Teenage boy interpretter *short*

[Victoria J]

I want a new rule at work that teenage boys (maybe 15 to 17 ?) aren't allowed as interpreters...

The customer spoke French. He had brought his son to interpret as he spoke English.

Customer = C
Teenage Interpreter - Ti
Me - Me

C : 2 minutes of French
Ti : It ain't
Me : What ain't ?
Ti : I dunno *shrugs*



(I know lots of people of that age would be perfectly good interpreters, and that it is a very dull thing for him to get dragged into. I just found it funny because it was so very stereotypically teenage boy behaviour).

Victoria J

[NateTheChops]

Or maybe interpreters that don't have a better grasp on the English language than the person they're translating for. I know plenty of people in the upper age groups who couldn't translate if they had the age old "Universal Translater" plot device of science fiction.

[auntiem]

When I was an agent at least once a week or so a family would come in to book tickets and use one of their kids as a translator. I've had them as young as eight ( and she did a great job - very organized and mature). Come to think of it, 99.9% of the time the family would use a daughter and not their son.
Maybe you are onto something with this theory.

[Cat]

Back when I sold watches, we had the "Crazy French Lady"* I knew very little French, so she sough me out. Very hard to communicate with, but she bought a good deal and wasn't an SC, so she was tolerable. Plus. I met her when I got back from Paris, so I tried my bad French out

Anywho, last day I saw her she brought her nephew who was bilingual...when she wandered away, I mentioned to him I wish I spoke better French....he looked at me, sighed, and said, "I wish I didn't speak French." Guess she was crazy at home


* Crazy French Lady was actually a sweet term....we liked her. She was hyper, crazy as can be, tiring, but friendly and willing to work with the language barrier. I wish her well

[Chromatix]

Obligatory: Hot Fuzz