When business interpreters want to offer more

There are two categories of interpreters, the pure versions, the language and communication helpers, and the (impure?) version of which I belong, part pure, part offering additional "services". There is the bud of a timid but new conversation in the private nooks of the professional networks of freelancers stretching between French speaking countries and Japan.

The conversation you can't read is about how to stretch ones competences and service offering that goes beyond interpretation. The problem is that of positioning and the display of the competences offered. Clients have a fixed perception of what an interpreter's role is, that of a communication enabler, period. It fits well with what many interpreters consider themselves to be. It doesn't fit when you feel and want to offer value added services. But the wording, the self-presentation, the touting have been awkward, usually.

What about naming that profession? I bumped into a few examples, interpreter-consultant. Sounds French, like "interprète conseil", which actually refers to an interpreter cum specialist at coordinating many interpreters for a big event. We are not talking about this.

What about interpreter and .... something? A source of frustration for liaison interpreters, linked probably with the lack of professional communication, lack of (self) awareness is that more than one time, you get that businessman who has no experience doing business interpretation telling you what it is. When you don't create a professional discourse about your profession, you end up being ignored or leave the monopole of defining what and who you are to people that are not you and don't do what you do. In the best situation, they are clients. Usually they aren't and never will be.

Someone well intentioned, patronized the air the other day, suggesting to simply ditch the interpretation side and just highlight the business service helper/consultant/agent, whatever you want to call it. Dilute the interpretation service in the bigger picture of consulting. Was he right to suggest so? More on this at a later time.

Freelancing Expertise

I am reading Freelancing Expertise - Contract Professionals in the New Economy by Debra Osnowitz. It does not specifically cover interpretation, but it's right on the spot all the same for matters that matter for all independent contractors. It spells with clarity such key issues like "Performing expertise" with such subtitles like "Making impressions, conveying competence", encountering with new clients, exuding confidence, engendering trust, etc. It's absolutely not a how to book, but by enunciating the key tactics and issues that are the building blocks of personae making as a professional-self, it lists up the subjects of further studies and themes for presentations. In this regard, it is a must read essential book for thinking contract professionalism deeper.

Tuxedo

Happy New Years to readers and followers. Concerning the beef in the previous post, the situation is a perfect example of cultural gap that needs to be filed up, that is, taken care of by smoothing the potential misinterpretation. The misinterpretation here refers to the assumption that the listener is culturally unable to cope with direct interpretation without being shocked. The beef culture is of the universal type. It (ideally) practice open arms politics to whoever appreciates things as they must be appreciated : that bloody beef blue. Pitying the meat is an expression to suggest that it tastes better blue than well done. There is arrogance not meant in that way of seeing the world. I would translate by suggesting that it is common to eat it rather blue on these shores and that it may taste better, but I would add that having it well done is not a faux-pas. I would translate back that despite this, "I prefer it well done anyway." (me too!). And it was a little bit dry but delicious well done as well.

Tuxedo? What tuxedo? Or let's put it this way : what about the matter of the interpreter's attire? She must be "invisible", and make sure that her attire is not superior (of better quality!?) than those of the people around. Such was the recommendation recently thrown upon (not from an interpreter).  Is that so?

Rib steak

As a starter for 2011, here is an almost true issue of ethnocentrism and interpretation. You know the matter of universalism versus insularity. It is the very reason why in Japan you are asked after +20 years living there "how can you so masterly use chopsticks?". The "universal" version of this would be "how can't you still not master chopsticks after all these years (baby)?".

Now, here comes the meat of the real thing, and it will end up with a question that matters to interpreters, or let's say, anyone that would have had to interpret the scene granted an interpreter (between Japanese and French) were in demand. The location is an elegant French restaurant somewhere in a central plushy district of Paris. The issue is a matter of main dish, specifically of "côte de boeuf" (rib steak is it?). The garçon asks about how the Japanese guest wants the meat to be cooked. The Japanese guest answers "very well done", to what both one of the French guest and the garçon explicitely show disapproval at such show of bad taste, with unabashed remarks in mild tone (we are friends after all) that "it's a pity for the beef!".

If the garçon were Greek, you would have heard a series of "poi, poi, poi" with a sad face. The French garçon better behaved than the average just shows laughty grievance. What's the fuss? Only Barbarians would order a rib steak well done, which should read "overcooked" in the universal acknowledgment that rib steaks are to be eaten blue or nothing.

No well or badly educated Japanese would ever think or dare and suggest that your request for a well done rib steak suggests you are seriously lacking culture. But here still for a few days, just like when you visit the French consulate in Tokyo, a dash of gentle belittlement, cool scorn, is part of daily interaction "comme il faut".

Now, you are the interpreter and you are not allowed to shut up because the Japanese guest has noticed something got weird with the request of having the rib steak well done and more. The question is : what and how do you manage the situation? The garçon won't wait so hurry up - and don't suggest to switch to fish. I had fish, and it was .... well you know, coming from Japan, you seldom get impressed with fish elsewhere outside Nippon.