| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: Have you ever interpreted/translated in an unexpected emergency situation? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
| A long time ago... | May 15, 2007 |
...in my career as tour guide, I had taken my group of French and English speakers to Delphi and we were standing next to the Castalia basin, where pilgrims went through a "purification" process, before visiting the sanctuary of Apollo, in ancient times.
The Castalia basin receives water from a spring on mount Parnassus and is located at the base of two very high perpendicular rocks. It would have been very impressive at the time, hewn into the rock, with marble lion heads sprouting... See more ...in my career as tour guide, I had taken my group of French and English speakers to Delphi and we were standing next to the Castalia basin, where pilgrims went through a "purification" process, before visiting the sanctuary of Apollo, in ancient times.
The Castalia basin receives water from a spring on mount Parnassus and is located at the base of two very high perpendicular rocks. It would have been very impressive at the time, hewn into the rock, with marble lion heads sprouting crystal clear water into a large basin.
I was giving them the tour, in two languages, and explained that they should not try to get up on the rock to look at the basin, because it's surface had been work slick with hundreds or years of visitors' feet.
Lo and behold, a lady walks up, slips and dives, head first, into the [empty] basin. She was there with her teenage son, who I had to leave behind with the rest of the group, while I took the wounded lady to the hospital in Amfissa, half an hour away in the valley. I had to explain to her what was being done to help her (taxi ride to the hospital, surgery to stitch her up and translate for the surgeon, who was doing his practice year, fresh out of university) plus ease her mind about her son, who I had to see right afterwards and reassure him that his mother was hurt but well and he could go and see her. His father (her husband had lost his life in a car wreck the year before).
Nerve wracking, the whole situation, but I am glad to say, everyone survived!
[Edited at 2007-05-15 08:29]
[Edited at 2007-05-15 11:27]
[Edited at 2007-05-15 11:29] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Yassen Tounev 
Bulgaria
Local time: 12:22
English to Bulgarian
+ ...
| Paper factory visit | May 15, 2007 |
At the end of my business day at the office, a client called on the mobile and asked me, if I could take an emergency interpreting assignment in Plovdiv, a town 250 km away from Sofia, our capital. As she explained, the assignment concerned interpreting in several directions between English, Russian and Bulgarian during a site visit of English-speaking and Russian -speaking experts to a paper factory in a small town near Plovdiv. The Russians had to arrive the same evening to Sofia Airport fro... See more At the end of my business day at the office, a client called on the mobile and asked me, if I could take an emergency interpreting assignment in Plovdiv, a town 250 km away from Sofia, our capital. As she explained, the assignment concerned interpreting in several directions between English, Russian and Bulgarian during a site visit of English-speaking and Russian -speaking experts to a paper factory in a small town near Plovdiv. The Russians had to arrive the same evening to Sofia Airport from Moscow, and the client told me to be at the airport in two hours, where a car from the paper factory waited for the Russian group in order to take them and me to Plovdiv. So I immediately called my wife on the phone and told her to prepare my luggage. What rush it was... Anyway, I managed to reach the airport before the arrival of the flight from Moscow (it appeared it was delaying 2 hours). The mini bus from the factory waited for us, so we arrived to Plovdiv at about two in the morning. I slept just four hours, because at 8 o'clock we had to travel to the factory. My interpreting job started from the breakfast at the hotel.
So we arrived to the factory at about 9.30, and there was a safety briefing first (I had to interpret the safety instructions both to Russian and English consecutively), then we were all given helmets , orange dungarees and jackets , and started our site visit.
We climbed cellulose digestors and recovery boilers, we inspected the paper-making machines to the last bolt, even entering the space under them. We climbed the recovery kiln, where the ambient temperature at the top was about +75 C. At the ent we all were totally exhausted. And there was interpreting in all directions. Both English and Russian speaking engineers asked lots of questions to Bulgarian engineers and workers. Fortunately, when I had problems with some terms, engineers from all parties helped me. There was a wonderful friendly atmosphere. I learned a lot about paper industry during this visit.
Anyway, after the visit we were taken to a nice Bulgarian restaurant in Plovdiv and everyone enjoyed our wonderful wines and cuisine. The next day we made a tour of the old Plovdiv and turned back to Sofia.
The experience was rally unforgettable. ▲ Collapse
| | | | LJC (X)
France
Local time: 11:22
French to English
+ ...
| Car accident | May 15, 2007 |
I was driving to the supermarket when I passed a road accident with the fire brigade in attendance. I noticed that the car was British registered so I stopped to offer my services in case the people involved didn’t speak French. They didn’t, and none of the firemen spoke English.
Although the front passenger had no visible injuries, she was extremely worried that her back and/or neck were injured. She was terrified they were going to move her and she couldn’t explain wher... See more I was driving to the supermarket when I passed a road accident with the fire brigade in attendance. I noticed that the car was British registered so I stopped to offer my services in case the people involved didn’t speak French. They didn’t, and none of the firemen spoke English.
Although the front passenger had no visible injuries, she was extremely worried that her back and/or neck were injured. She was terrified they were going to move her and she couldn’t explain where it hurt because she didn’t dare move her arms to show them, and the firemen had not attempted to remove her from the car because they weren’t sure what her possible injuries were. So when I arrived I was able to explain what the problem was and they could then proceed to get her out of the car onto a stretcher and into the ambulance in the appropriate way. This took quite some time and I stayed with her, all the time communicating back and forth. The driver, although apparently uninjured, was in shock and was fitted with a collar as a precaution against whiplash. I sat in the ambulance with them and explained where they were going and what would happen to their car (which was a write-off).
They were then driven extremely slowly to hospital and I went on my way after having given them my card in case they needed me again.
Some time later, I received an email from the lady thanking me for all my help. She said she was so grateful that I’d stopped because she’d been absolutely terrified and hadn’t known what was going on. It turned out that her spine wasn’t damaged and she was ok.
[Edited at 2007-05-15 11:18] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | hair emergency | May 15, 2007 |
On a lighter note, but some people might consider this an emergency...
I was at the hairdresser's when a young woman and her mother burst in. Turns out the young woman was a fashion model from New York on holiday and had been called in for a job. She had to get root touch-ups to her colour job, and a specific cut, but she also had extensions, so it was complicated. So I spent the next while (waiting for my colour job ... See more On a lighter note, but some people might consider this an emergency...
I was at the hairdresser's when a young woman and her mother burst in. Turns out the young woman was a fashion model from New York on holiday and had been called in for a job. She had to get root touch-ups to her colour job, and a specific cut, but she also had extensions, so it was complicated. So I spent the next while (waiting for my colour job to set) translating back and forth between the model and the hairdresser.
Fun thing was, the next time I went to the hairdresser's, she brought out an Elle magazine and there was our model, with great hair, I might add. ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 11:22
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Had to fill in once on a simultaneous translation | May 15, 2007 |
... for another translator who took ill (probably from intense overwork) after the morning session during a phytosanitary conference. I had only about 30 minutes to prepare the 3 20 minute specialist subjects, and like to think I did not too badly on 2 of them, but the third one was about nematodes in lettuce etc which I hadn't prepared at all, and to make matters worse, the speaker was asked to shorten his presentation to 10 m¡nutes, which he did by going at a furious pace... I just hope there... See more ... for another translator who took ill (probably from intense overwork) after the morning session during a phytosanitary conference. I had only about 30 minutes to prepare the 3 20 minute specialist subjects, and like to think I did not too badly on 2 of them, but the third one was about nematodes in lettuce etc which I hadn't prepared at all, and to make matters worse, the speaker was asked to shorten his presentation to 10 m¡nutes, which he did by going at a furious pace... I just hope there weren't too many people using the headphones for that one... for me it was a total nightmare! ▲ Collapse
| | | | David Earl
United States
Local time: 03:22
German to English
| Twice...so far | May 15, 2007 |
This is perhaps not as enjoyable or surprising as some of the others, but....
The first one was just at the point that I was starting to think of translation as a full-time career. The agency I was working with got a 50-page job for a some land sales contracts, due in two days @ noon. I said, well, I'm not sure...I be new...but I think I can do 20 pages. The agency said, we'll send you one contract and go from there. When I got a look at it, I was happy that I had said one contract,... See more This is perhaps not as enjoyable or surprising as some of the others, but....
The first one was just at the point that I was starting to think of translation as a full-time career. The agency I was working with got a 50-page job for a some land sales contracts, due in two days @ noon. I said, well, I'm not sure...I be new...but I think I can do 20 pages. The agency said, we'll send you one contract and go from there. When I got a look at it, I was happy that I had said one contract, because it wasn't quite German...25 pages of Austrian. But with two days to find terms, etc., ok...got it done and turned in at 4a on the deadline day.
I wasn't expecting much that day, so I decided that I could power through and get my schedule back on track.
8a the agency calls, "The translator for the other contract only completed 4 pages. Could you do the rest?" A little back & forth, with some deadline extension, and I turned in the 2nd contract and a couple of letters (also part of the job) at 5:30 that evening. All told, it was 40 hours running. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Many many times... | May 15, 2007 |
...but the most memmorable one was the 7 hour interpreting during the "routine" police control when travelling by bus from Spain to Poland. 7 hours spent in the middle of nowhere, with a "nice" Spanish july sun burning everything which standed on its way.
M.
| | | | | Tsunami 2004 | May 15, 2007 |
I live in Krabi, Thailand and I spent the 26th and 27th of December 2004 interpreting between the injured, the half-dead and the dead and the doctors and nurses on duty in the ER at Krabi Hospital.
The helicopters flew in the injured from Phi-Phi Island until 03:00 on Monday morning. There were many moments that night when I realized the limitation of words in the face of utter pain and desperation.
| | |
|
|
|
| I answered "No", but come to think of it, I have | May 15, 2007 |
Last time I passed through Amsterdam Airport I had to translate the Dutch ingredients on a packet of biscuits for a fellow traveller. She afterwards explained that she was allergic to milk, and had to find out if the biscuits contained any milk before she bought them. This information was provided to me when I reached the ingredient "milk powder".
Well, the young lady couldn't buy the biscuits, and I meanwhile queued to pay for my Easter eggs, when suddenly she was behind me in the ... See more Last time I passed through Amsterdam Airport I had to translate the Dutch ingredients on a packet of biscuits for a fellow traveller. She afterwards explained that she was allergic to milk, and had to find out if the biscuits contained any milk before she bought them. This information was provided to me when I reached the ingredient "milk powder".
Well, the young lady couldn't buy the biscuits, and I meanwhile queued to pay for my Easter eggs, when suddenly she was behind me in the queue again, "What do the ingredients on this packet say?" She was lucky - there was no milk powder in the second packet of biscuits, so she queued up behind me to pay for them.
Astrid ▲ Collapse
| | | | Odette Grille (X)
Canada
Local time: 05:22
English to French
+ ...
Hi,
The first time I was hired to interpret at a conference about japanese cars...The person who read the introduction speech had such a strong japanese accent that everybody thought he was speaking japanese. So I put down my headset and waited.
The organiser came to me and asked me with a smile how I was doing. I answered °« but he is speaking japanese, isn't he ? »
The man laughed and said « No. He is speaking english, but nobody understands...»
So I put... See more Hi,
The first time I was hired to interpret at a conference about japanese cars...The person who read the introduction speech had such a strong japanese accent that everybody thought he was speaking japanese. So I put down my headset and waited.
The organiser came to me and asked me with a smile how I was doing. I answered °« but he is speaking japanese, isn't he ? »
The man laughed and said « No. He is speaking english, but nobody understands...»
So I put the headset back on and strained to catch a few words... I figured it was a basic welcome speech so... I more or less made up a patchwork welcome speech in French from the few words I thought I recognised....
Phew ! I was young and daring back then !
Everybody was very happy, especially the French who were apparently the only ones getting something out of it ! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Odette Grille (X)
Canada
Local time: 05:22
English to French
+ ...
| More stressful | May 16, 2007 |
Interpreting at the international police conference in Calgary, back in 76-77
The interpretor for French to English (sitting beside me in the booth) put his headphone on my head as he could not understand a word of the Belgian French the orator was using...So I had to translate from French to English, all the while looking at my colleague for confirmation...I had just finished my turn (from English to French) and when I came out of that booth, I was stoned, literally ! I could not f... See more Interpreting at the international police conference in Calgary, back in 76-77
The interpretor for French to English (sitting beside me in the booth) put his headphone on my head as he could not understand a word of the Belgian French the orator was using...So I had to translate from French to English, all the while looking at my colleague for confirmation...I had just finished my turn (from English to French) and when I came out of that booth, I was stoned, literally ! I could not focus on what people were saying anymore...I think I had a stupid grin on my face for a while. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tony M
France
Local time: 11:22
Member
French to English
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER | Not real 'emergencies', but still... | Jun 3, 2007 |
I've often helped out interpreting for English (and once Ducth!) motorists I've seen broken down by the roadside, and once had a surrela experience where my FR neighbour rang me on her mobile to get me to help some NL motorists she'd found stranded; we had a bizarre conversation with the phone being passed back and forth, and I ended up calling out the breakdown garage on the landline and then calling back on the mobile to confirm.. it all got very complicated!
I also get rop... See more I've often helped out interpreting for English (and once Ducth!) motorists I've seen broken down by the roadside, and once had a surrela experience where my FR neighbour rang me on her mobile to get me to help some NL motorists she'd found stranded; we had a bizarre conversation with the phone being passed back and forth, and I ended up calling out the breakdown garage on the landline and then calling back on the mobile to confirm.. it all got very complicated!
I also get roped in to help out in medical situations with ex-pats at the phramacy, and sometimes even for their hospital/dental appointments.
The most fun I had in an impromptu situation was sharing the interpreting task in a quadri-lingual group conversation aboard a pleasure boat on the Venice Lido, with French, German, Italian, and English, where I was the only person who spoke more than 1½ languages. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2] | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: Have you ever interpreted/translated in an unexpected emergency situation? | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
| | Anycount & Translation Office 3000 | Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
