Niche Translators

The Los Angles Times ran an article (here) yesterday about the growing demand for interpreters and translators who specialize in certain niche markets such as nuclear technology, waste management or the food service/hospitality industry. It provided for me an interesting glimpse into the world of language professionals who are usually (and perhaps wrongly) thought of as transparent mediators.

I particularly enjoyed the quotes from the former White House translator who talked about the role of an interpreter in avoiding cross-cultural gaffes:

"If a leader makes a joke that doesn't elicit laughs, Hendzel said, a good interpreter will say in the listening audience's language, "It's a joke that does not translate -- please laugh."

I could have used that guy after dropping a few jokes in Istanbul bars that went over like cast iron balloons.