Cho Lwin Phu
English<>Burmese Translator and Interpreter
“I love helping other people, especially when you can make a positive impact on their lives. Being on the Respond team makes me feel like my help would never go wasted. I can help people in need from far away, though not in person.”
Cho Lwin Phu (Christine), is an experienced English-Burmese translator and interpreter based in Myanmar. She has an MA in English, and other qualifications concerning teaching English, translation, and tourism. She is a self-employed freelancer, translator and interpreter (English-Burmese)and sometimes works in pairs or groups.
When asked what motivates her to be part of Respond, Christine tells us, “I love helping other people, especially when you can make a positive impact on their lives. Being on the Respond team makes me feel like my help would never be wasted. I can help people in need from far away, though not in person. Respond has given me a sense of humanity and responsibility in my career. While working with Respond, I have come to realize that no matter how little you can help, it can go a long way.”
We asked Christine what she is most proud of in her work with Respond. She shares, “I am most proud of being the median of understanding between people of different cultures. Since translation and interpretation can impact our lives tremendously in every aspect, I take pride in my ability to make things work for people who don’t speak our language, while at the same time, giving our people the chance to be themselves and express themselves. The nature of good translation and interpretation can save lives (especially in the medical field), and I also believe it indirectly preserves peace and saves the world.”
Christine tells us that she used to stammer and stutter during her childhood and teenage years. She says, “Most people wouldn’t believe it as I am a competent interpreter now, with hardly any time to delay in rendering the content in another language, especially in simultaneous interpretation.”
Her dad inspire her as he was the breadwinner, and he was dedicated to his career. She shares. “His personality was more or less a mix of kindness and strength, which I believe runs in the family.” She also tells us that she would choose her dad as a mentor, of course, “He passed away while I was little. I believe I have many things left to learn, especially those which come from a father’s wisdom.”
Her favorite place to travel is her hometown, as she is currently living in Mandalay. She always feel the nostalgic atmosphere as soon as the express bus arrives in her beloved hometown, and hardly visit places where she does not speak the language.
For those who might want to become translators, Christine offers this advice, “I’d advise anyone who wants to become a translator that they need to master not only their respective language pairs, but also the cultures and nature of those different people. Being able to put yourself in their shoes (understanding the clients’ situations) will help you a lot in maintaining accuracy, ethics, and professionalism at its best.”
In the last year, Christine says she’s learned that things can get quite unpredictable, and “Due to the current situations in Myanmar, we can do almost nothing about the worsening conditions we live in. But we can hope for the best and prepare for the worst. There is light at the end of the tunnel. This very thought has helped me to go through this chaos so far.”
For mental health, Christine takes a walk for about 30 minutes, 5 days a week, to produce happiness hormones. :) She says that she tries to take a 10-minute break after an hour of translation. This break makes her feel refreshed and energized. She says that the possibility of suffering from vicarious trauma is the most challenging aspect for her mental health, and has to try hard to emotionally detach herself from the content of her work, especially while working on projects associated with the ugly side of humanity.
When asked if she could talk to politicians about why language access is so important, Christine says, “Just as the answer - “yes” or “no”- to a specific question brings along with it different consequences, the possibility of your speeches being misunderstood can cost you a loss in your career, with consequences spreading nationwide or even globally. Hence, it is crucial that people from different walks of life, cultures and languages understand your words and intentions correctly. This cannot be achieved without adequate language access.”
A cause close to Christine’s heart is her belief in equality and humanity, which influences her actions to reduce discrimination and help underpreviledged people as much as possible, in her own way.
Christine tells us that her favorite word in any language is, “Hope.” She says, “It is the source of life, happiness, and courage to carry on when things get more and more difficult.”
