At all official meetings of the United Nations, delegates' speeches must be interpreted simultaneously in six languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Official documents, including important speeches, must be printed in six languages, so every official meeting must be translated in six languages, and there can be no omissions. studio
Simultaneous interpretation is provided in the auditorium and conference hall of the United Nations General Assembly. Every language has a simultaneous interpretation studio called "Box". There are six boxes in six languages. In a meeting, there are usually three interpreters in each "box". Each interpreter listens to the speech with headphones on his head and translates it into the microphone in turn. In the venue, each seat is equipped with six simultaneous interpreters, and delegates can press the button to choose the language they want to listen to.
After the Second World War, the Nuremberg International Military Tribunal, established in Germany, used simultaneous interpretation for the first time in the trial of fascist war criminals, which is also the first time in the world to use simultaneous interpretation in large-scale international activities.
Simultaneous interpretation is one of the most difficult translation activities, and it is often called the highest realm of foreign language majors. Commercial market of simultaneous interpretation
The market and prospect of simultaneous interpretation Among the 54 industries listed in the "Guidance Price for Wages of Part-time Employees" table, the highest price of simultaneous interpretation is 20,000 RMB per hour.
income
In the price list of simultaneous interpretation, English 1 day,1.2000 ~ 2 1 10000 RMB, and non-English1.8000 RMB. Generally, two or three interpreters are required to form a simultaneous interpretation team to work alternately. The above price is the translation price of a team for one day. Based on this, the minimum income of simultaneous interpretation is 4000 yuan per day. The quotations of some domestic translation companies are even twice the above prices. It can be seen that the industry is attractive. Many language learners and translators regard simultaneous interpretation as the highest realm of translation. One day's salary of simultaneous interpreters is equivalent to one month's income of a white-collar worker. They can earn five or six thousand yuan a day.
The salary for a conference with simultaneous interpretation is 5000 yuan a day, and some conferences have higher salaries. When meetings are busy, such as March-July, September-65438+February, the schedule is often full, and some meetings need to be booked more than one month in advance. Excellent interpreters can earn 40 thousand yuan or more a month at the peak of the conference, so it is not surprising that excellent translators earn 500 thousand yuan or more a year.
example
Take Beijing as an example. At present, the remuneration paid to simultaneous interpreters is generally 4000 yuan per day, which is the average income of three people in each group. Even some senior simultaneous interpreters can reach more than 10 thousand yuan a day. The time is calculated according to the 8-hour working day, from the beginning of the meeting to four hours, which is half a day, and from four hours to eight hours, which is a day. In addition, the customer will pay the accommodation, air tickets, ground transportation and other related expenses for simultaneous interpretation. Generally speaking, the income is still considerable. Not lack of money, but lack of people. Simultaneous interpretation talents are scarce all over the world and one of the most difficult talents to train. There are more than 2,000 professional simultaneous interpreters in the world, especially in China. According to incomplete statistics, there are about 30 professional simultaneous interpreters in China. As for the international popular professional simultaneous interpreters who are good at economy, trade, science and technology, politics and law, there is still a blank.
market prospect
With the increasing communication between China and the world and the improvement of China's international status, no matter where international conferences are held now, Chinese is indispensable, and simultaneous interpretation from China is indispensable. There are international conferences almost every day in the world, and more and more international conferences are held in China. It can be said that simultaneous translation is huge in both domestic and international markets. It is said that the European Union and Australia even asked China to train them in simultaneous interpretation, and the market prospect of simultaneous interpretation is getting better and better.
The demand for simultaneous interpretation has increased exponentially, but the number of qualified simultaneous interpretation has increased very slowly. According to reports, at present, a few professional simultaneous interpreters are mainly concentrated in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Other cities lack simultaneous interpreters for holding international conferences and need to hire them from Beijing and Shanghai. Want to do simultaneous interpretation, the word "difficult". The reason why simultaneous interpretation can get absolute high salary is because there are few talents, and the reason why there are few talents is because it is "difficult". It is too difficult to do simultaneous interpretation.
The threshold of simultaneous interpretation is quite high. The ideal situation is to receive formal training in conference interpretation (consecutive interpretation and colleague interpretation), lay a good foundation in language and skills, and master the manners of the booth. After that, I will accumulate experience through practical translation tasks.
In addition to a solid foundation and mature conference experience, entering the simultaneous interpretation industry requires a strong thirst for knowledge. Simultaneous interpretation is a semi-expert in any field, and mastering extensive knowledge is an important prerequisite for simultaneous interpretation. Can only succeed, can't make mistakes. At present, there is no fixed institution in China responsible for the related issues of simultaneous translation, and there is no unified standard to evaluate the work of simultaneous translation. Whether simultaneous translation is competent or not will be directly evaluated by the parties to the conference he serves. After the conference, organizers, conference presidents, experts and delegations from China and other countries will express their gratitude for the simultaneous interpretation. If you think your work is excellent, they will give warm praise, and some will directly invite you to cooperate with them next time. If the simultaneous translation is not good, there will be reactions at the meeting, including stamping, coughing and talking.
Outsiders look at simultaneous interpretation and think it's a group of people at the top of the pyramid. They go in and out of luxury hotels and attend international conferences, and their income in January is higher than others. However, entering the simultaneous interpretation industry is unusual, and the pressure in the industry is well known. You can't fail here.
Simultaneous interpretation should also pay attention to small details. The movements in the translation box should be quiet, because the Mike in the translation box is very sensitive, even the sound of turning pages gently is a huge noise to the delegates, so translators should try to avoid small moves or bumps, and female translators should even avoid wearing big earrings to avoid noise. Recently, viewers who pay attention to the Iraq war report will see an announcer who is not the host on TV. When the overseas live broadcast cuts into the TV picture, they wear headphones, stare at the picture and translate it in the most accurate language to the audience who are eager to know the situation at once. Without them, many viewers who don't understand foreign languages may just look at the picture and be in a hurry. These professionals are simultaneous interpreters, and it can be said that they use language to promote the communication between China and the world.
Simultaneous interpretation, also known as "simultaneous translation" or "simultaneous interpretation" for short, is generally used for the mutual conversion between languages in large international conferences. Simultaneous interpreters usually work behind the scenes. When a person speaks, he should make sure that when the speaker's words reach the ears of the participants, they are already familiar with the language.
There are less than 30 simultaneous interpreters in Guangzhou.
In recent years, with the increasingly frequent exchanges between China and the international community, simultaneous interpretation has gradually become an enviable new occupation in China, and China's entry into WTO has accelerated the demand for simultaneous interpreters. It is reported that the number of people engaged in simultaneous interpretation at present is far from meeting the market demand. Due to the rapid rise of China's economy, Chinese is becoming an international language, and more and more international conferences are held in China. It can be said that simultaneous interpretation is huge in both domestic and international markets. Nowadays, many simultaneous interpreters have almost become "trapeze artists", constantly running from one city to another to attend various international conferences.
The lack of simultaneous interpretation in Guangzhou is almost surprising. Professor Huang Jianhua, Chairman of Guangdong Translation Association, told the reporter that there is a great shortage of simultaneous interpreters in Guangzhou, and there are no more than 30 people in Guangzhou alone. Moreover, in the fields of economy, trade, science and technology, politics, law and so on, there is a shortage of professional simultaneous interpreters with strong knowledge. This shortage of talents is not commensurate with Guangzhou's status as a modern metropolis. Because whether an international conference is equipped with simultaneous interpretation has become an important symbol to measure the conference. It is understood that the Guangzhou Municipal Government had to borrow several simultaneous interpreters from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to support the annual meeting of international metropolises held in Guangzhou.
There is a shortage of simultaneous interpreters not only in Guangzhou, but also in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. However, compared with Beijing and Shanghai, Guangzhou has the fewest simultaneous interpreters. According to industry analysts, the requirements for simultaneous interpreters are too high and the employment threshold is too high. Doing well requires a lot of practical experience, so there are not many qualified ones. It is understood that at present, the talents active in Guangzhou simultaneous translation market mainly include: first, government workers who have dealt with foreigners before, such as employees of foreign affairs units, and second, foreign language professionals from universities. It is understood that most people who are engaged in simultaneous interpretation in Guangzhou have participated in the EU simultaneous interpretation training program, and some of them have long-term study abroad background.
Difficult "golden collar of language"
Simultaneous interpretation is so precious because it is a highly difficult, skilled and intensive job, but few professionals can achieve these three highs. "The simultaneous interpretation time is tight, there is no pause, it can hardly be changed, and the feedback on the scene effect is very rapid." Ms. Ma, a graduate student of Translation Department of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, has rich experience in English simultaneous interpretation. She described the characteristics of simultaneous interpretation. Miss Ma said that in the process of simultaneous interpretation, the most difficult thing is to translate the audience's free questions, which means that the people who listen below should communicate directly with the people who speak above. If the translation is not accurate, there will be an embarrassing scene of answering irrelevant questions. This requires simultaneous interpreters to be quite familiar with the expression habits of foreign languages, so that there is no obstacle to communication. Not only does it require an accurate grasp of the language, but simultaneous interpretation also requires high time. It is even required to have time "in advance", about two seconds faster than the speaker's thinking, that is, when he hears a sentence from the other party, he should immediately guess what he will say next, and then translate it immediately within two seconds. Miss Ma said seriously that simultaneous interpretation requires the translator to be quick-witted and quick-witted, and to keep up with the speaker's thinking rhythm when translating. Translators should be "double-minded" and respond immediately while listening, which is difficult for many ordinary translators to do. In addition to on-the-spot reaction, it is also quite difficult for simultaneous interpreters to prepare in advance. Miss Ma said that even experienced simultaneous interpreters should make good preparations, because the content of each simultaneous interpretation meeting is different. This requires simultaneous interpretation workers to inquire about the theme of the meeting and the titles of the participants in advance, and then be familiar with the relevant Chinese expressions. She said that some problems at the scene are hard to prevent, because sometimes the speaker's speech content is not fixed, and he may pick up a word casually, which requires simultaneous interpreters not only to be cautious, but also to be bold, dare to open their mouths and not get stuck. If they stop translating, the scene will be awkward. So at work, you are required to be highly nervous and extremely focused.
Strange goods can live and make a fortune every day.
Because simultaneous interpreters are "scarce", the income is also quite high. Miss Ma revealed that the income level of domestic simultaneous interpreters is in line with international standards, and the income of simultaneous interpreters is also the highest among translation companies. She calculated for the reporter that the interpretation price for a working day is generally 700 yuan, while the simultaneous interpretation is 3,900 yuan; General professional conference interpretation needs 1500 yuan, and simultaneous interpretation needs 4200 yuan. According to the data, at present, the remuneration for simultaneous translation is generally 4000 yuan per day. If you complete the translation task independently without an assistant, the maximum amount can reach more than 10 thousand yuan per day. The time is calculated according to the 8-hour working day, from the beginning of the meeting to four hours, which is half a day, and from four hours to eight hours, which is a day. The quotation for English simultaneous translation in a translation center is: 2,500 yuan/hour for manuscripts, 3,500-4,000 yuan/hour for advanced interpretation service, 4,000 yuan/hour for clients not to contribute, and 8,000 yuan/hour for advanced interpretation service. In addition, the customer will pay the accommodation, air tickets, ground transportation and other related expenses of the simultaneous interpreters. Although translators can't have meetings waiting for them to translate every day of the year, there should still be 100 working days every year, so the income is also considerable. This income level can be described as "getting richer every day".
The emergence of simultaneous interpretation qualification certification
At present, many related talents have obtained relevant qualification certificates through the training courses of simultaneous interpretation in order to squeeze into this gold collar industry. It is understood that there are only dozens of senior simultaneous interpreters qualified for international conference interpretation in China, but in fact, Guangzhou needs at least a few hundred people for various international conferences. The qualification examination for foreign language interpreters held in Shanghai is extremely popular.
On March 6th, 2002, 10000 candidates took the qualification examination for foreign language interpreters jointly organized by Shanghai Foreign Language Interpretation Examination Office and other units. There are three exams: English, Japanese and French, with special emphasis on oral adaptability. This certificate is the highest-level interpretation certificate in China at present, so it has a high gold content and is favored by employers. In the past seven years, nearly 60,000 people have taken the "Shanghai Foreign Language Interpreter Qualification Certificate" exam, while less than 6,000 people have obtained the foreign language interpreter qualification certificate.
Then, if you have obtained the advanced interpretation qualification certificate, can you do simultaneous interpretation? Miss Zhang Xinying from the Cultural and Education Section of the British Consulate in Guangzhou told the reporter that a person with advanced interpretation qualification certificate may not be qualified for simultaneous interpretation, which requires professional skills training, and some qualified simultaneous interpreters may not be qualified for interpretation. At the same time, even simultaneous translation may not be competent for simultaneous translation in all occasions, which is normal. Because the contents of many meetings at different levels are very different and the themes are ever-changing.
In fact, at present, there are also some universities in China that conduct formal and two-year training in conference interpretation, such as the Interpretation Department of the School of Advanced Translation of Shanghai International Studies University. This is a cooperative project between Shanghai and the United Nations and the European Union. The program enrolls less than 10 students every year. In the first year, consecutive interpretation and visual translation are studied. There will be an entrance examination at the end of the first year, and those who pass will start to learn simultaneous interpretation in the second year. There will be a graduation exam at the end of the second year, and students who pass the exam can obtain a professional certificate of conference interpretation signed by interpreters from the United Nations, the European Union and AIIC.
How to be an excellent simultaneous interpreter
How can I become an excellent simultaneous translator? Professor Zhong Wei He from the Translation Department of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies believes that training a qualified simultaneous translator requires a lot of translation skills training and practice, a deep knowledge of foreign languages and Chinese, and barrier-free language expression. Only by firmly mastering the mother tongue and foreign language can we be comfortable between the two languages. These all need to be accumulated for a long time at ordinary times. A good education is also a basic quality requirement. To become a simultaneous translator, we should consciously expand our knowledge, constantly strengthen and enrich our horizons, and constantly train ourselves into knowledgeable people.
Simultaneous interpretation and translation is a very practical work, so it is often necessary for the master to lead the way, and the effort is personal. It is not enough to have a good teacher. Learners also need to continue hard practice (constantly improve their bilingual level, knowledge and translation skills, etc. In addition, teamwork is also very important in this industry, and members of the simultaneous interpretation team of a specific task should help each other. Novices in this field need the help of experienced translators. Professor Zhong said that only by solving these basic quality problems, coupled with his high education, language training background and interpersonal background, can he become an outstanding talent in the simultaneous interpretation industry.