3.2 Technical equipment for simultaneous translation and rules
work of simultaneous interpreters
The purpose of this section is to describe how the organization of
events using simultaneous translation has changed in the 20th and 21st
centuries, what modifications have been made to the equipment for the
joint venture.
The organization of the joint venture at the Nuremberg trials in 1945
had not yet been established, and therefore the translators faced a number
of problems.
The first difficulty was the unfamiliarity of the translation conditions
for the translator and the speaker. Translator Siegfried Ramler mentions a
system of signal signs invented by simultaneous interpreters, where
orange meant that the speaker was talking too fast. Then the judge warned
the speaker to slow down the pace of speech. The red light was for
emergencies, such as equipment failure.
The second difficulty was the translation of documents of particular
importance. Speakers and organizers often did not think about the need
for interpreters to be provided with all the key documents of the event.
Even the slightest inaccuracies in the translation of such documents could
significantly affect the outcome of the event. Accordingly, it was the
interpreters who had to ask for the necessary material and explain to the
speakers the importance of supplying simultaneous interpreters with the
texts of speeches, resolutions, etc.
The technical equipment at the initial stage of the development of
the joint venture was also imperfect. 1945 “a portable microphone was
installed on the booth table, which was taken over by one of the
interpreters, depending on what language the speaker spoke in” [Hoffman,
1963, p. 21]. The first cabins were completely enclosed. Later, cabins with
built-in screens appeared, and after some more time - with a glass panel.
Modern booths are soundproofed and the number of pieces of
equipment corresponds to the number of interpreters. The synchronizer
has headphones and a microphone. Headphones also provide sound
isolation, however, practice shows that many simultaneous interpreters
work in one earphone in order to monitor their speech. The booths of the
joint venture are equipped with monitors, where additional materials are
broadcast. All recipients have headphones.
Certain rules have been formed for translators and customers. For
example, the memo to the customer of the National League of Translators
says: “Such an organization of simultaneous translation is not allowed,
when the speech of geographically remote participants is broadcast over
the loudspeaker into the hall, then it is perceived by the microphone
installed in it and transmitted to the booth of interpreters” [National
League of Translators…]. There is also a time regulation - 15-30 minutes
of work with rest breaks between shifts.
Traditionally, interpreters work with two or three people if the ST
lasts more than an hour. The scheme is as follows: the first simultaneous
interpreter translates, the second one writes down the precise vocabulary,
i.e. proper names, numerical data, dates, and helps with the translation of
lexical items that are of particular difficulty. The third translator is resting
at this time. Then they replace each other.
There are two schemes for organizing a joint venture. Under the
direct interpreting scheme, which is used at UN meetings, the number of
booths is determined by the number of working languages, in each booth
interpreters translate into their native language. With the translation
scheme through the leading language, one of the languages is declared the
leading one, and there is no corresponding booth. The interpreters of each
booth interpret from the host language to the booth language and from the
booth language to the host language. There may be a variant when one
booth is assigned as “axial”, and its translation into the leading language
is translated by the rest of the booths into their languages.
If in the last century the joint venture was an innovation, and
organizing an event with a joint venture and the event itself created
difficulties for everyone - customers, interpreters, speakers and listeners,
now everything is fine-tuned and you can find simultaneous interpreters
and equipment in a very short time.
Now you can not only rent equipment for a joint venture, but also
order a complete organization of the joint venture - installation and
commissioning of simultaneous translation systems, sound amplification
equipment, round table conference systems, video projection systems,
multimedia equipment, sound and video recording systems, etc. d.
[Sintegrus, equipment,]. Philips, as well as Bosh and Brähler, which were
present at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, can be considered the most
common brands of equipment for the joint venture. I.V. Zubanova notes
that despite the same functions, the design of the remotes is completely
different. Therefore, before starting work, the translator should find out
the following: how the microphone is turned on and off; location of the
“mute” button on the remote control; how to adjust the volume in the
headphones; how to switch the microphone from one translator to another;
how and by whom the channel is switched from language to language;
how to switch from speaker to other booths. [Zubanova, 2011, p. 37].
What interpreter booth manufacturers sometimes miss is the ease of
use of the control panel. For example, touch buttons can stick, and the
“mute” button can be forgotten to turn off if it requires additional pressing.
Switching channels should also be as quick and easy as possible.
Sometimes preference is given to the "radio guide" system,
originally intended for excursions. The interpreter has a transmitter,
microphone and headphones, while the speaker has a microphone. Such a
system is easy to transport, because. fits in the trunk of a car and weighs
about 30 kg, easy to put into operation. These systems have many
channels for different language combinations. We can say that the radio
guide equipment protects against listening by third parties, since the
receiver is tuned to a specific channel, which makes it difficult to intercept
the signal. The recipients of the translation have the opportunity to go into
the next room and continue listening to the translation - unlike the infrared
signal, the radio signal passes through the walls. Wi-fi and Bluetooth do
not affect the radio guide.
The radio guide system can be used when the speaker and the
audience speak the same language, but there are foreign guests among the
listeners. It turns out a kind of whispering for several clients at once, who
can sit at different ends of the hall. For the same purpose, there is
“whispering” equipment, where the interpreter may not have headphones,
but there is an ultra-sensitive lavalier or head microphone [Sheptalo,
mobile synchronous].
Booths for interpreters can be different in size, in degree of
closeness, in materials from which they are made, in type (desktop booth
"cap" or floor), according to assembly technology, which ultimately
affects their cost. Simultaneous interpreters say that not only the air
quality and the degree of sound insulation are important - the space for
placing auxiliary materials plays a very important role, because often a
laptop and printed materials are simply indispensable in work.
It can be concluded that the working conditions of simultaneous
interpreters have repeatedly undergone changes not only in terms of
equipment, but also in terms of the organization of the process itself.
Simultaneous translation has always been regarded as an activity that
requires a lot of effort, so even when there were no officially fixed rules,
interpreters translated no longer than 30 minutes, with rare exceptions.
Taking into account the above information, it can be said that at first
the organization of a joint venture was a difficult task, but now equipment
developers, organizers and synchronizers themselves are successfully
coping with it. There is a large selection of equipment for simultaneous
translation of various prices and quality on the market, which is not only
convenient, but at the same time difficult - an interpreter needs to be able
to quickly understand the operation of new equipment and adapt to
management. When organizing a joint venture, it is desirable to exchange
opinions between the customer and the translator, since the working
conditions have a significant impact on the quality of the translation.
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