The image that accompanies this article was created by artificial intelligence (AI) in response to the prompt “communication, spoken language.” It is unsettling, confusing, curious, and maybe even a little scary. Any mention of AI within the professional translation and interpretation community seems to trigger a lot of these same responses. Among some who use T&I … [Read more...]
Lessons for the new year
Here we are. 2021 has staggered to a close and a new year has begun. COVID is still in the daily news, our professional world is still a constant mix of virtual and in-person, and we never did get our “old normal” back. In fact, it seems to me that we’re learning to hold this “new normal” lightly, knowing full well that it can change again at any time. As professionals, this … [Read more...]
Acoustic shock: What interpreters need to know
By Maha El-Metwally Acoustic shock can have very serious implications for interpreters but we are not paying enough attention to it. This issue has gained more awareness in the context of remote interpreting but also in the context of colleagues who experienced acoustic shock while working in Canada, Paris and other places. As interpreters, we need to educate ourselves about … [Read more...]
A quiet revolution in diplomatic interpretation
A story of innovation at the UN as told by the sidekick Sheila Shermet One Saturday morning in January 2007 the phone rang as I emerged from the shower. I ran to answer. I had only been in Geneva for about six months, having transferred from Vienna where I served for almost five years. The Chief of the English booth was on the other end. "Would you like to go on mission with … [Read more...]
Mobile Interpreting Technology
We all watched President Donald Trump being greeted in Spanish by the Argentinian President Mauricio Macri at the G20 Summit. Mr. Trump then tossing the mobile interpreting system on the floor while commenting that he understood him in Spanish better than when using the interpretation. Before commenting on this from the perspective of the interpreter, I would like to first … [Read more...]