18 The Linguist FEBRUARY/MARCH
www.iol.org.uk
FEATURES
C
onference interpreting is often
used as a synonym for simultaneous
interpreting, though it encompasses
both simultaneous and consecutive work.
It takes much longer to interpret
consecutively, but this kind of interpreting
is still used on some occasions, such as
press conferences and after-dinner
speeches. The ease of use of mobile
booths and the variety of subjects covered
means that conferences can be organised
almost anywhere.
The day of the conference starts early.
Whether I wake up at home or in a hotel
room, I begin by watching the news: never
to be underestimated are the last-minute
news stories or football results that a
speaker may refer to in the opening speech.
Forewarned is forearmed!
Before leaving for the conference venue, I
check that I have everything I need for the
day: a printed map with the venue address
(you never know when your sat nav will fail),
client contact details, a hard copy of the
presentations, a USB stick, headphones, my
laptop with digital copies of the conference
documents, my smartphone, chargers,
various pens and the all-important medicine.
Paracetamol, Strepsils and eye drops are
essential, as I often get a sore throat,
headache or itchy eyes because of the
temperature in the booth or air conditioning.
I always aim to arrive at least 45 minutes
before the event starts and, if I stay in a hotel,
I usually travel to the venue with colleagues.
Upon arrival, I meet my client and a
representative of the language service
provider, if they chose to come to the event.
Then I head to the booth, and greet my booth
partner (simultaneous interpreters always
work in pairs) and the other interpreters.
At this stage, I locate the booth technician.
Should you have any problems with the
equipment, this will be the person you need
to talk to. After a quick check to verify that
everything is in working order, I also ask for
a wi-fi password, where that is available. In
my experience, the wi-fi does not work most
of the time, so a good plan B is to access
the internet on your smartphone or via a
3G key.
It is important to locate the toilets and the
room where coffee and meals will be served
at this stage. Knowing your way around the
venue – and ideally a shortcut – can be very
useful when dozens of delegates are trying to
get to the same place at the same time.
Conference interpreter Charlotte Monnier examines
the environment for linguists working in the booth
Let's get physical
CONFERENCE INTERPRETING
