Background
Conference interpreting was born at the Treaty of Versailles. Though at the time it wasn’t a recognised profession. It was performed by high-powered people who were delegated by their country and had full command of one or more languages. These intermediaries would repeat the speaker’s words out loud once they had finished speaking.
The birth of simultaneous interpreting, on the other hand, was witnessed after World War II, with the Nuremberg trial, the UN and the Marshall Plan.
Interpreters, a bit like post-war pilots, were revered and raised to demigod status, with lots of prima donnas in their midst. Since these people had learned languages circumstantially they were deemed to have a knack for languages.
The arrival of simultaneous interpreting, at that time, was seen as degrading and simultaneous interpreters as parrots, whereas consecutive interpreters were seen as the stars of the profession.
The Ecole de Genève, founded in 1941, and then the interpreting schools that were set up in France and Belgium in the 1960s, trained the first generations of professional interpreters.
With the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC) standing up for them in their dealings with major international organisations, they were able to enforce their rights: controlled working hours, set pay, stringent working conditions, first-rate travel and accommodation conditions. They were able to impose themselves as being a cut above the rest.
However, with the increasing number of interpreters, the end of the thirty-year boom period after World War II and, more recently, the economic downturn, the tables have turned. To what extent will the situation change again with processes being automated?
Who are they today?
Are they gifted? Are they language geniuses? Are they masters of memory? Are they extremely open-minded people with a huge amount of knowledge? Or are they just huge chatterboxes and parrots?
Having a great deal of linguistic baggage is just one of the prerequisites for being an interpreter. Many come from bi-lingual families, like they did one hundred years ago, but this is no longer the rule.
Interpreters have undergone years of study – at least five years of university-level training – and learned about a profession, i.e. interpreting techniques, note-taking and conference preparation.
While an excellent memory and a nimble mind are essential, interpreting calls for intellectual and linguistic qualities that are rarely combined.
Indeed, the more accurate interpreters are and the greater their vocabulary in their mother tongue, the better their interpreting will be. There’s no room for approximation when interpreting. Interpreters need to act quickly and accurately in order to render concepts and interpret ideas in their mother tongue.
Frustration or great pleasure?
Shut away in their booths, or at best repeating the words of a speaker – as prestigious as they might be – in front of an audience, interpreters play the essential role of transmitting a message – a message that is not their own. The most frustrating part being this: the better the interpreter, the easier they are forgotten by the audience. They are the filter, the intermediary – a role which is sometimes considered and perceived as subordinate.
In return, they are well paid, travel, meet interesting people and further their understanding of a wide range of subjects: each assignment poses a unique challenge. Furthermore, good professional interpreters get nervous. Just like any good thespian, their adrenaline starts pumping before they take to the stage…
Interpreters often find outlets by taking up artistic pursuits (writing, music, theatre, drawing, etc.), working with non-profit or humanitarian associations or by leading a very active family life. It’s a matter of finding the right work/life balance.
The interpreting profession tends to be dominated by women: there are more women than men. They are required to manage their professional life, family life and frequent trips.
In a nutshell
Interpreters boast a great deal of general knowledge. They are required to align their tone with that of the speaker, demonstrate a great deal of concentration and be able to speak and listen at the same time. This requires a huge amount of mental and physical endurance. What is more, they are also required to translate incoherent and inaccurate remarks… After all, their job is to interpret.
At CG Traduction & Interprétation, we have come across many instances when responsibility for a misunderstanding has been pinned on an interpreter who, incidentally, was only doing their job. Indeed, from a diplomatic perspective, it must’ve seemed easier to tackle the problem from this angle…
At CG, we know all of our interpreters. Each and every one of them is professional, intellectually honest, competent, mentally strong and dedicated to providing customer service.