Cultures Connection provided our liaison interpretation services at the annual meeting of the International Spinal Cord Society in Nice.
Nearly 1200 doctors met in Nice on November 5–7 for another annual meeting of the International Spinal Cord Society. The institution promotes excellence in the care of spinal cord injuries in men, women and children around the world. Their goal is to share experiences and know-how related to the latest medical innovations and research on the prevention and treatment of spinal cord injuries. On one of the event’s days, Cultures Connection offered interpretation services at vendor stands. Our interpreters ensured that attendees from around the world could understand the complex medical explanations.
Doctors From Around the World Meet in Nice
Nice Acropolis Convention Center, steps from the city center, hosted the event. Since 1961, the worldwide medicinal event takes place in a different country each year. The event seeks to promote best practices in the care of traumatic and non-traumatic spinal cord injuries.
According to the World Health Organization, spinal cord injuries affect 250,000 to 500,000 people each year worldwide. They are especially prevalent among young men between the ages of 20 – 29. Primary causes include transportation accidents, falls, and workplace accidents. While the percentage of people affected by this condition is relatively low, spinal cord injuries are particularly problematic due to the complexity of their care. There also exists a lack of access to rehabilitation services and devices by those with reduced economic means.
The International Spinal Cord Society boasts 1000 doctor and scientist members in 87 countries. Forty years later, the organization once again held its annual meeting in France, selecting Nice as host city. The latter has become a major center for advanced technological and scientific research thanks to its Sophia-Antipolis Technology Park. The Acropolis Convention Center was voted “Best Convention Center in Europe” for three consecutive years and is a popular venue for many medical and scientific conferences.
Cultures Connection has its main offices in Nice and ample experience in covering these types of large scale international gatherings along the French Rivera. The International Spinal Cord Society knew to trust us with contracting an interpreter and working on site with the event project manager.
A Nexus for a Japanese Audience
Thanks to public and private investment, the standard of care for persons with spinal cord injuries has risen considerably worldwide. As a result, the International Spinal Cord Society designed an innovative program of presentations, workshops and interdisciplinary booths, catering not only to doctors specializing in spinal cord injuries, but also neurologists, neurosurgeons, physiotherapists, social workers, occupational therapists, orthopedic surgeons, psychologists, sports therapists, and urologists.
Cultures Connection provided interpretation services in the event’s exposition hall where a variety of institutions and medical vendors had booths demonstrating their products and services. In particular, the agency offered English-Japanese liaison interpretation services to enable communication between visitors from Japan and English-speaking presenters.
As is customary, Cultures Connection’s interpreter was present during times of direct contact between attendees. She would accompany Japanese attendees, translate their questions into English, and translate back the explanations by the vendors into Japanese.
Liaison interpretation has its own set of challenges. The interpreter must have considerable memorization skills since they must retain the ideas being conveyed and then express them in another language immediately and accurately. Out of necessity, this work is performed for small groups.
A not-insignificant detail is that the interpreter also had to simplify a highly technical medical language. Our interpreter provided detailed explanations of how certain special devices work. Examples include urinary catheters designed to manage urinary incontinence, a common side-effect of spinal cord damage. Having experience in the medical field, as was the case of the Cultures Connection interpreter, makes such work easier.
Translation into English: Sean Mullen
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