As an international trading business lady, I met many foreigners both at work and on holiday.
Recently, one of my foreign friend told me a story of him which was happened last Spring Festival in China. He needed an interpreter to travel with him for one week for business as the city he went nobody can speak English. At the end of the week, the female interpreter invited him to visit her hometown during Spring Festival. My friend was shocked: Then I will see your parents, right? She said yes, and she will introduce her family members to him. My friend was shocked again: Then if your family ask what’s the relationship between us, what will you say? She said I will tell them you are my boyfriend and after this Chinese New Year we can make a plan for marry. My friend was very upset and said: You are crazy! Then the female interpreter asked him: Why? You don’t like me? My friend replied: No, we only have business relationship, you did the translation job for me, that’s it! Please don’t mix the work with your private life!
The conclusion of my friend was: The Chinese girls are crazy for marry.
I felt so shocked… And embarrassed.
As a professional interpreter, we need to know that business is business, don’t mix the work with private emotion, this is NOT correct. Furthermore, this private emotion will affect your work. The client can not get the correct and good service at the same time.
As a consequence, my suggestion is: Never bring your own emotion to your job.
If you really want a foreign boyfriend, open your eyes and spend more time to know him, make friends first, the culture is very different between you and him, trust me. And don’t put yourself in low position. Marriage is not the full meaning of life. Remember you have family, job, dreams and hobbies.
12 thoughts on “To be a professional translator/interpreter What you shouldn’t do to your client”
This is funny. It strengthened my effort to providing a platform that enables the serious ones, interpreters and clients alike, to find each other easily and quickly.
Exactly!
Exactly!
That does sound crazy. But it doesn’t happen very often. Most of us in Leon’s group are professional translators.
I was so shocked as well. It’s glad to hear that it won’t happen in our group^^. Thanks for your comment Selina.
EXM??! It is a real experience or just a joke..hahha
An experience of my foreign friend. Ahaha
That’s a funny story! Girl knows what she wants hahah
Ahaha, yes but too offensive.
It is very funny topic, but i think you are right, business is business, don’t mix the work with private emotion
“Never bring your own emotion to your job”, well said.
I am so shocked hahaha