Interpreting the message

Listening is a big part of my life due to the fact that I work as a translator. I have to carefully and actively listen in order to not only translate the words being said but the context. English and Spanish are very different in grammar, structure, and word use. Translating therefore becomes a problem when you have to add meaning; for this reason, interpreting the message is the most difficult part of listening that occurs in my situation at work.

Recently, I was listening to a tape of a conversation in Spanish and I had to translate it for my superiors. The conversation the two parties were having was regarding a problem that was occurring between three or four people. Both parties knew who or what each other was talking about, and had background knowledge that I obviously did not have. Listening was very difficult because I had to figure out the message they were trying to send. The conversation used a lot of pronouns so the context had to be carefully analyzed and the sequentially followed to see who they referred to as “he” and who was mad at who. Finding out the point of the conversation was time consuming and tedious. I tried to overcome this by putting myself in the shoes of the person who was talking and trying to be part of the conversation by putting myself there which actually helped a little. Overall though, listening for the message is relative and a lot of confusion or misunderstandings can arise easily if one is not careful.