Translator Is Never at a Loss for Words For Hospital's Spanish-Speaking Patients

Translator Is Never at a Loss for Words For Hospital's Spanish-Speaking Patients

Maria Currano isn't a doctor, but for people who speak only Spanish and need to go to the hospital, she could be just as important.

Currano, 30, is a Spanish translator and interpreter for the Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly. She helps doctors communicate with Spanish-speaking patients.

"Part of what makes my job so rewarding is that I'm able to use my language skills to help people," Currano said. "For patients, it makes their hospital experience a lot less scary and more productive if they can communicate well with health-care providers."

A translator is someone who takes written information and rewrites it in another language. An interpreter listens to what someone says and repeats it in another language. Not all translators are interpreters, and not all interpreters are translators. Currano learned how to do both in school.

English is Currano's native language. She started learning Spanish in middle school, then studied in Spain and at the University of Maryland. She majored in Spanish and linguistics (the scientific study of language) and took classes in translation. For a while she wanted to be a teacher, but during college she started working at the hospital and enjoyed it.

Translators and interpreters are needed in many industries. Police, schools, courts, the government and international businesses all use translators and interpreters daily.

Most translators and interpreters don't have extra training in the area they want to work in. Currano didn't have any medical training and for a long time would carry a medical dictionary wherever she went. More important, she said, is to know about the culture of the group you are translating or interpreting for.

"Part of what makes my job so interesting is that I get to see and learn a lot about medicine without being a doctor or nurse," Currano said.

-- Amy Orndorff and Luz Lazo