Language and translator(s)

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<hr>I would imagine a motodope or student would be all you would need for research on the UN presence - words like "corrupt", "self centred", "obnoxious", "lexus", landcruiser", "mercedes" are about the only words you will need translating. <hr></blockquote>
Yes, we get it, we already know you don't like the UN. Unless you have something more substantive to say, there is no need to beat your point to death. But to the question of the OP, if the intent is to do a professional research project, you'd be wrong about using motodups as interpretors. To do professional work, regardless of the topic, you need real interpretors.

Agree with much of what has been said above.

I am currently doing some field research among Cambodia's minorities (many of which don't speak Khmer which obviously complicates interpretation) and I don't think it is possible to do this with moto dups. Right now I am using a number of interpretors/research assistants from one of Cambodia's few credible research institutes, all of which have a long list of people not on their staff role but regularly hired on project basis.

The people I am using cost between 40$ and 50 a day and they are good value, as they all have substantial research experience related to my topis. I am toying with the idea of recruiting from among recent uni graduates to lower my overall cost. I have read a couple of fairly decent master thesis' on topics related to mine and I am confident that their authors are up to job.

In short, you could start by contacting various research institute to inquire about people with experience relevant to your topic, or relevant professors at the few decent universities to let them recommend some of their students with relevant research interest.

Agree with some of the above, that Cambodian's tend to be much better in spoken English compared to written, so if you want people with good drafting skills they will be very hard to find and expensive.

One of the problems is that people who have UN experience have also expectations shaped by this experience and it can be hard to meet those expectations.

Totally agree with #8. A motodop as a translator on a professional project would be completely useless for a professional project for the reasons given.

Or for a better example, get a copy of the movie "Lost in Translation" and watch the scene where Bill Murray is in a Japanese TV studio. The director is shouting and gesticulating, with hundreds of words in Japanese erupting from his mouth. Finished, the interpreter steps in and says only, "he wants you to move over here". And that's about what you'll get from a motodop.