An Introduction to Simultaneous interpreting(I)

1.1Definition of simultaneous interpreting

Hello, everyone! welcome to the course of simultaneous interpreting. What do you think of when you hear the words “simultaneous interpreting”? The film “interpreter”? Most people think of a UN or EU assembly when they hear “simultaneous interpreting”. It’s easy to think so.

Interpretation” is a kind of what we often call“oral translation”. In essence, “interpretation” refers to transfer the meaning of a sentence from one language into another to help the communication between people under different cultural and language backgrounds. It is a kin of communication that transmits the accurate information from the source language to the target language by using the oral forms to achieve a mutual understanding of two communicative parties.

Well, what is “simultaneous interpreting”?

Almost simultaneously we got the conference interpreting from English to Chinese, a form of interpreting that takes place almost in real-time. With a simultaneous interpretation the interpreter’s audience typically wear headphones during a presentation or event to hear the content of that event rendered in a language they can understand. This allows the audience to experience an event in the real-time while also providing interpreting in the most time-efficient manner possible.

Examples:

One of the most visible examples of simultaneous interpreting is the assembly of the United Nations. In order to communicate simultaneously to an audience of representatives from around the world, simultaneous interpreting is provided through headphones to help those global ambassadors understand the content of the speech being given at the front of the room. Through a highly coordinated interpreting effort that spans multiple languages, a single speech is delivered to the representatives of nearly all the world’s nations.

Simultaneous interpreting can also be seen during some live broadcasts of televised events when the content being broadcast into one language must be interpreted live rather than dubbed at a later date. Remote simultaneous interpretation is becoming more common as live webcasts of events and presentations aim to reach a diverse global audience.

1.2 The history of simultaneous interpreting

When did simultaneous interpreting get started?

Most people think of the Nuremburg Trials after World War ll as the birth of simultaneous interpreting.

In fact, the concept of simultaneous interpreting was born in the US and existed for some time before there was any large-scale demand for it.The Nuremburg Trials was not the first example of simultaneous interpretig. At that time, consecutive interpreting which had been in use since the 1919 Paris Conference was the standard at international gatherings such as the meetings of the League of Nations in Geneva where English and French were used.

Simultaneous interpreting wa one of the newest types of translation appearing sometime around 1925 Credit for the invention of simultaneous interpreting given to Edward Fillane, the Boston capitalist and social reformer. The technology arose in the 1920s and 1930s when Edward Filene and British engineer Alan Gordon Finlay developed simultaneous interpretation equipment.As early as 1924, Edward Filene sponsored the use of simultaneous interpreting during the entire official meetings of the International Labor Organization and for more languages than the four used in Nuremberg. His goal was to find an alternative to consecutive conference interpreting. In the USSR, simultaneous interpreting was employed in 1928 at the 6th Comintern Congress. The earliest equipment for simultaneous interpreting, microphones, earphones and switching equipment was manufactured by IBM. As it proved successfully, IBM was able to sell the equipment to the United Nations where it is now widely used in the United Nations Interpretation Service. In the US, President Eisenhower’s interpreter Leon Dostert pioneered the development of simultaneous interpreting technology. In 1946, he organized a demonstration of the technique at a meeting of the UN. The Security Council is the only UN body in which both consecutive and simultaneous interpreting is used. Today the UN offers simultaneous interpreting into English, French, Russian, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic. In a nutshell, the real need for simultaneous interpreting became evident during the Nuremberg Trials in which the English, French, Russian and German languages were used.

Simultaneous interpreting not only significantly reduced the time needed for the trials but also improved the accuracy of the interpreting.

1.3 What occasions is simultaneous interpreting best-fit for?

Simultaneous interpreting requires certain equipment such as a soundproof booth or the technology to facilitate remote interpreting services and it also requires more than one interpreter creating more logistical challenges to setting up this type of interpretation. But assuming those prerequisite tools and capabilities are in place. It has proven very successful as a means of interpreting live presentations including presentations being live-streamed online. In a nutshell, simultaneous interpretation is a popular method of interpreting that differs from that of consecutive interpretation. Simultaneous interpreters convert what is said in real-time. There are no pauses in conversation. It is suited for large-scale events and situations where a pause in conversation is not beneficial.

All in all, simultaneous interpreting is best-fit for large conventions, live television broadcasts, voice overs, board meetings, classroom lectures, guided tours, and religious functions, etc.

Why simultaneous interpreting is best-fit for the above events?

Firstly, simultaneous interpreting saves time. It is preferred for conference and meetings in which a great deal of information has to be conveyed. Secondly, the use of audio equipment also means that there is no limit to the number of participants, which means the ability to communicate face-to-face with an engaged global audience. Electronic equipment is indispensable in simultaneous interpreting where the interpreter can hear the speaker’s voice as well as the interpreter’s own voice. The equipment facilitates large numbers of listeners.

Assignments:

1. What’s the definition of simultaneous interpretation?

2. Make a summary of the development of simultaneous interpretation.

3. List occasions where simultaneous interpreting is best-fit.  

2.An Introduction to Simultaneous interpreting(II)

2.1 What qualities should an interpreter have?

To keep up with the pace of an event, interpreters must be extremely skilled at their jobs and focused on the speech being interpreted. When simultaneous interpreting is used at an event, it provides the most efficient form of interpretation while being able to serve an audience of any size. The nature of simultaneous interpreting means that interpreters must be able to think quickly and interpret almost instantly. Because of the high demands of this job, interpreters often handle simultaneous interpreting in groups of two or three, allowing interpreters to take turns and assist during their break by researching any terms.

Example:

Now let’s watch an example of simultaneous interpreting at the case involving Sun Yang and the World Anti-Doping Agency of WADA. The case opened at the Court of Arbitration for Sports or CAS in Switzerland on Friday. Nov.15th,2019. The hearing was immediately thrown in to disarray due to the inept simultaneous interpreting service on hand. Here comes the video clip.

As we can see from the Video clip, simultaneous interpreting does have the advantages of saving time and not disturbing the natural flow of the speaker in the court while suffers the disadvantage that if a person is performing the service, the interpreter must do the best he or she can within the time permitted by the pace of source speech. And sometimes the consequence may not be satisfactory as what we have seen in the above case involving Sun Yang and WADA.

The hearing opened with testimony from Sun who fielded questions from the three judges arbitrating the case as well as from his own counsel and that of WADA. Sun spoke in Chinese which was then translated into English by a simultaneous interpreter. Questions are delivered in English and translated into Chinese for Sun. Sun’s counsel Ian Meakin was the first to make reference to the poor simultaneous interpreting apologizing for the judges for repeatedly reframing the same question.

2.2 What are the Criteria of Simultaneous Interpretation?

The Criteria of Interpretation are as follows:

1) Accuracy

Accuracy is the preliminary to evaluate interpreting in practice.

2) Fluency

Being fluent refers that interpreters should make sure that delivery of interpreting proceed coherent and smooth, especially language,which should maintain a normal speed and fluency.

3) Instantaneity

Being instant is the request of interpreting within the time limit in interpreting.

2.3 What equipment are needed in simultaneous interpreting?

Electronic equipment for simultaneous interpreting includes:

First, the simultaneous interpreter’s headset. The simultaneous interpreter works linguistic magic taking in a presenter’s speech and instantly transforming it into another language. The interpretation headset facilitates all of this. It incorporates a receiver, a microphone and headphones into one device. The receiver operates on low-frequency FM channels to bring the presenter’s voice through the headphones and into the interpreter’s auditory cortex where billions of neurons work overtime to process each assigning meaning in milliseconds and outputting that meaning in an entirely different linguistic system. The interpreter articulates this second language into the microphone.

Second, the interpretation booth. The interpretation booths provide a quiet space in which the interpreter works her verbal magic. A normal interpretation contract specifies an interpretation booth for each outgoing language. Interpretation booths serve several important roles. They dampen the simultaneous interpreter’s voice, cutting out any echo effect for the interpreter’s listeners. They quell ambient noise. Interpretation booths resemble a fully-enclosed office cubicle. They feature padded walls, glass panels and soundproof design. In this silent womb, an interpreter might as well be miles away so removed from the event she or he felt. Often, the interpretation booth occupies the back of the event space. Whenever the interpreter glances out of his or her confinement through the soundproof glass. They see the gesticulations of attendees and presenters, the flickering of gigantic projection screens. Yet the only sound enters through his or her headphones. If they take these off, they experience an eerie powerful silence. The nature of simultaneous interpreting means that interpreter’s must be able to think quickly and interpret almost instantly. Because of the high demands of this job interpreter’s Ogden handle simultaneous interpreting in groups of three or two. An enclosed interpretation booth with seats for two or three interpreters contains a table running the length of the booth’s interior. The booth offers shelving or storage slots for interpreters to stash and retrieve their items, notes, conference agendas, speaker bios, briefings, technical documents and other materials.

You may wonder how the audience get the interpreted and processed language.

Audience receivers. The audience member wears a headset tuned to a receiver. The receiver has a dial, much like a radio, which the listeners dials to a pre-assigned frequency corresponding to his or her native language. This is the final destination of simultaneous interpreting where the mos5 efficient form of interpreting is being able to serve an audience of any size.

Assignments:

1. Make a brief account of what qualities an interpreter should have.

2. Please explain the criteria of simultaneous interpreting in details.

3. List some typical electronic equipment needed in simultaneous interpreting and describe their functions.