She writes:
Consecutive interpreting is the ‘listen, pause, talk’ approach, where the interpreter appears with the speaker on the platform. (I also enjoy simultaneous interpreting, the kind you see at United Nations’ conferences, where the interpreters sit in a booth and the delegates hear continuous translation through headsets).
Consecutive interpreting is better for an interactive debate. Knowing the Mayor’s talk would be followed by a Q&A with the audience of business leaders, I did my homework beforehand in case some of the more technical sustainability terms and acronyms came up. I was pleased I did, as Mayor Brugnaro spoke in detail on the new waste recycling system in Venice and the eco-friendly vaporettos.
My client was also very pleased with how the Q&A went, and gave me some lovely feedback: "...live Q&A with an interpreter is never particularly easy but I thought you made it look as effortless as possible... it would be such a shame to miss out on these important perspectives if we didn't have people like yourself to interpret."
Another key part of consecutive interpreting is that I need to have strong public speaking skills, look confident on stage, and even mirror the speaker’s delivery style when possible. Mayor Brugnaro is a man of natural flair and charisma, and I did my best to convey his passion for Venice and his sense of humour. His joke that the seagulls are now going hungry because of the better waste management in Venice got a lot of laughs, so I think I succeeded! This must be what they mean when they talk about sustainability ‘trade-offs’!
Has your company taken any steps toward becoming more sustainable?
About One Stop Language Solutions
With a base in London as well as Cambridge, One Stop Language Solutions offers services in more than 150 languages. Projects are diverse and have involved interpreting for politicians, economists and strategists across Europe and beyond. One Stop has also worked with experts in subjects ranging from toxicology to medical device manufacturing, biosciences to analytic computing, ophthalmology to defence.
Services include:
- All types of interpreting (simultaneous, consecutive, whispered, interpret-as-you walk) whatever the format of the meeting or event.
- All types of written translations (websites, web shops, promotional material and manuals, legal, financial, marketing and urgent or same-day translations) to reach audiences and target groups in remote parts of the world.
- Conference and event support (provision of translation booths, sound equipment and event assistance) to suit your business requirements.
Find out more and request a quote at www.onestoplanguagesolutions.com
Or visit https://italianinterpreter.london/