Lecture 1 and Assignment
Lecture 1 and Assignment
CLASS 14.05
1. Study Lecture 1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lOInrJ5YGE
LECTURE 1
The Basics of Simultaneous Interpretation
Simultaneous interpreting first saw the light of day in the early 1920s when
Edward Filene and A. Gordon-Fin-lay, using early telephone technology,
developed the first so-called telephonic interpreting equipment. It was not until
the fall of 7945, however, that simultaneous interpreting made its televised
international debut during the Nuremberg Trials. Until then, interpretation at
multilingual conferences was provided mainly in consecutive mode, requiring
interpreter to take notes during the delivery of a speech in order to reconstitute
it in a different language once the speaker had finished. Some of the first
conference interpreters eagerly embraced simultaneous interpreting, while many
of them categorically rejected it. Over a half a century later, however, it has all
but replaced consecutive interpreting in international meetings, and this is
particularly true for meetings with more than two conference languages.
Working languages
The languages they speak fluently are called their 'active' languages.
Those, which they understand perfectly but do not speak so fluently, are called
their 'passive' languages.
A, B, C languages
Interpreters' working languages are classified in three categories - A, B, C:
The 'A' language is the interpreter's mother tongue (or its strict equivalent)
into which they work from all their other working languages in both consecutive
and simultaneous interpretation.
It is the language they speak best, and in which they can easily express even
complicated ideas. It is therefore an active language for the interpreter.
A 'B' language is a language in which the interpreter is perfectly fluent, but is
not a mother tongue. An interpreter can work into this language from one or
several of their other working languages, but may prefer to do so in only one
mode of interpretation, either consecutive or simultaneous (often in 'consecutive'
because it's not so fast). It is also considered an active language for the
interpreter.
A 'C' language is one which the interpreter understands perfectly but into
which they do not work. They will interpret from this (these) language(s) into
their active languages. It is therefore a passive language for the interpreter.
How this applies to a conference setting
An individual conference or meeting has its own active and passive languages.
The languages spoken by participants will be active languages of the conference
and those they listen to through interpreters will be passive languages of the
conference.
So, if you're organising a conference with interpreters, you will be asked which are
the active and which are the passive languages of the conference, i.e. which
languages are likely to be spoken by participants and which will need to be
interpreted into one or several other languages for the other participants to listen to.
The team of interpreters will be organised so that their working languages
correspond to your requirements. This can be a complicated business, especially if
there are many languages involved, so it's best to ask a consultant interpreter to
help you.
It is interesting to see that half a century later, AIIC (n.d.) identifies very similar
traits as being necessary to become a good interpreter.
The skills of the conference interpreter
Interpreters must have complete mastery of their working languages, including an
excellent command of their native language. They need an immediate grasp of
their passive languages and a well-developed capacity to express themselves in
their own language.
Another essential requirement is a good mind. Interpreters need
to be able to concentrate,
have a good memory,
have a pleasant voice and good diction,
be physically and mentally robust.
Interpreters need to be willing to travel, since their work often takes them a long
way from home.
Rigour and professional confidentiality
Finally, whether they are freelance or staff, interpreters always have to deliver.
They have to be rigorous, not only in terms of getting the message across, but also
in their everyday professional practice.
A professional conference interpreter is always well-prepared, is never late (even
if the conference participants are), and above all has an absolute obligation to
respect professional confidentiality.
Where interpreters work
Freelance interpreters may be recruited directly by their clients, but the contract
more frequently passes through the mediation of professional conference
organisers (PCO) and/or through the services of a consultant interpreter.
Different markets, different places
The market for interpreting services is very different in different places. The
Japanese market, for example, mainly requires interpretation to and from English
and Japanese. In Brussels, the European Institutions need interpreters with a larger
number of passive languages. In some cities, such as Paris, Brussels, Geneva, New
York, Nairobi, and Tokyo, there are relatively large numbers of international
conferences and other meetings, and a correspondingly large number of
interpreters.
Conference interpreters are a rare commodity
There are no more than a few hundred conference interpreters in even the largest of
these cities, and only a few thousand in the whole world. The structure of demand
for interpretation has changed over time, but the demand is still there. Given its
linguistic diversity and historical tradition, Europe is still the largest interpreting
market, but the requirements in other parts of the world, particularly Asia, are
growing rapidly.
Careers
Most interpreters are freelance. Some are employees of international institutions or
large companies. Every interpreting career is different.
Freelance interpreters enjoy freedom and mobility, depending on their language
combination. Theoretically, they can organise their work as they like, accepting or
rejecting the jobs they are offered. Since they work for a wide variety of
organisations, they cover many different subjects and work for many different
kinds of people.
An interpreter's reputation depends on the quality of their work. Clients and other
interpreters will call on an interpreter's services on the basis of this reputation, built
up over time.
The role of the consultant interpreter is to provide the meeting organiser with high-
quality interpretation services well-suited to the organisational needs of the
meeting, while ensuring optimal working conditions for the interpreters. This
service is generally compensated through consulting and management fees.
Staff interpreters
Staff interpreters are temporary or permanent employees of national or
international organisations. They have a reliable income but have less freedom in
planning their own work.
Simultaneous interpreting: the technology
Early days
The technology enabling simultaneous interpretation in the first place goes back
almost a century. By observing interpreters whispering to delegates, the
American businessman, social entrepreneur and philanthropist Edward A. Filene
understood the mechanics of what was de factor a form of simultaneous
interpreting and realized the importance of separating the incoming stream of
sound from the outgoing one, so as to minimize auditory interference.
Consequently, he conceived of a system composing a booth with headsets,
feeding the sound of tire original to the interpreter and a microphone feeding
the sound of the interpretation to the delegates. The first interpreting booths,
which at the Nuremberg Trials in 1945 were little more than a few glass
partitions without a ceiling, had evolved into built-in, soundproof structures by
the time the UN General Assembly took place in Flushing Meadows two years
later. Interestingly, however, until very recently the interpreter's workplace
under-went relatively few changes. Similarly, although the telephone
technology originally repurposed for the Filene-Finlay simultaneous interpreting
system, including clunky microphones and unwieldy headsets, gradually gave
way to more sophisticated. It appears that until very recently these changes
were only minor.
Today the specifications for the simultaneous interpreter’s workplace, the
interpreting booth, are laid down in two ISO standards (International
Standardization Organization).
ISO 2603
https://www.iso.org/standard/67065.html
ISO 2603:2016 provides requirements and recommendations for building and
renovating permanent booths for simultaneous interpreting in new and existing
buildings. This document also ensures the usability and accessibility of booths for
all interpreters, including those with special needs.
It is applicable to all types of permanent booths, using built-in or portable
equipment.
In conjunction with either this document or ISO 4043, ISO 20108 and ISO 20109
provide the relevant requirements both for the quality and transmission of sound
and image provided to interpreters and for the equipment needed in the booths.