One of the myths that clients have regarding interpretation services is that interpreters need no preparation, that simply because they are interpreters, they can — and should be able to — handle any topic off the cuff. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Interpreters are not faucets which allow water to run as soon as they are flipped on. Successful interpretation services require interpreters to dedicate a significant amount of time for serious preparation well in advance. The prerequisite of such preparation is cooperation from clients — that is, clients provide interpreters with conference materials in a timely and complete manner.
Generally speaking, a one-day conference requires two days of preparation time. If the matter is complex or the content highly technical, it is not unusual for interpreters to spend one week in preparing for a one-day conference.
The requested interpreters may be busy for days before the conference, and unable to review materials while on another job. Therefore, we recommend clients provide materials at least two to four weeks ahead of time, so that interpreters may have adequate time to prepare.
Some clients may have concerns over confidentiality. One of the central tenets of translators’ and interpreters’ Code of Ethics is confidentiality. Professional interpreters take it very seriously, even in the absence of explicit stipulation. Of course clients can always put a detailed non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in place before signing on interpretation services.
Some clients may argue that there are many guest speakers at the meeting, and some speakers may not hand over materials until the last minute. This brings up the topic of communication. Timely and effective communication — between interpreters and clients, meeting organizers and speakers — is critical for the success of an interpreted conference.
Interpreters should inform clients, and clients inform speakers, of the risks and benefits of providing materials early. Just imagine how much time and effort speakers spend on drafting, editing, and practicing the speeches. But regardless of how powerful and effective the speeches are, you are only as good as your interpreters. All the hard work and preparation goes down the drain if messages fail to get across because of bad interpretation.
Therefore, all parties should come to the consensus that whenever interpretation services are used, materials should be provided to interpreters well in advance. If for any reason, speakers cannot get materials ready ahead of time, then drafts, even incomplete drafts, would be valuable as long as provided to interpreters early. In contrast, a perfectly polished script may be useless for interpreters if provided only minutes before the meeting starts. It would be of little to no help due to the lack of time to preview it.
The rule of thumb is: If the speakers rely on materials for their speech, then interpreters should have the same materials. Such materials include scripts, PowerPoint slides, audios, videos, and other documents (such as papers to be circulated). Remember, the materials need to be provided IN ADVANCE.
If the moderators or MCs have scripts when introducing speakers, such scripts should be provided to interpreters, too. The names, titles, and bios of speakers, as well as organization names, should be provided early. Such information, although seemingly trivial, can be very difficult to decipher, retain and pronounce without prior practice, thus posing significant challenges to interpreters.
