We would love to share with you Iveta Kopankinas story. Share yours at masterword@masterword Quo vadis? – the crossroads. My name is Iveta Kopankina, and I am from Latvia, a small country by the Baltic Sea. Many years ago, when I was still a child, I knew nothing of politics, economy, taxes, bills, etc. However, I do remember (and very clearly) how I learned to speak English. I was 3-years-old and was taken to play with other children, who, like me, were learning to be multilingual. My first teacher was the daughter of a very famous professor, who worked with children who speak more than one language. I didn’t know anything about his credentials at the time but I was still very happy to meet other children. Since then, I have been viewing the world and the diversity of its cultures through the prism of three languages: Latvian, English, and Russian. Later in life, I discovered that there is a library in Old Riga (the capital of Latvia) that has books in English and I started attending school where most subjects were taught in English. I was simply happy to soak up as much information as I could. Have to note though, that soon I read all the books I could find in that library. Another thing I remember from my early childhood is my nanny. She was an exceptional lady and I have always thought of her as my guardian angel. She taught me to be honest and to love God. I have been in translation and interpreting business for many years but some things remain unchanged. For instance, I am never dishonest with my work – I would rather stay up the night to check a term or two that I am not sure about in my translation. I am also willing to stay up all night preparing for interpreting at a conference the next day, even if conference materials were sent to me last minute. I think this level of commitment makes us, interpreters and translators, who we are. These days, Latvians speak English well – I guess I have done a good job teaching English over the years as a lecturer. There are only few conferences now that require interpreters. However, as long as I live, as a professional I will value the following: - Firstly, doing everything possible to bridge cultures and facilitate communication for the good of our humanity. My highest hope (in my heart and all my prayers) is that wars and hostilities will cease to exist - Secondly, ensuring that my translations are spotless, smooth and user friendly, if you will – I love knowing my target audience and adjusting my translations accordingly. This is my credo; for me, it symbolizes the old adage “the client is always right”. The client has a right to understand precisely what has been said or written. To conclude, a couple of words to our clients. When hiring us, please keep in mind that without us the world would lose that this very subtle bridge of understanding. We, translators and interpreters, are not machines; we are human and thus an invaluable resource in order to make the world a bit better for you. Machines do not aspire to do that, which is their main drawback in our very rapidly evolving world.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 19:29:42 +0000
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