Issues in Interpreting

Interpreting, especially simultaneous interpreting, is no easy task. So most of the theoretical studies about interpreting has focused on simultaneous interpreting rather than the consecutive one. What actually happens in the process of simultaneous interpreting is a complex cognitive action. The interpreter listens to a speech, understands it and translates – all of this can happen only consecutively, but it gives the impression of being simultaneous. The scientific studies into the process have attempted to understand the mental activities that take place during simultaneous interpreting.

For example, how do interpreters comprehend a sentence when they hear it? There are scientists who contend that there is basically no difference in the process of comprehension in interpreting from that of comprehension in daily life. But the major difference is the speed with which the interpreter has to produce the translation. How then does the interpreter comprehend a sentence when she hears it?  The simultaneous interpreter has to start translating at the same instant that the speaker starts speaking. Very often the interpreter has no means to understand beforehand the idea that the speaker is trying to convey. The other problem is that the interpreter might not have an in-depth knowledge of the subject that the speech is about. In most cases, the interpreter would know less about the subject than the speaker and this makes it all the more difficult for the interpreter to anticipate the speaker and her words. Theoreticians in the area of psycholinguistics are interested in this aspect of interpreting.