Kwintessential Latin America

According to an article from Monday’s Los Angeles Times, mastering specific subject matter is becoming increasingly important in both translation and interpretation. The piece cites the example of Abigail Dahlberg, who has made a career for herself in the previously unlikely combination of waste management and German-English translation. She has even acquired a nickname linked to her speciality: ‘Trash Girl.”

“’There is a wealth of knowledge and background you need in your area of specialty’” explains Dahlberg in Tina Susman’s article.

It is too often assumed that because a person speaks two languages, he or she can translate just about anything. Take it from someone who knows – a psychiatrist friend once asked me if I could orally translate a 25-page article about neurology from English into French for him. “I think it’ll take just about half an hour,” he told me.

I had my doubts, which turned out to be well-founded: I couldn’t even begin to understand the first page in English, my native language, let alone translate it into French. I definitely wasn’t in my niche!

Finding a translator is one thing, finding the right translator for your specific needs is another. That’s where language service providers come in.