This is a little late, but Mike told me that Dina passed her certification test as a translator.
I asked him for the details, and here is his email:
She works now in a Guatemalan pharmaceutical importing company in administration...deals with people in China whom they import from. She has been translating legal and business documents for some time for this company. location of the company is in downtown Guatemala City.
This involved going to school at night for a long time--one or two years; then passing the test which gives her a certification.
It is a big deal, and she will have more latitude in how she approaches her work life from here on. even to the possibility of having her own business, and working for herself, though that is not a given and would take a lot of things coming together.
I met her about four years ago, when i had to give a four hour presentation to the gigantic company, Koramsa, she was a secretary at (17,000 employees in one facility), and she was assigned to be my translator. as i recall, she did a good job with that. I had given her the written text of the presentation by email ahead of time.
The highlight of my several Guatemalan trips was riding from Koramsa back downtown with Dina...on a Guatemalan city bus. an old worn out Blue Bird bus from the USA packed to the gills with people and driven by an absolute animal. So rude to the passengers, including old decrepit ladies. an animal. the upside was that one way fare anywhere in the city was 1Q (quetal), about thirteen cents. Dina still mentions how much that bus ride impressed me.
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We're very proud of you, Dina. If you want to add anything to this, please do, or correct if it's wrong. I know it took a lot of hard work.
I think we need you full time to translate this blog and its comments.
Congratulations, Dina! I'm sure that the English translation exam was NOT an EASY test to pass! English was my favorite subject in high school and college (and hopefully will help with my future master's degree!). The English language, as I'm sure you know, is an incredibly tough language to learn... but when I hear you talking (to my dad on the computer phone) and when I read what you write, you do an amazing job! In fact, it's much better than the English spoken and written in many places here in the United States....and that's a fact. AND, you learned English without living in the U.S. or having been immersed in a constant, English-speaking job! Now that's impressive!!! Anyway, good job, and I hope it helps you find the exact job you are looking for. Cheers, Dina! Love you much, Lise (Elise)
ReplyDeleteDina said:
ReplyDeleteBecky, Lise: Thank you, girls!
Well, yes. It is true. I've finally passed the test. I was a little worried about it (This test has a bad reputation among sworn translators), but thank's God I'm finally through. I'm very happy about it. It gives me the opportunity to make an extra income and eventually, work on my own and be able to spend more time with my son at home.
Regarding Mike's comment about "our trips" by bus, I must say they're not quite accurate...
First of all, I'd NEVER allow Mike to ride a bus in Guatemala; the "animal" part is TOTALLY true though... hahaha
Oh, by the way... Have you heard about a publishing house looking for an English-Spanish translator???
That's exactly the job I'm looking for right now.
I hope I can celebrate this with you when I travel to the US.
Love to you all,
Dina
My dear Dina: You know how proud I´m for you!You deserve this and so much more; and I know, this is only the begining of a new succesful life. Bien vos!! Good for you!!
ReplyDeleteLove you
Gaby