Why defining interpretation can be a challenge even for interpreters?

Qualified trainers train many great interpreters using a rather practical , with little explicit theoretical background involved. I was one of those interpreters. I have decided not to remain one, though. My encounters with academia had been nothing but scarce, scattered reading. Well, no more. Over time, I have come to procure some academic books, and I’m going to use them!

Last week or so, I posted in Portuguese a blog post with a picture of Me and Franz Pöchhacker‘s “Introducing Interpreting Studies.” My post was more or less on how difficult studying interpreting seems to be. You see, interpreting is a “live” thing. It happens right then and there.

Studying interpreting is somewhat like studying butterflies: you have to kill it using precise, well-designed methods to be able to pin it to a board and then study its physical features, trying to recompose all of them into that frantic, almost ceaseless flying. So, it requires a lot of imagination and a great deal of abstraction. But, apparently… it works!

How to define interpreting, then?

As mentioned above, it is difficult to pinpoint definitions for a live activity, So, I’ll agree with Prof. Pöchhacker’s approach on how to define interpreting: among the many definitions existing out there, I like how he picked Otto Kade’s (1968) one.

Otto Kade defined interpreting as a form of Translation in which
– the source-language text is presented only once and thus cannot be reviewed or replayed, and
– the target-language text is produced under time pressure, with little chance for correction or revision.
(Pöchhacker, 2004, p.10)

Even if we are talking about consecutive interpreting, this definition works. Try it yourself in your mother tongue: have a friend speak for about 2 minutes and, taking notes or not, try not to leave anything out. Therefore, it is nothing but a game, but do you feel that slight pressure about not forgetting details and how time also play a big role?

To conclude, it is all about the here and the now. And, even if recorded, it’s G-O-N-E. You can’t go back and re-record it because you missed a word or stuttered, self-corrected, etc. Once it’s out there, it is out there.

Why is that worth highlighting? If you are an interpreter, buckle up and find a way to trust yourself (I could write about that. I’d like to).

If you hire interpreters, find professionals you trust and stick with them. They will rise in a learning curve that naturally takes place if you give them time and support.

As I keep on reading, I’ll share more insights based on my many “wow” moments while reading such brilliant authors.

Ps. English is not my mother tongue. I do my best, but I also count on you being kindly lenient in case anything may sound artificial.
 Tip: Keep the bright side in your heart and mind. 

O post What is interpreting? apareceu primeiro em Helena Wergles.