For highly technical events such as an FDA inspection, it is critical that the interpreters have strong domain knowledge. Otherwise it may lead to jaw-dropping or disastrous moments.
A cautionary tale
At an FDA inspection of a pharmaceutical plant, the company representative gave a presentation at the opening session. Part of the talk was about how the drug substance was received, inspected and released.
The interpreter was interpreting from English to Chinese. Upon hearing the phrase “drug substance,” he blurted out “毒品物质.” This was shocking for the few people in the audience who knew Chinese. Some started shaking their heads. Why? Because the Chinese phrase “毒品物质” unequivocally conveys “the substance for illegal drugs”.
If the interpreter had paused for a moment, he would have realized that “the substance for illegal drugs” did not make sense at all. However, without the domain knowledge, he would not be able to come up with the right jargon — “原料药”, because it is not a word-for-word translation.
Lessons learned
In a perfect world, when interpreters are not equipped with the necessary domain knowledge, they should decline the assignment. If they boldly or adventurously accept it, however, they must face the challenge head on by dedicating a great amount of time in advance to preparation.
This leads to another topic, which we cannot stress enough: the early provision of materials.
The quality of interpreting is directly related to the timely delivery of materials to interpreters.
Even rough drafts or incomplete materials, when provided early, can be helpful. DO NOT wait until the last minute to provide materials.
It can be very stressful for interpreters to walk in cold to an assignment and to have to wing it. This can lead to making simple, unnecessary, and easily avoidable mistakes that can reflect badly on the client. In the worst case scenario, it can cost the client a fortune in business, regulatory, or legal matters.
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