RAJI: On Location in Rostov, Russia (Year 4)

The program matched us up with 6 fantastic women who are studying to be interpreters and teachers of English in the Philology department at Rostov State University.

Our translators have an intense job: they basically have to barge their way into situations on our behalf, translate synchronously when several people are talking, and manage conversational rhythms between our interview subjects and us.

Even with the best translators, we find ourselves struggling as reporters. Without the language, we lose access to one of our most basic skills: the power of observation. It feels strangely disorienting to not be able to capture those undefinable moments - the stray comment or overheard conversation that can make a piece and give it its color. Even though I have some conversational ability in Russian, I still miss out on the colloquialisms and the richest, most quotable moments.

Nonetheless, we’re indebted to our translators, who anchor us in a sea of confusion. And they also serve as a cultural bridge - showing us the city, helping us buy blinis, breaking the ice with other students, and inviting us to their homes so that we can experience true Russian hospitality. Anya and Lena toured us around the embankment, showed us the ins and outs of the central market, and bought us kvass on the street. Lena #2 was able to translate, without batting an eye, the caustic comments of a model scout as she identified for us exactly where a stick-thin Russian model needed to lose 4 kg. Yana is our tour guide to all things counterculture in Rostov (plus she has an amazing ability to mime the most abstract of ideas when playing the Russian version of charades, “Crocodile”). Anush and Natasha invited us to visit their town, Zernograd, and showed us what small-town life in Russia is like (plus treated us to an amazing Russian dinner and some classic karaoke afterwards).

So, a toast to the translators, who have made this trip and our work possible.