Language interpreters, especially those who interpret less-spoken languages, often have fascinating life histories.

Local newspapers have been publishing plenty of articles the past few years about medical interpreters and how they started their careers – and with good reason.

Behind every medical interpreter lies a story – often a story of immigration, personal hardship, and/or a strong drive to help others.

A good example is Lilia Karapetyan, an Armenian immigrant recently profiled in an article on Boston.com.

She got her first medical interpreting experience the hard way – in a natural disaster.

As an English-speaking Armenian living in Armenia during the 1988 earthquake that left some 25,000 dead, Karapetyan volunteered to interpret for English-speaking doctors and relief teams.

At the time she had no formal interpreting training, but her help was certainly crucial nonetheless.

Nine years ago she moved to the USA; boosted by her 1988 experience, she studied medical interpretation in order to work in the field. She now interprets for the Mount Auburn hospital in the Watertown-Belmont area, which has a significant Armenian-American community.

Karpapetyan’s linguistic abilities also include mastery of Russian, which she uses in her interpreting job.

In her interview with journalist Cindy Atoji Keene, Karapetyan points out the importance of remaining neutral during exchanges between patients and medical staff. “’The interpreter is only the voice of the patient and doctor; you can’t add your own personal emotions, feelings or thoughts, otherwise the doctor doesn’t know if it’s the interpreter speaking or the patient.’”

Betty Carlson

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