My Bilingual Journey (Part 1)

By Kimberlee Thorne-Waintraub @ Small World Language Services

My bilingual journey began as most Americans do in their attempt to learn a language, that is, during high school. Oh, I thought I was really a great Spanish speaker at the time… Little did I know however, that that my extremely limited “Mexican vocabulary and ‘Eres Tu’ music masterpiece” taught by gringos in the US was insufficient to carry on more than a 15 second conversation once I arrived several years later in Buenos Aires, Argentina on a volunteer experience for my church that would last 18 months. 

Rude was the awakening, since I realized I had to learn conversational or at a minimum, survival Spanish ASAP, and I’d just been put on a bus going from the main bus station in Buenos Aires headed to the middle of nowhere in a place called “Los Toldos” that I later learned was the hometown of the famous “Evita” that inspired the song, “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina”. 

To make matters worse, I was told by my peers that put me on that forsaken freezing and hole-filled bus on July 1, 1992 (which had to have been the coldest day of the year), that I needed to get off on the second to the last bus stop, and I didn’t even have the slightest clue how I was going to tell the bus driver where I was supposed to go. Without a doubt, I now chalk that experience up to being close to one of the longest and most terrifying days of my life.

Without any valid explanation of how it happened, I did arrive safely to that place and began to interact with the people. However, despite my constant study and practice, I was seriously struggling with the language and it was apparent to all those around me. I remember being forced to teach the people and thinking to myself, ‘Wow, I’d really nailed the Spanish that time’, only to have the people turn to my companion and ask her, “Now, can you tell me what she just said?” referring to my inability to communicate with the people in a way that they could understand. It was frustrating beyond belief, and often drove me to tears for the first 3 months of my stay in the midst of Eva Peron’s hometown…

Then a turn of fate suddenly happened. I was sent to a different area and was the only American to live among 4 other Spanish-speaking girls from different countries in Latin America, namely Argentina and Uruguay. They were so patient and loving with me that it all began to come together, and it seemed like in just one month my Spanish flourished and it suddenly clicked; I began to communicate and the people could finally understand me… Wow, what a difference it made to be able to express myself and be heard!

My first stay in Argentina lasted a year and a half and I had wonderful experiences with the people there. I learned how to speak Spanish fluently and communicate well with the people and thus was granted many other bilingual opportunities in the workplace after returning to the US. I attribute the experience of having been afforded the chance to immerse myself in the language by living there among the people and experiencing the culture firsthand. 

Let’s fast forward a bit into 1995. I fell in love with, married an Argentine man and moved there, thinking I’d be there for just a few years and then I’d move back to the states again. That didn’t exactly happen. My second stay lasted 17 years. For more on this story, see the next SWLS letter in November, when Part 2 of this saga continues…

Julie and Jorge Soares: Our Linguists of the Month!!

This month we interviewed one of our valued linguist couples: Julie and Jorge Soares, based in Portugal.

1) Tell us a little bit about yourselves, i.e. where you’re from, when and how you two met and decided to become linguists and subsequently, start your own language company together.

I (Julie) grew up in the United States and my husband (Jorge) grew up in Portugal. In 2008, we were both volunteering on Santiago Island, in Cape Verde. Although we were not living in the same city, we met through mutual friends and quickly became close. After becoming close friends, we started dating, some years past, and decided to get married. Because we are both fluent in English and Portuguese, and have the advantage of being natives in the two languages, we decided to enter the translation world.

2) What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as businesspeople (and in your case, as a foreigner) in another country?

One of our challenges is that we receive many projects. Sometimes even many at once. In such circumstances, determining which projects to accept, and which to decline, can be challenging. Fortunately, we have fantastic relations with our clients and try to always be professional which, in turn, has helped us to maintain a level of communication and honesty to maintain those relations. Obviously, this is a “good” challenge. Not having projects at all…well, that would really be challenging.

Handling international taxes is also a huge and confusing challenge, since my husband and I are from different countries and currently live in Portugal. This can, sometimes, be frustrating.

3) How did you get started in translation? How and when did you start? How would you describe your business?

Some years ago, after returning from a few years of doing volunteer work in Africa, my husband and I began thinking of business ideas. We began searching online, and discovered Proz.com. From there, while continuing to volunteer in Portugal, as well as working on our normal jobs, we began accepting occasional projects. In time, we began to dedicate more and more time to translations.

Regarding our business, it is a small and flexible team of translators that aims for accuracy, both in the words used as well as in the meaning. Undoubtedly, words, like colors, can make a difference. Together with that, keeping the integrity both of the text as well as of the sense present in the source text is key. That’s always our goal as translators – the integrity of the text! However, if we had to use one word to describe our small business that word would have to be “honesty”. Honesty with our clients, honest in our communication, honesty with ourselves, honesty about our capabilities and circumstances and, as important as all the rest, honesty in the way we see and live life! All of that is reflected in our work – both in what we do as well as in what we don’t do.

4) What was the translation industry like when you started your business? How would you describe the industry today? Many translators believe this is a dying industry, what do you think about that?

The translation industry is always evolving. This is a global village. Nowadays, people are used to have everything available at the touch of a finger. The translation industry has a major role in the system of things as we know it today. Anyone wants to know everything about anything anywhere – and in their own language or even dialect. With this ever-increasing global communication world that we live in, for sure, such tendency is only going to get stronger. Considering that, although it might continue to evolve in new or different directions, the translation industry is and will be of great importance in all this!

5) What would you say is the key to running a successful translation business?

Accuracy. Undoubtedly! It can be easy for a translator to rush through a translation, quickly moving on to the next project. This is, in our perspective, a mistake. But it comes with priorities. If a translators’ priority is to make as much money as fast as possible, then they sacrifice the most important thing in a translation ‑ integrity . Therefore, delivering a quality translation is much more important than fast money and well worth the extra time spent. Money is important but if it becomes the ultimate purpose it can easily become a trap instead of a well-deserved reward for your honest work.

6) What advice would you give freelance translators who are interested in working with you?

We would tell them to read the previous answer carefully! If those values are shared or adopted by them as well, then contact us! We are open to new translation relationships. However, we need to know not only what we want from translations but why we want to translate, as well as how we need to translate.

7) How do you manage working together as a husband & wife team? What about balancing family and other priorities/responsibilities in life?

My husband and I are fortunate to be two easy-going people. We love spending time together, and so we find it easy to work together (though I’m sure that may be hard to believe). It is a real advantage to be able to discuss translation questions and decide the most accurate word/phrase/structure choice together. Sometimes we take time off, turning down numerous projects to take a break from the busy schedule of a translator. And when we are working on projects (especially large ones), we work together to balance our other non-secular responsibilities, such as always beloved and always present volunteer work.

When it comes to priorities, work is important, of course. However, people are more important than things. Most honestly, we grieve over how humans nowadays consider things (such as cars, computers, houses, money, etc.) more important than people. And, while we do not judge other and their choices, as for us, we prefer people. That means that family is before work. Helping others is also a major part of our lives. Maintaining our values is what defines each of us! So, our priorities are firstly related to people, then to things. Granted, balancing it is not always easy. Nonetheless, it is not hard as well. And if it becomes hard, that normally means we need to take a step back and analyze which of the non-priorities are getting in the way of priorities. Being able to share all that together and building a life of goals, actions, hopes, certainties, failures as well as achievements together has been a true privilege and something we have been blessed with!

8) What has been your experience working with Small World Language Services?

Awesome! We truly love working with Small World Language Services. Kimberlee is a fantastic PM and VERY easy to work with. Undoubtedly, SWLS is one of those clients that when asks us to do something, even when it is not convenient or easy on/for us at that moment, we always try to deliver. That is not without a reason. We consider it to be a privilege to work with and for SWLS and Kimberlee! Considering the values mentioned in this interview, then such feeling towards SWLS and Kimberlee can only attest to how highly we esteem SWLS and Kimberlee! We could not have asked for a better experience! We just wish Kimberlee and SWLS the very best! It is certainly deserved (and this is an important, meaningful word)!

Note: The use of an exclamation sign (!) in almost every sentence in this answer is NOT on chance nor a result of recklessness, but a proof of the honesty and high esteem we have for SWLS and Kimberlee!