myself. Among the sites that list my name, KidAngel Foundation, a nonprofit for which I volunteered my translation services has listed my name and given me credit for my work.

Newcomers to the translation industry may consider volunteering their translation services. Let's forget for a minute that it will give you valuable experience. It also entails feeling good about doing good work, .

Practicing for the exam

My oral exam for certification as a court interpreter is in 9 days. Nine days of practicing, studying, and worrying, worrying, worrying.

I have had some practice sessions for consecutive translations during the past few days. I have noticed how often my hands want to participate in the translation process. I have to remind myself that I am not competing in a charades tournament.

I am also studying my glossary and learning all sorts of vulgar terms for bodily functions and the like. It is hard to believe that studying all these cusswords is a valid use for my time.

Things I need to worrry about, things I don't

Things I worry about that I probably shouldn't:

• The conclusions to which other people arrive when they see me.
• The prospect of nerves overcoming me at the oral interpreter test and making me vomit all over the judging panel.

Things I don't worry about even though I should:

• Making sure I take the time to study for the test.
• Doing the laundry so that not a single member of my household is forced to go to work/school wearing a Halloween costume even though it is not Halloween.
• That my larder contains food that could actually be used for cooking a meal. No, chips and salsa do not count.

Nine hundred and ninety-nine pieces

This was not the post I wanted to write.

I wanted the cyber equivalent of a dance of joy. As I found out yesterday, the score on my written test (passing is 70%; I scored 95%) qualified me to take the oral test for court interpreters later this month.

After doing an Internet search, I found an article with tips for preparing for the oral test. It consists of three parts: sight translation, consecutive translation, and simultaneous translation. The article suggested reading news and practicing translating these. So far, so good.

So, I log on to cnn.com. By now, we all now that on Monday, a truck driver went into a one-room schoolhouse in an Amish community and shot several young schoolgirls. For some reason, I logged on to an interview with an official describing the events. And I tried to interpret, in a simultaneous fashion, the way the articles describe. If you find a word you don't understand, skip it and move on. Don't add, don't leave out information. Be professional and keep an emotional distance.

Even if your heart breaks into 999 pieces.