Resources for Interpreting: A Website for Sharing

Abstract:

Interpreters work in real-time and, more often than not, have to make split-second decisions about the right terminology to use in the target language. There is no room for mistakes in some settings such as legal and healthcare interpreting, where the stakes are high and any mistake made can be a matter of life and death, or liberty and a loss of it. Bilingual glossary compilation is thus considered an indispensable part of the practice of interpreting.

The building of the Chinese-English bilingual glossary database is the product of relentless efforts over many years. The database contains words related to a variety of topics from business, politics, health, law and order, to culture, social media and new technology. The database, furnished with an intelligent search engine, is ever growing as more terms are collected and added to it on a regular basis, including buzzwords trending in the news like "Brexit", "Grexit" and Burkini as well as their Chinese equivalents, many of which have not yet made it to the dictionary.

This talk explains the background of the creation of the website, the engagement process and how this website has now become a useful toolkit not just for interpreters, but for everyone who wishes to better their bilingual knowledge in Chinese and English.