Fact: Based on the 2010 data, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics also project 58,400 translation and interpretation jobs available to translators and interpreters.

Question: How many professional translators and interpreters are out there to take the translation and interpretation jobs? Is being bilingual or multilingual enough to warrant a successful translation and interpretation project?

The story below is brought to you by Ringo Li, a conference interpretation student at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

I would like to share some insights based on my personal experience. I grew up speaking Mandarin and started learning English since elementary school. Later, I attended high school and college in the United States. I am a proficient bilingual, which opens up many doors for me. Yet, I can tell you that I am far from a qualified translator or interpreter.

Becoming a professional translator and interpreter often requires years of education and training. Experience is also a key element. Moreover, the language specialists’ expertise in specific fields such as medicine, business, technology, law or international relations can also increase success. These are some useful criteria for seeking quality language services. After all, quality work is what matters the most — a highly skilled translator or interpreter can always explain things clearly and accurately in another language.

Today’s world is filled with an overflow of information. When it comes to language services, there are numerous choices — but there are only a few reputable, quality providers. For best results, always look beyond mere bilingualism and multilingualism!

Monterey Language Services strives to provide the highest quality of translation and interpretation services. Please feel free to contact us for more information.

Picture source: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VZDVtyDFUtI/T2bRBkvu8YI/AAAAAAAABY8/wdBYOqxADIY/s1600/18GRAY-articleLarge-v2.jpg

The Thanksgiving Day can trace its origins back to 1620, when the pilgrims from Britain settled down in Plymouth, North America. Many pilgrims died or suffered hunger due to the harsh winter conditions. Fortunately, the Native Americans reached out their hands to help and teach the pilgrims to grow crops such as corn, pumpkins, and beans. To express their gratitude, the pilgrims invited the natives to a feast the next winter. This tradition has since then become the Thanksgiving Day, in which families reunite to share a feast and reiterate their gratefulness.

Have you ever wondered how the pilgrims and the natives communicate? If you think about it, it was amazing that they were able to communicate in a relatively primitive method as there was no computer or interpretation software back in the 1600s. Compared to them, our world today is much more advanced in terms of multi-lingual communication. According to the statistics, there are about 7 billion people in the world, and about less than half of them who speak more than one language.

Never Take Things for Granted
While we enjoy the fruits and convenience brought by translation tool, it is very easy to take things for granted and overlook the quality of the translation, which can be inconsistent or even inaccurate. After all, human beings created languages and only humans can master the art of translation and interpretation. So during this holiday, we would like to pay tribute to translators, interpreters, and language professionals who, through assisting with communication, have made our world a better place.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Monterey Language Services strives to provide the highest quality of translation and interpretation services. Feel free to contact us for more information.