Professor Yeh Shupai talks on the profession of interpreter

      Prof. Yeh originally majored in Mathematics, but with a strong passion for translation, he then acquired a master's degree in translation at Fu Jen Catholic University and a doctor's degree in translation at Taiwan Normal University. He is now a first-class interpreter and has a lot of experience in conference interpreting.

      A strong sense of logics from a scientific mind and witty remarks of language experts, Prof. Yeh's lecture had them both. Quoting a survey, which showed that most interprets and translators in Taiwan are the ISTJ personality type based on the Myers–Briggs personality test, Prof. Yeh talked about the qualities necessary for being professional interpreters and translators. He encouraged us to know ourselves and think about what we want for our future job or life. Then, he mentioned the popular assumption that it generally takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field and the Murphy’s Law to show that it is a long-time struggle for a language learner to become a language expert. Therefore, to become a translator or interpreter, there is no quick fix. Thus, if we want to be fully prepared for this profession and enjoy the freedom and joy as a freelancer, we have to establish the habit of life-long learning.

      I believe students who are currently studying translation and interpreting have had a clearer idea of the profession of T&I after this inspiring workshop. Now Let's look forward to the next workshop!