Andrew Ferrier: Translator and Interpreter

“All along, the training in the care of mind and body gained at MIU helped in balancing work and life... Whether as a translator or as an interpreter, the primary resource is the mind and memory"
MIU Alumnus, Andrew Ferrier has had an impressive career as a Chinese language translator and interpreter. He has translated close to a million words of open-source Chinese publications, completed 250 immigration-court interpretations, and now works for translation industry leader, LanguageLine Solutions, where he provides services in consecutive spoken interpretation between Mandarin and English.  

Andrew's journey into the world of Transcendental Meditation (TM) began in the 10th grade when a friend praised its benefits. Andrew embraced TM wholeheartedly, even though he was the only one in his family to undertake the practice.  
Andrew (right) with Dr. Bevan Morris at his Graduation in 1988
Andrew was so inspired by the remarkable benefits he was receiving from his TM practice that he felt compelled to enroll at Maharishi International University. Once he stepped onto the campus, he was captivated by the atmosphere. He enjoyed eating at the Annapurna dining hall and immersing himself in the MIU community. There he had the opportunity to connect with students from China, including Dr. Yunxiang Zhu, who is now the Vice President of Asia Expansion at MIU.  
 
At MIU, Andrew completed a Master of Arts in the Foundations of Education in 1988 while also contributing to the Learning Resource Center. His commitment to education led him to stay on staff and pursue three courses in the MA in Vedic Science program.  
Teaching English in Beijing
Next, Andrew got a certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) and taught for a year. Andrew’s skill in Chinese language got him a position as a lexicographer at Systran Software, a pioneer in machine translation. He was employed there for five and a half years, where he would write dictionary entries and devise computer programs to analyze text in Chinese. “Coding and translating Chinese source words and analyzing computer-translated text was good training for my next development as a Chinese-to-English translator,” Andrew recalls. 
  
“All along, the training in the care of mind and body gained at MIU helped in balancing work and life,” Andrew explains. “Whether as a translator or as an interpreter, the primary resource is the mind and memory; there is no time to look everything up. It was important to always be well-rested for work.”  
Andrew working as a lexicographer in 1994
Andrew's career transitioned from translation to interpretation, where interpersonal skills, patience, and exceptional customer service became paramount. He joined LanguageLine Solutions in 2019, offering live interpretation services to government agencies, hospitals, banks, and insurance companies. Andrew's fluency in Chinese Mandarin enables him to provide practical, real-time assistance, earning the appreciation of those he serves. He hopes that by helping people communicate, he is bridging cultural divides and thus contributing to world peace. Andrew fondly remembers his friends, colleagues, and teachers at MIU and hopes to visit sometime soon.

For those interested in following Andrew’s footsteps as a professional interpreter or translator, he recommends joining the American Translators Association and accepting small jobs before moving on to more complex ones. 
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