Can't return to routine clinic without acknowledging my translators. Sarah is a young ex-pat who studied Spanish in Argentina (one day she decided to learn Spanish and travelled there to do so), then ended up in Bogata, working with the export business of the brother of one of the Ecuador team's founding physicians. She not only paid her way but because she gets paid by the hour, gave up a week's pay by coming here. In listening to her translations (I understand a whole lot more than I can express), I appreciated that her explanations in Spanish were often better than my original English comments. And she kindly helped me with my Spanish, as I tried to move beyond, "Donde se duele?" And she made the front page!
Two translators in Monterrico: Diana, Guatemalan by birth, but for several years has lived in U.S. Her English is excellent as is her persistently positive attitude. I think, however, the midwife must have been frustrated by one abbreviated translation. L. was asking the comadrones to comment on their experience with postpartum hemorrhage. "Do you every have bleeding," she asked, "that flows like a river?" Diana essentially translated this evocative image as "mucho sangrante"-- a lot of bleeding.And Florina, a Montericcan, who has just picked up English by being around the traveling medical teams.
She did a fine job.
And me? I think I'm getting better. Towards the end, I was able to evaluate, diagnose, treat and explain all without a translator's help.
No comments:
Post a Comment