When the unthinkable happens on assignment: what my mistake taught me about professional interpreting

By Eloge Mulumba, Sworn Translator & Interpreter and Managing Director of TradExpert Team

Interpreting is a profession of remarkable beauty… but also of remarkable vulnerability. Behind the apparent fluidity of a successful assignment lie hours of preparation, layers of doubt, and a very real fear: hearing, in the middle of a mission, a phrase or concept you do not fully master. I believe that is my greatest fear as an interpreter, and I know I am not alone.

Preparation: our first safety net

Contrary to what one might think, knowing the language is not enough. The most comfortable interpreting assignments are often those in which the client involves us as early as the pre-event phase. Understanding the context, obtaining documentation, speaking with the speakers, learning names, key figures, locations… each of these makes an enormous difference.

Because in interpreting, every detail matters. A misheard name, an unclear acronym, a number spoken too quickly… and the meaning can slip away.

The mistake I will never forget

One day, during a consecutive interpreting assignment, I attempted to reformulate a sentence using a more institutional, more polished tone. Ironically, in trying to find the best possible wording, I produced… the exact opposite of the original message.

I corrected myself immediately, but one of the VIPs present took it very badly.

His reaction was sharp. Mine, intentionally, was much calmer.

I accepted the criticism without over-justifying myself. Because I am convinced of one thing: when we share our experiences, we should not only show our successes. As a contemporary writer beautifully puts it:
“Show me your scars rather than your glory, so that I may truly appreciate you.”

The lesson behind the incident

From this situation, I drew a simple but essential lesson: preparation must never be neglected, even when the client believes that “everything will be fine.”

Sometimes clients do not fully grasp the importance of this preliminary information — or assume that the impossible can be achieved without preparation. Yet interpreters, even as external service providers, always perform better when there is real collaboration with the contracting party.

Our role is not merely to transmit words. It is to build a bridge of meaning — solid and reliable — between two linguistic worlds.

And for that, we need a minimum set of tools.

Conclusion: excellence is born as much from our strengths as from our vulnerabilities

Far from discouraging me, this mistake reminded me why I love this profession: it demands the best of us, while humbly reminding us of our humanity — the flesh we all share.

At TradExpert Team, we cultivate this high standard, but also this transparency. Because quality service relies not only on expertise, but also on a mindset: collaboration, preparation, and humility.