Last April, Catherine Granell, Director of CG Traduction & Interprétation, a professional translation company, hosted a webinar to educate clients on issues and challenges in interpreting for international meetings.
Four main areas were addressed:
However, at the same time we are witnessing a flurry of interest for Asian languages, such as Japanese, Chinese and Korean – languages from countries whose upbeat economies make for high demand. It is also worth noting the great lack of Japanese and Korean interpreters, with only a dozen Japanese-English interpreters in all of Europe.
•Interpreting techniques adapted to every event
There are three types of interpreting, each best suited to specific situations:
- Simultaneous interpreting is the most “impressive”, as it requires the interpreter to translate, speak and listen almost simultaneously. “Almost”, because there is a delay of around three seconds.
- Consecutive interpreting, however, is the most “challenging”, as the interpreter has to produce a speech of 10 to 15 minutes at a time. But first, they have to understand the original speech, take notes, then memorise it! This technique is common in political spheres. To illustrate this, Catherine Granell shared an anecdote on a consecutive interpretation for Mr Edouard Balladur, ex- Prime Minister of France. The interpreter performed so impeccably that the only criticism made to CG Traduction & Interprétation afterwards was that, over dinner, the interpreters’ skills were talked about more than Mr Balladur’s speech!
- Liaison interpreting is used in less formal situations, such as small work sessions, contract negotiations and visits.
•Trained, experienced, professional interpreters
CG Traduction & Interprétation works with freelance interpreters. In fact, CG Traduction & Interprétation has around 300 interpreters on its books, who are selected depending on their language combination and their areas of expertise.
Interpreters have an extremely high level of general knowledge, an excellent understanding of often highly specialised subject areas as well as being, it goes without saying, excellent linguists and public speakers. They are able to concentrate hard enough to process information and translate it almost instantaneously.
•Don’t leave things to chance
Interpreters are renowned for their professionalism and their ability to adapt. However, that does not mean interpreting services can be improvised on the spot. When planning an interpreting assignment, it is important to arrange all practical aspects in advance with CG Traduction & Interprétation’s Interpreting Project Manager, and provide any information and texts necessary for the interpreter to prepare the topic of discussion.
CG Traduction & Interprétation provides widely renowned and highly appreciated interpreting services, and can ensure the success of any of your international events, from conferences to visits, debates and working sessions, negotiations, and much more.
Don’t hesitate to contact us so we can prepare your event together, and provide you with a world-class professional service.
Stay tuned! A video of the webinar will be available soon on this blog!