Interview with Jemma Khachatryan, English translator at “Enlight” Public Research Centre NGO
Jemma, what makes “Enlight” special for you?
“Enlight” has become a congenial place for me. Here, the atmosphere is very positive, the team is united, no question remains unanswered, there is a great sense of responsibility .
What especially attracts you in the profession of a translator?
Translation has been and will be one of the most demanded professions in the world. When translating some material, I always learn new expressions, words, phrases, no matter what field the material is connected to. The most important thing in translation is translating the speech or idea correctly; you need to make sure that there is no misunderstanding when translating a text from one language into another.
Why an English specialist? Are you planning to study another language or languages?
From a young age, I loved languages, especially English. It is widespread all over the world. English is the language of business, media, trade, diplomacy and science. Wherever you are, people will understand you. As for the second question, I should say that from this year onwards, I am going to learn Turkish as a second foreign language at the university; I think it is very important to know the language of your enemy. And in future, I would like to learn Spanish or German.
Which one of your translations published at “Enlight” would you especially single out so far and why?
From translations done by me, I will probably single out the article “The Weakness of the Strongman”. Personally, I like to read research about international relations written by British or American analysts and I think this translation about Russia and its neighboring countries will interest many of you.
Recently, the three-month translation internship organized by “Enlight” has ended. You also have had some participation in the programme. Could you tell us about your experience, and what is the significance of such internships in general?
Working with interns was a great experience for me, I am glad to have participated in this programme. During those 3 months, I edited some translations done by several interns. As you know, at the end of the translation internship, the English interns translated the film “Human” by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, the translation of which involved me and 3 other translators.
Internships give experience for future work. Through the latters, students acquire such skills and knowledge that are not taught at a university.
How can you explain the slogan of the organisation, “Dare to think!” and what can you say about this year’s slogan, “Study to change!”?
Both of these slogans are very suitable for the organization; “Enlight” gives young people the opportunity to think freely and take new initiatives. And by learning, everyone can reach success and great achievements. You should be able to acquire skills, knowledge not only at school or at university but also due to your friends and the people around you. By studying well, each of us can change the world and our environment making them more civilized.
The interview was held by Inga Shirakyan.
You can get acquainted with Jemma Khachatryan’s translations via this link.
Translator: Mariam Antikian © All rights reserved.