Awry in Wine

A few years ago, a client asked me: “Do translators ever gather for dinner and accidentally reveal details about their work?” She wasn’t questioning my ethics. She simply understood how deeply her documents depended on discretion. I replied without hesitation: “I do not attend parties. I rarely speak to my colleagues in the field of translation”. Even with that reassurance, she still hesitated to proceed.

Certified translators carry more than language between worlds. We carry trust, discretion, and a professional duty to protect our clients’ words, no matter how mundane or dramatic they may be. A breach of that trust, even unintentional, is still a breach. Few things lower a person’s guard like alcohol and a festive atmosphere.

People forget: when they drink, they may get intoxicated. When intoxicated, they lose control. They name names. They give examples. They “vent”. And when several translators gather over wine and laughter, even the most innocent anecdotes can blur the line between confidentiality and carelessness.

That is why posting party footage, particularly wine-filled events, on the official website of a translation association is more than tone-deaf.

It is reckless.

It sends the wrong message.

It erodes public confidence.

It invites scrutiny.

And it confuses celebration with professionalism.

People do not always speak their concern, but they turn away. Quietly and irrevocably.

There is nothing wrong with community, or even a private toast, but when the platform is public, and the people involved are certified professionals, restraint is not optional. It is our duty.

The best kind of professionalism is the kind that leaves no doubt.

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“Words spoken in drink, deeds regretted in clarity.”

For those entrusted with the stewardship of public affairs, clarity of mind and solemn conduct are the foundation of just governance. If decisions of consequence are made amidst clinking glasses and flushed cheeks, the line between personal indulgence and institutional duty begins to blur.

Of late, it has come to light that certain associations have taken to conducting official business not in formal settings, but over feasts and wine. From images publicly shared, one might mistake such occasions for a festive banquet rather than a deliberative assembly. Smiles abound, attire leans towards the casual, and eyes glimmer with drink, not with discernment.

This raises an uneasy question: Can sober judgment truly survive inebriated surroundings?

The appearance alone speaks volumes. Even if procedures are followed, the setting in which they unfold sends a message not of dignity, but of impropriety. Decisions rendered in such states, no matter how well-intentioned, risk losing the public’s trust. And if those watching sense frivolity where they expect fairness, or revelry where they expect rigour, the damage is already done.

History offers no shortage of warnings:

Once upon a time, the opulent banquets foreshadowed a dynasty’s decline, and false cordiality masked poison beneath honeyed words. Time and again, indulgence led to disorder, and wine paved the road to ruin.

Let this serve as a gentle but clear reminder:

Governance is no companion of intoxication.

Public duty requires public decorum.

Let meetings be meetings, and merriment be separate.

For blurred lines lead to blurred accountability.

This is not a condemnation, but a caution. When image and conduct begin to diverge from the responsibilities entrusted, even silence may speak ill of those who ought to know better.

So may this record stand quiet, firm, and waiting for eyes clear enough to read it.