Aleck Toumayan (US) speaks on the subject.

Corr.: Do you also need to brief yourself on the subject that is going to be discussed, I mean, apart from your language skills you need to have a grasp of a subject under discussion.

A.T.: Mr. Miller, the language skills is, perhaps, the least important component in interpreting. And this may sound paradoxical, but I know some people who are very poor linguists and are excellent interpreters because they have innate skill for communication. And I know some superb linguists who are not very good interpreters because they simply cannot put themselves in that particular groove where you need to be a good interpreter.

    Yes, you need to do your homework, you do need to brief yourself not only about the subject at hand, but any other subject that might come into the picture because that always can be unexpected. You may have a meeting, which is supposed to discuss economic issues, and at the end somebody will say "and by the way we have this political problem (to discuss)." So you really have to know a great deal about issues, by trying to keep yourself informed: you read newspapers, you listen to the news, and you try to do background reading in a variety of subjects.

Corr.: Would you say interpreters are born rather than made?

A.T.: That is consensus, yes. You are born with the skills whatever they are you need to be an interpreter. Lust you are born with a knack for music or the manual dexterity that you need to be a surgeon. They are certain innate skills that you are born with. That you can develop by training, by working. I consider that even after all these years every time I interpret I learn something new, every time I interpret I become better at the craft, I learn new ways of expressing thoughts, new vocabulary evolves, of course, because so many technologies are evolving. So it's a matter of being born with. And sometimes we don't even know it.

Corr.: Do you fell that our need for interpreters in the world is greater today than it's been or less?

A.T.: That's a difficult question to answer. I believe that we may have passed the peak. We may be going into a situation where more and more people will communicate in one language, English. English is without doubt the dominant language in the world today. So we may will be going into a situation where we are decreasing the number of interpreters in the major languages. At the same time we are increasing the number of interpreters in which generations ago were never considered to be international languages: Byelorussian, Ukrainian. So is it drop or is it shift? Only time will tell, but it seems to me that is the situation we are moving into.

Corr.: One last question. What advice would you give young people who want to come to your profession today?

A.T.: I would say that unless you are very-very proficient don't even think about it; unless you have a very genuine deep interest in the process of communication per se and are willing to be informed about many-many subjects … don't even consider it; unless you have a very good retentive memory, which is a gift, of course, you can develop it but the raw material has to be there at first.

Questions:

· What is the difference between an interpreter and a translator?

· What kind of translation / interpretation can you name now? Give their definitions.

· "Interpretation" – what does this notion include? Pros and cons of this profession.

· Due to above given interviews what qualities should a good interpreter have?

· "A good interpreter is the illusion of his absence" – explain this statement. Can you agree with it?

 

Translate into English.

А)

1.Профессия учителя требует полной самоотдачи.

2. Она чувствует, что работа с детьми – ее призвание.

3. Как и отец, Александр выбрал профессию военного.

4.Ваши шансы быть принятым на работу во многом зависят от четкости и информативности резюме.

5.Недостаточное знание английского языка не помешает вам работать, но может помешать найти работу.

6. Работу, не требующую квалификации, на условиях полного или неполного рабочего дня можно найти практически во всех сферах деятельности.

7. Сколько платят за эту работу? Каковы перспективы повышения зарплаты, продвижения по службе на этой должности?

8.В поисках работы вам могут помочь друзья, добровольные агентства штатов по трудоустройству (бесплатно), частные агентства по трудоустройству (за плату). Информация о трудоустройстве печатается на последних страницах местных ежедневных газет под рубрикой "Требуется помощь" (Help Wanted) или "Возможности трудоустройства" (Employment Opportunities)/ Эти разделы обычно перечисляют в алфавитном порядке требуемые профессии, описание работы и предлагаемый оклад. Сообщаются также номер телефона и адрес работодателя.

9.Объявления о рабочих местах для рабочих, клерков, секретарей и т.п. обычно озаглавливаются "Situations Vacant" или "Situations Wanted". Работа для врачей, инженеров, менеджеров, учителей и т.д. предлагается в объявлениях под заголовком "Appointment" или "Help Wanted".

10.Даже если работа, предлагаемая сейчас, вам не подходит, желательно все равно написать заявление в расчете на появление в будущем какой-нибудь другой вакансии.

11.Нет ничего совершенного в мире, не является совершенной и ваша работа. Будьте реалистичны и ищите положительные стороны в вашей работе.

В)

На рынке труда сегодня прослеживаются две тенденции: с одной стороны растет безработица, с другой – увеличивается спрос на квалифицированный труд. Важно, но очень непросто найти хорошую и интересную работу. Грамотно составленное резюме играет у нас не меньшую роль, чем на Западе. Оно должно быть лаконичным, ясным и ориентированным на конкретную должность. Важный этап – собеседование при приеме на работу. Именно после беседы с кандидатом окончательно решается – принять или отвергнуть его. Это своего рода "презентация" себя, и необходимо хорошо подготовиться: например, стоит побольше узнать о фирме, в которой вы хотите работать. Не стесняйтесь обсуждать вопросы зарплаты, медицинской страховки, дополнительных льгот, оплата сверхурочных и отпуска. Знайте свои сильные стороны, подчеркивайте их (образование, опыт, знание местных условий). При этом не скрывайте, но и особо не выделяйте слабые стороны.

С)

Профессия переводчика, особенно устного (conference interpreter), является престижной, высокооплачиваемой и весьма социально значимой: без перевода невозможно понимание и тем более общение в нашем многоязычном мире. Профессия устного переводчика – одна из самых интересных. Знание языка открывает ему новые горизонты знаний, он посещает различные страны, причем не в качестве путешественника, но познает их как бы изнутри, знакомясь с тем, чего не видно из окна туристического автобуса. Но переводчик – это работник сферы обслуживания. Профессиональная карьера переводчика почти неизбежно предполагает две вещи, которые не всем могут быть по душе: встречи – проводы – чемоданы и перевод в любое время дня и ночи.

 

 

II. Topic 'Illnesses and their treatment'

Medical Care in Great Britain and the United States

In Britain, there is a National Health Service (the NHS), which is paid for by taxes and National Insurance, and in general people do not have to pay for medical treatment. Every person is registered with a doctor in their local area known as a general practitioner or GP. This means that their name is the GP's list, and they may make an appointment to see the doctor or to call the doctor out to visit them if they are sick. People do sometimes have to pay part of the cost of drugs that the doctor prescribes. GPs are trained in general medicine but are not specialists in any particular subject. If a patient needs to see a specialist doctor, they must first to go to their GP and then the GP will make an appointment for the patient to see a specialist at a hospital or clinic.

Although everyone in Britain can have free treatment under the NHS, it is also possible to have treatment done privately, for which one has to pay. Some people have private health insurance to help them pay for private treatment. Under the NHS, people who need to go to the hospital (e.g. for an operation) may have to wait a long time on a waiting list for their treatment. If they pay for the treatment, they will probably get it more quickly.

Anyone who is very sick can call an ambulance and get taken to the hospital for free urgent medical treatment. Ambulances are a free service in Britain.

* * *

American hospitals are in general well-equipped and efficient, and doctors earn incomes far above the general average. For anyone who is sick, the cost of treatment is very high. There is a strong prejudice against "socialised medicine" (particularly among doctors), and there are only two federal health programmes. Medicare provides nearly free treatment for the elderly, Medicaid for the poor – though, with an extremely complex system of admissible charges through Medicare, elderly people do not recover the full cost of some types of expensive treatment. Even so, the cost of Medicare to federal funds rose to seventy billion dollars in 1985, or more than two thousand dollars for each of the thirty million participants. Medicaid, for the poor, varies from one state to another because the states are heavily involved in it and some contribute more generously than others.

Working people and their families are normally insured through private plans against the cost of treatment and against possible loss of earnings if they are sick. The plans are often operated by deductions from one's salary. They too are enormously expensive, and the cost is rising. No single insurance system is absolutely comprehensive; some people have more than one policy and yet remain liable to bear some costs themselves. Among ordinary people anxiety about the possibility of illness is accentuated by fears about its cost. These fears are reflected in some resentment against the medical profession, and this resentment is not alleviated by doctor's reluctance to visit patients in their homes.

When people are sick they usually go first to an internist. Unlike in Britain, however, people sometimes go straight to a specialist, without seeing their general practitioner first. Children are usually taken to a paediatrician. As in Britain, if a patient needs to see a specialist, their general doctor will usually give the name of one. Doctors do not go to people's homes when they are sick. People always make appointments to see the doctor in the doctor's office. In emergencies, people call an ambulance. Hospitals must treat all emergency patients, even if the patient does not have medical insurance. The government would then help for some of the cost of the medical care.

 

Answer the questions.

1. Do people in Great Britain have to pay for medical treatment?

2. What is the NHS?

3. What does being on the GPs list mean to a person?

4. Are the GPs trained in any particular subject?

5. How can a person make an appointment with a specialist doctor in the UK / the US?

6. What are Medicare and Medicaid?

7. Why do people buy private health insurance in Great Britain / the US?

8. Can a patient call a doctor out to visit him in Great Britain / the US?

9. What happens to emergency patients without medical insurance in the US?

 

The National Health Service

The text is taken from a British Council booklet for overseas students called "How to live in Britain". It is important to know how to register yourself under the NHS and to know what treatment is free and what is not free.

 

Medical treatment, except for statutory charges towards the cost of medicines, dental services and glasses, under National Health Service is free to persons who are ordinary resident in Britain.

As an overseas student residing in his country you may receive medical treatment under the National Health Service during your stay. (If you are here on a limited-term basis this is generally limited to any necessary treatment for conditions occurring after your arrival in Britain but you may be permitted emergency treatment for conditions you were suffering from before arriving but only if treatment cannot await your return home.) As soon as you found somewhere to live you should register with a doctor practising under the National Health Service so that he can attend you if you get sick. If you need advice about registering ask the manager of the hostel< or your landlady, or the local National Health Service Family Practitioner Committee, whose address can be obtained from the local post office. If you live far away from your college it is better to register with a doctor near where you live. If your college has its own Student Health Service you could register at the college instead of with a local doctor.

If the doctor you contact has a room on his list and is willing to accept you he will give a card to complete which he will then forward to the National Health Service Family Practitioner Committee. They will send you a medical card bearing your registration number and the doctor's name and address. Keep this card in a safe place since you will be asked to produce it and give your registration number if you have treatment. There are statutory charges payable towards the cost of prescriptions, dental services and glasses. You will, for example, if you are 21 years old or over have to pay a proportionate part of the cost of dental treatment up to a maximum charge of £10 and, at present, the pharmacist will generally charge 20p for each item on the doctor's prescription for medicines and other necessary items. While vision testing is free, the charge for spectacles broadly cover their cost.

The National Health Service will provide you with advice and treatment for illnesses that occur or recur in aggravated form after your arrival in this country. IF, as a student here on a short-time basis, you seek treatment for a condition (including pregnancy) which existed before your arrival, you will be regarded as a private patient and expected to pay all expenses. A bed in a hospital can cost over £100 a week and you may have to pay specialists fees. It is important for you to find out from the doctor or hospital providing the treatment whether they regard you as a private patient or are treating you under the National Health Service. There is no way in which fees pays as private patients can be refunded and if your situation is such that you may be treated under the National Health Service (as explained above) and you do not specifically want to be treated privately, you should make this clear at the start. It will be in your interests to have a complete medical check-up and X-ray before you leave home to ensure that you are in good health.

In Northern Ireland students at recognized places of study receive general medical and dental services under the National Health Service, but they usually have to pay hospital charges. In Northern Ireland also the families of married students are not eligible for health service benefits.

 

Answer the questions.

1. Do you pay the complete cost of medicines, dental services and glasses under the NHS?

2. Will an overseas student normally receive NHS treatment for an illness that began before he came to Britain?

3. Where can you get the address of the local NHS Family Practitioner Committee?

4. Are doctors obliged to accept anyone who wants to be placed on their lists?

5. When you first go to the doctor, what must you do if you are accepted?

6. What will the doctor do?

7. What will the NHS Family Practitioner Committee do?

8. If the total cost of the NHS dental treatment you receive is J12, how much must you pay?

9. If a doctor prescribes one bottle of tablets and some sleeping pills, how much will that normally cost?

10. Who do you pay for prescriptions?

11. Is vision testing free?

12. Are glasses free?

13. In what circumstances will an overseas student receive NHS advice and treatment for an illness that began before he came to Britain?

14. What will normally happen if an overseas student wants treatment in Britain for an illness he first began to suffer from in his own country?

15. Why is it particularly important to know whether you are being treated as a private patient or a NHS patient?

16. What should you do before coming to Britain?

17. In what two ways are students treated differently in Northern Ireland?

 

Health and the Body

Keeping fit and staying healthy have, not surprisingly, become a growing industry. Quite apart from the amount of money spent each year on doctors' prescriptions and medical treatment, huge sums are now spent on health foods and drugs of various kinds, from vitamin pills to mineral water, not to mention health clubs and books and videos about keeping fit. We are more concerned than ever, it seems, about the water we drink and the air we breathe, and are smoking less, though not yet drinking less alcohol. This does not appear to mean that coughs and sneezes have been banished, or that we can all expect to live to a hundred. To give a personal example, one of my friends, who is a keeping-fit fanatic, a non-smoker (and teetotaller), and who is very particular about what he eats, is at present lying in bed with a wrist in a cast and a badly sprained ankle. Part of his healthy lifestyle is to play squash every day after work, and that accounts for the ankle. He also cycles everywhere, and if you have ever tried to cycle through rush-hour traffic with a sprained ankle, you will understand how he acquired the broken wrist. For health, it seems, is not just a matter of a good diet and plenty of exercise. Too much exercise can be harmful, as many joggers have discovered. Eating the right food can easily become an obsession, as can overworking, which you might have to do to be able to afford your membership in the squash club, your mountain bike, your health food, and a few holidays in peaceful and healthy places.  

 

Answer the questions.

1. What is 'to keep fit'?

2. What does 'to become a growing industry' mean?

3. What do people do to keep fit and healthy?

4. Do all the efforts people make to keep fit help them stay healthy?

5. Is the author's attitude to the problems raised in the text serious or ironic?

There are many ways of being healthy and fit. Maybe, you have some more ideas and can add some more points to the list given below.

Ways of keeping fit ü Do exercises ü Work out in a gym ü Do aerobics ü Do swimming ü Go jogging / running / cycling ü Play tennis / badminton / squash

Ways of becoming healthier ü Keep daily routine ü Go on a diet ü Lose / put on weight ü Give up smoking / drinking ü Cut down on sweet things ü Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables