Most of the time, interpreting is not just a job; it feels like having a front row seat to people’s lives.
I’ve been part of calls that are heavy, emotional, and even life changing. The kind that reminds you how fragile health is, how strong people can be, and how important it is to appreciate the people around us. Those moments stay with me.
But sometimes, some calls leave me speechless in a completely different way.
The kind that makes me pause and think, wait… was that me, or did that really just happen?
And honestly, sometimes they are just funny.
Lately, I’ve been getting a few of these calls that made me question everything for a moment: my interpreting skills, my language proficiency, even my own ears. I end up laughing about it after, but in that moment, it is a whole internal crisis.
One call was with a dietitian educating a diabetic patient about food choices. The patient shared that their daughter suggested trying a vegetarian diet, since vegetarians can still get protein without eating meat. The dietitian responded positively, saying it could be a good challenge to try, but not something to force.
Then the patient asked what vegetarians do not eat.
The dietitian explained clearly, no meat.
The patient wrote it down, paused, and then asked, what about chicken? Can vegetarians eat chicken?
There was a brief silence.
The dietitian actually asked me if I heard the patient correctly, or if the word “chicken” sounded like a type of plant in the target language.
At that point, I started questioning myself, too.
Did I interpret something incorrectly?
Did I miss a nuance?
Or did we both just witness the same thing?
Another call was with a nurse giving a patient their morning medication, just two items, a blood pressure pill and eye drops. The nurse confirmed understanding, asked if there were any questions, and the patient said no, everything was clear.
The patient took the pill without any issue.
Then the nurse said, ” Okay, now the eye drops, are you ready?
The patient said yes.
As the nurse started applying the drops, the patient suddenly asked, These are the eye drops, right, for my eyes, right, this is the eye drops, yes?
And it did not stop there.
While receiving the drops, the patient kept repeating the same question over and over again, asking for reassurance in slightly different ways each time.
The nurse, clearly confused but staying professional, kept answering yes.
And there I was, interpreting the same reassurance repeatedly, yes, these are the eye drops, yes, for your eyes, yes, it is the eye drops.
At some point, you just go into autopilot while a part of your brain quietly wonders what exactly is happening.
Moments like these are strangely humbling.
As interpreters, we are trained to be precise, accurate, and confident. But then situations like this happen, and suddenly you start questioning yourself.
Is this a comprehension issue
Did I interpret it wrong
Am I losing my touch
And then you realize, sometimes people just miss the point.
Sometimes it is nerves, sometimes it is habit, sometimes it is just how people process information in the moment.
And sometimes, it is unintentionally funny.
As much as I value the deep and emotional calls, I have come to appreciate these lighter moments too.
They remind me that communication is not always perfect, that understanding is not always linear, and that even in serious settings, there is still room for very human moments.
They also remind me not to be too hard on myself.
Not every confusing moment is a failure in interpretation. Sometimes, it is simply part of working with people.
And honestly, these are the calls that leave me speechless… and then smiling about it later.
What about you? Have you ever had moments like this in your work where you just did not know how to react?
