On the first morning of the meeting our telephone rang. It was the meeting organizer asking us if there was any way that we could take over. He explained that they had to stop the meeting, since the interpreters weren't keeping up with the speeches; they were interpreting sporadic bits and pieces of the talks and the foreign delegates said that even when they did try to interpret, what they said made no sense.
Stories such as this have become all too common in the past couple of years, as more and more people fall prey to disreputable agencies willing to say and promise anything to win a contract. Don't believe them: No simultaneous interpreter worthy of the name will claim to be able to handle all subjects.
Technical simultaneous interpreters are simultaneous interpreters with in-depth knowledge of a particular technical field. Competence as a simultaneous interpreter is not enough.
It is impossible to interpret a speech, unless the interpreter has an extensive knowledge of the technology involved and the latest background information in both the source language and the target language. Only the interpreter who fulfills those criteria is a technical simultaneous interpreter.
|
Why we need specialized technical simultaneous interpreters
Not long ago we bid on a three-day meeting in San Antonio, Texas dealing with chemical engineering research. The other agency bidding against us used the argument, most convincingly, that their simultaneous interpreters were not only local (thus saving the client travel expenses), but also so experienced that all they needed was a glossary of terms. We, on the other hand, told the client that their topic required specialized technical interpreters and that there were no simultaneous interpreters in San Antonio with the required qualifications.
