Being bilingual is very useful. Sometimes it’s a necessary when it comes to certain families, the area they live in and/or the career path they want. However, just because someone is bilingual doesn’t mean they can translate everything.
My parents, especially my mother have a mentality that just because a person knows English that they are capable of translating anything. I have a problem with that because it’s not true. Just because I know English doesn’t mean I would be able to translate scientific research. How can I when I have never study such a advance level or learn about the topic?
How can I translate such material when I honesty have no clue what it’s talking about? If I have no clue then how would I be able to translate it so that someone else can understand it? That’s like asking someone what’s the best train to take to so-and-so, and then forcing them to give you an answer. How can they when they have never in their life taken a train before or know what to look for in order to answer that?
I’m freaking tired of translating things for my parents whenever they get mail or when they need someone to talk for them. Whenever I can’t translate or I’m not being clear enough I automatically get blamed, insulted, and belittle because of it.
They believe that just because someone knows English and went to high school that they would be taught everything they need to know. Tell me would a 15 year old know how to file taxes if they have never been taught to do it? Would they know how to take apart a computer and fix it without knowledge? What about fixing a pipe?
How can they when they weren’t taught such things? Then in comes the parents forcing them translate it so that they can understand it. It upsetting and it pisses me off whenever I’m force to translate something I don’t understand. Then they ask me questions expecting me to have all the answers. If the document or whatnot was detail and easy to understand I wouldn’t have a problem.
It’s just ridiculous. Parents should make an effort in learning the language. It would make it easier not just for the children but for themselves as well. There should be no excuse for someone who’s been living in the country for so many years and hasn’t learn anything.
Really, I get tired of my mother always saying, “If I knew English I would be arguing and cussing them out for causing me unnecessary grief” and whatnot. My respond to her is go learn it, no one is stopping you from picking up Rosetta Stone and learning. It’s always excuses, one after another just because she doesn’t want to learn it and wants someone else to deal with it. I’m not always going to be there, translating everything to their every whim.
 DamnBlackHeart · Wed Apr 04, 2012 @ 11:59pm · 0 Comments |
