OK, when I was young like one year ago I wanted to go to Sao Paulo so badly to study Translation and Interpreting in order to become a professional translator here, and my mum said "ok, farther we think about it". THEN, I quit my Literature college and did the competency Michigan's test. AND NOW, I'VE ALREADY WORKED AS TRANSLATOR, PROFESSIONALY TALKING, AND THREE TIMES! IN A WORLDWIDE COMPANY!
The purpose of the post is to describe my feelings and to report some personal remarks about my experience with it!
First of all:
Keep in mind where the people you're gonna work with are from, make a little search about their country and culture, and how they use to act when they're dealing with bussiness and people.
Ok, sometimes happened to me not having time for doing that search, so try to find out with a casual chat.
The first impression is really important, so never forget introducing yourself with a friendly shake hand, and pronouncing your name slowly. Europeans appreciate that.
Keep in mind your position: What exactly is the project about? Why the foreigners are here? Which are their positions? What is their mission? For some cultures is not polite asking about each other positions, but whatever, if you feel like asking, I dont see it like a real problem.
One problem that always happens to me is: Am I just a translator or more than that? As I dont have the translator position written in somewhere, I am the second option: and that involves making decisions by yourself. I've been through situations where I almost shit my pants, seriously. You have to face the facts and go ahead.
Ok, now I'm going to describe and sum up what happened to me in a chronological way:
1. The engineering area receives a swedish guy that comes to delivery GDU wagon wheels and to assemble equipaments on it. His name is Stefan, he was engineer, and worked for MTAB Transport & Spedition in Sweden. Of course I didn't know anything about that before talking to him, I had to find out by myself later, believe it or not.
First words were:
"Where are you from?", "What is exactly your project about?", "Are you an engineer?".
And Then I was told to be his translator! YAY.
The guy was really polite, and when he told me he was from Sweden I have to confess I didnt know which country was that. I didnt know if was Suiça or Suécia. We were in a hurry and then we went to work at shop. We had to disassemble two boxes and I had to give some instructions for the brazilian engineer that was with us and for the forklift driver. Then we had to save his material at the lab. After we had finished everything, he apologized for not having introducing himself, and told me his name and gave me a friendly shake hand. I felt really rude! Brazilian manners, hello?
I was really impressed with the politeness of the guy, whenever I asked something for him he was very comprehensive and explained with a bunch of details. I spent one week following him and I did extra work. The best of all was he praised me for my english. I felt somehow connected with him. Maybe because he was really young and friendly and shared experiences with me. Good english. I understood everything although he spoke low and we were in noisy places most of the time. The day he left he was really focused in his last work, and I realised later that europeans have different ways of acting when the subject is working abroad.
Fact: When we were going to his Hotel, on the way Stefan said: "That would never happen in Sweden". I asked what and he replied "Donkeys on the street". FAIL.
2. The engineering area receives an old american guy who provides consulting services for Amsted Maxion. I talked to the woman responsable for following him at the company and she asked for help. He was old, as I've already said, and kind deef so I had to repeat words all the time and I couldn't fake a british accent at all hahaha. It was only one day, he was friendly but not big deal. I dont know why I dont like americans that much even if they're seniors.
3. Currently I've been working as translator for two german guys that work for SIMMON and Hegenscheidt. They are 44 e 29. First day was easy, I realised the older guy was pleased in having someone from the company he could talk all the time. In the following days my impressions were: OMG OMG OMFG. I almost shit my pants again. The older guy has been living in USA for 11 years and he's very fluent. Their mood change a lot and they use to talk deutsch all the time. I was been required oftenly, and sometimes I freaked out because the measurements system they use is not the same we're used to, what means I had to change inches to centimeters and stuff like that.
I was freaking out. And the guys are tough although they enjoy doing dirty jokes. They don't take suggestions easily as well. AND, I had to translate a fight! Can you believe that??? Picture that: My supervisor and the german guy fighting in different languages and I having to translate exactly the way they wanted me to. I was less than two foot from distance of them. Despite that, the german guys are cool when they're working and everything is not going wrong. I've already had funny phone calls with them, and they didnt believe when I told them I was 18 ("You could be my son!"). And they praised me for my englsih and asked if I had lived in US.
It's really cool when you work doing something you always wanted to. You feel quite useful.
And If I had to thank someone, first would be God, and then Marileide, the woman that find me out!
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário