Interpreting

An interpreter needs an excellent command of the language, of professional terminology and often of slang as well.

Moreover, in this type of interpreting the interpreter stands in for the speaker, speaking on their behalf and finding themselves at the center of the whole audience's attention, which adds psychological pressure.

Interpreting can be consecutive, where the interpreter reproduces the speaker's words in segments, or simultaneous, where the interpreter works at the same time as the speaker.

In consecutive interpreting, the interpreter may work with a short phrase, a sentence or a longer passage.

In any case, the amount of text to be remembered is relatively small. This type of interpreting is widely used in everyday communication, in the office, during visits to businesses and supermarkets, at informal meetings and receptions, and it is the most common form of interpreting.

Simultaneous interpreting is considered the pinnacle of the translation profession: to non-professionals it seems the most difficult type and is surrounded by an aura of mystery and even incomprehensibility.

This type of interpreting requires special, unique skills and abilities from the interpreter, as well as extensive experience.

Simultaneous interpreting is mainly used at events such as:

and whenever the negotiation process needs to be as productive as possible and take a minimum of time.

Simultaneous interpreting is a topic in its own right. A good knowledge of foreign languages is not the essential condition for a simultaneous interpreter's success. The main difficulty lies in their reaction, or more precisely, their reactivity.

A simultaneous interpreter has to respond every second to each phrase being interpreted, switch their mind instantly and juggle concepts and ideas at the same time. That is why this type of interpreting puts off slow-reacting people, even those with an excellent command of the language.

To succeed in interpreting, the interpreter must be fluent in the languages, well-read, quick to react, and possess a good memory and the ability to quickly find the most suitable option in difficult situations and to predict with a reasonable degree of probability where the speaker is heading. To do this, it is above all necessary to study the subject of the talk as deeply as possible in advance, not only the terminology but also the essence of the matter.

Interpreting does not allow enough time to reflect on and understand phrases, and asking for clarification of what was said is considered bad form, while in simultaneous interpreting it is simply impossible.

Another important task is to catch the speaker's tone, to understand whether they are speaking ironically or angrily, and to convey their emotion or impassivity, without ever revealing the interpreter's own attitude to the participants in the discussion or to the issues under discussion.

So, as you have already understood, interpreting is a serious matter, and not every translator can do it well.

At Kerner, we guarantee that our specialists have all the professional skills and experience needed to grasp the essence of what they hear and promptly convey it to the listener, choosing the most accurate words, word combinations and grammatical forms, taking into account the format of the event and the emotional coloring of what was said.

Section topics