Interpreting at the United Nations

[0:00]My name is Chen Ji, or Ji Chen in Chinese. I'm a staff interpreter for the United Nations at its headquarters in New York. I work between two languages: my mother tongue Chinese, and my second language English. I've been working for the UN since 2015, and prior to that I was a freelance interpreter, servicing the specialized agencies of the UN based in Geneva. As a staff interpreter for the UN, we provide simultaneous interpretation service for UN meetings, conferences and other events. An interpreter is first and foremost a linguist. He or she should have heightened linguistic sensitivity. And it goes without saying that they should have solid language skills in both the source and target languages. We need to show our passion for our profession, because without passion, it's a boring commitment. But with passion, we can have a pleasure that provides the drive for our work. If I were to find an adjective to describe myself, the word would be wholehearted. And that's what I go by in my daily work. Interpretation is a job. It's a discipline, it's an art, but most importantly, it's also a pleasure to be enjoyed. So enjoy it.