Need advise please

[guandulera]

One of my duties at work is to translate and interpreter for Spanish speaking clientes. I work as a support for CPS and I have found so many dialets in the Hispanic community around my area in North Carolina. I'm trying to improve my skills as a translator and I would apreciate any imput in what to do.

[Skippy1]

try asking them to write it down or maybe speak more clearly. I have noticed that if you ask them to repeat they just say it again in the same way, However if you say " your diction is appalling and you need to anunciate they sometimes become more audible....!!!!

[SKing]

I am a nurse in Raleigh,NC and I have not noticed many different dialects...of course there are different pronuciation and different words mean different things to different countries. I have not found an easy way to distunguish that without talking to the actual people.
It took a long time for the Director of Interpretatoin/Translation services at my hospital to pass me as an interpreter for OB services (I cannot translate for any other service...such as orthopedics, for example) because she said that I spoke with a "Dominican" accent which she disliked, being from Guatemala. But dominicans had been where I learned my spanish from...it was all imitation. My Honduranian nanny will tell me when a word means something different to her or I will ask the patient if I get a strange look at something that I am saying...It's all trial and error but maybe some other posters may have advice on books or websites that may help

But for me it has always been...ask the patient.
Good Luck!

[Chip]

If I understand correctly, you understand the words people are using, but you don't understand the meaning, correct? If that is the case the only thing you can really do is try to possibly immerse yourself more in the varieties of Spanish language found in the Americas by watching television such as Direct TV. They have at least 25-30 channels from all over latinoamerica. Also, it might help to frequent areas such as your clients come from , such as restaurants and grocery stores, etc to talk with people to become more familiar with the terms. Failing that, don't be afraid to ask them to explain it in another manner - however I would refrain from having them spell it as this will make the illeterate very uncomfortable. Also, when a Dominican uses a phrase or word that I don't understand I usually respond with "como es?" first to have them repeat it and then if I don't understand I will say "excuseme, no entiendo, que signifique eso?"

[Norma Rosa]

Your intentions are commendable, but know this:
We (Spanish-speaking individuals) understand each other regardless of where we are from. Although some words might have a specific regional meaning, the greatest difference is found only in the rhythm with which the language is spoken. That rhythm tells me if a person is from Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, etc.
Try using "standard" Spanish, I assure you you will be successful.

Norma

[Norma Rosa]

I wanted to add this to my previous post:

Guandulera, keep in mind that every field has its jargon. If you work for CPS, you need to familiarize yourself with the terminology used in that department.

Here to help and learn,
Norma

[guandulera]

Thanks to all for your imput. I like this place where people aproch with respect.

[guandulera]

What I am going to do is to get all the forms and translate them so I will be more familiar with the Social Worker's vocabulary and be more prepare when it comes to the use of their terminology. Thank you very much Norma Rosa I think you just gave me key I need it.

Originally Posted by Norma Rosa

I wanted to add this to my previous post:

Guandulera, keep in mind that every field has its jargon. If you work for CPS, you need to familiarize yourself with the terminology used in that department.

Here to help and learn,
Norma

[Norma Rosa]

Since CPS has delt for so many years with a multilingual society, you will find that many forms are already translated into different languages.

(Guandulera, for any question you might have about the language, go to the forum "Spanish 101" and we will try to help you.)

[Chip]

Originally Posted by Norma Rosa

Your intentions are commendable, but know this:
We (Spanish-speaking individuals) understand each other regardless of where we are from. Although some words might have a specific regional meaning, the greatest difference is found only in the rhythm with which the language is spoken. That rhythm tells me if a person is from Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, etc.
Try using "standard" Spanish, I assure you you will be successful.

Norma

I understand where the OP is coming from, as she is more than likely not a native Spanish speaker. A good example would be that in Nicaraugua they use Os instead of Usted - try using that here in the DR, haha. Also, try calling a tire here by any other name than "goma" and you will get strange looks. For that matter call the rim anything other than "aro" and you will be assumed crazy, ie the standard translations of "rueda" and "llanta" won't work. BTW, for a motorcycle, a rim is "pina", go figure.

Also, typically, the less educated the person is, the less they will know how to describe something other than what they have always known it as. Here is a good example: a while back that I was buying some meat at a local bodega in Orlando and I asked the guy to put it in a "funda", and he told me he didn't understand, a fellow employee quickly said, "oye idiota, el quiere una bolsa".

Norma, to make my point, here are a couple of words for you from the SE US; chitlin, fatback, tarnation - do you know what they mean?