When I Was an Interpreter

Communication can be very difficult and frustrating for foreigners who immigrates to the United States later in life, and unable to grasp the ability to learn the English language.  My mother is a prime example.  She came to the United States while in her mid-forties. No matter how hard she tried, she just could not hone down the English language. During my youth (which took place after I was educated enough to be bilingual in both the Khmer and English language), I remember I had to translate for my mother pretty much everywhere we went. At the time, I thought the task was unpleasant and would try to get out of it whenever possible. As luck would have it, I was not very successful.

I remember I had a strong aversion to being the interpreter for my mother. I remember how I absolutely hated it when I couldn't find the right word-for-word translation. Anyone who speaks more than one language knows what I'm talking about; there's rarely an exact word-for-word translation. I remember being totally irritated by the daunting task because all I wanted to do was be a kid and hang out with my friends. In retrospect, I'm not sure how my mother would have gotten by without an interpreter. She knew only a few basic words of English (and still does to this day). One can only say, "Hello. I'm fine," and "thank you"  so many times in a conversation.

Looking back, I'm glad that I was able to be my mother's interpreter even when I drudged the task. I can't imagine being in a foreign country and not able to communicate. Now, as an adult, I won't hesitate to help others who are in similar situation as my mother.  However, with that being said, I will always be glad to see a professional interpreter because more likely than not, I will end up adding new words to my ever growing word bank. In my opinion, it never hurts to increase one's vocabulary, especially when translating from one language to another.

(Read my other post, The Importance of Adequate Translation, and watch a short comedy video).