Ladies and gentlemen, interpreters and translators, linguists and language scholars, today we are talking about consecutive interpreting.
As charming as challenging. And those in the industry know what we are talking about. The professional interpreter is responsible for effective communication between parties. It acts as an intermediary between the parties involved. The attempted connection succeeds only when the interpreter acts in the common interest of the parties to find a point of contact.
The practice of interpreting has a very long history behind it. Among the most well-known forms of interpreting are simultaneous, consecutive, whispered and telephone interpreting. Overlooking the individual peculiarities and differences among the various of interpreting, let us now focus on the consecutive form of interpreting.
How does consecutive interpreting work?
L'consecutive interpreting is a verbal translation service in which the interpreter translates the message transposed by the speaker(s) at fairly regular intervals. Generally, the speaker pauses every 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the structure, content, and length of the entire speech.
The interpreters take advantage of these pauses to transpose the original message, translating it into the target language and transmitting it to the listeners in the room.
In technical jargon, décalage is the latency time between the speaker's exposition and the translation processed by the interpreter. In the case of consecutive interpreting, this time lag is long enough for the conference interpreter or consecutive interpreter to take notes, which can be reworked during translation.
Trying to decipher what is transcribed on the interpreter's notepad can be very complicated.
Through the annotations taken, the interpreter is able to reproduce a structured map based on a logical analysis, supporting memory, from be able to reinterpret even after some time. Many professionals use symbols, standard or "innovative" keywords. The note-taking technique therefore can be-and must be-. subjective and very personal.
Through the notes also, the interpreter has the opportunity to remain faithful to the speech enunciated minutes earlier by the speaker, without having to give up more or less fundamental concepts or passages. Consecutive interpreting does not accept summaries or personal reinterpretations. The interpreter sticks to the original message, fostering continuous and integral communication.
Finally, the conference interpreter is used to working alone. Although this may be a flaw in our eyes, in reality this mode gives the interpreter Greater freedom in managing mental effort, which he employs simultaneously in listening, note-taking, information processing, and final rendering.
The alternative to the term consecutive interpreters is conference interpreters since, as can be inferred, consecutive interpreting lends itself to relatively medium-sized events of international caliber. Events such as conferences, conventions, and meetings involve the co-participation of individuals of different nationalities and the services of experienced linguists and conference interpreters.
Consecutive interpreters have a distinct degree of specialization in their language combination and field of expertise. Typically in fact, works in a one-to-one sense between the languages involved in the conference. With the skills developed and knowledge gained from years of training and field experience, the interpreter can work toward both the source and target languages.
Although this can be hindering, for the interpreter this factor of bi-lingualism can work in his or her favor. In note-taking, annotating in different languages can mentally serve the interpreter to connect concepts and to reconstruct the speech so that it follows a logical thread.
Finally unlike simultaneous interpreting, consecutive interpreting does not require the rental, installation and use of technical interpreting equipment. In the case of simultaneous interpreting, the equipment, booths, and accessories must be of high quality so as to enable optimal service. Audio input and output should not be subject to interference of any kind.
For consecutive interpreting, the interpreter leverages his or her listening and concentration skills. He or she must be able to isolate himself or herself completely and focus attention on the speaker's voice, which requires not inconsiderable experience behind him or her. However, the ability to take and use notes makes service delivery more usable and feasible for the interpreter.
International Congresses Press Office
