When preparing for work at a public event, an interpreter in general case relies on the provided “pre-read”, but often it can be insufficient. What should you do then – refuse from the job?
Vlad Belousov, member of the Union of translators of Russia, author of text-books and training courses for oil and gas translators and interpreters.
That is what I want to discuss today. The word “pre-read” is known to all interpreters without exclusions. And if for some reason somebody does not know, it means materials provided for an interpreter on the eve of interpretation at some event so that he could attentively read, understand and learn terminology that is new for him. How well can pre-reads help an interpreter, and the most important, do they really comprise a tool for preparation, and to what extent? Let us try to figure it out.
Several years ago I participated in a conference for interpreters, where we actively discussed pre-reads and their quality. One of speakers complained that customers not always provide good materials as pre-reads. Thus, when before a corporate event one oil and gas company was asked to provide pre-reads, it sent about a thousand pages on the topic, and it was not possible to look through them during one night.
Well. Let me make a couple of comments here. First. We are so used to work by the same scheme, the same algorithm. Today – medicine, we look through the pre-read, look for new terminology and go to do the interpretation. Tomorrow – oil and gas, we look through the pre-read, look for new terminology and go to do the interpretation. Day after tomorrow – construction, the same story. And nobody assumes that it can be somehow different. We believe that we are “do-all professionals”, because we interpret everything. However actually we interpret everything with the same low quality because there is no deep submersion in any topic.
Second. That oil and gas company, which provided a huge package of documents as a pre-read, by its essence is fully right. It just dropped a delicate hint meaning: “If you want to translate for us, please be so kind to study all of that, otherwise you have nothing to do with us”. And also it is not a secret that the above-mentioned “do-all professionals”, of course if they are not fully insolent yet, are very much afraid of unknown material due to their incompetence.
In this sense pre-read for them is the last resort on which they rely, and in many aspects – a mental consolation, some hope like “but still I know something”. And it would be better to refuse, and give that job to a more competent colleague, but it is money… Can’t afford… And the most important is not to work well and enjoy it (as interpreters you should know how pleasant your work is when you understand the topic), but to reach the instant “Gosh… It’s over…”
Therefore, pre-read for an interpreter is like a path in the swamp. One step to the left or to the right and that’s it. You will sink if you do not know the industry in general. And as soon as they start asking questions on the same presentation, there will be new terminology and new information which you do not know. The correct approach is specialization in specific areas and studying the industry basics.
I was not a freelancer all the time of my practical activities. There were periods when I worked as a staff list employee in a company. For some time I was as an interpreter for HSE Vice-President in a major oil and gas company. It was and American lady with rather specific style of management and challenging solutions. It was quite normal when she suddenly came up to me and said: “Let’s go!” I asked: “Where to”?”, and she answered: “I will explain on the way”. As I found out a bit later, she managed to organize a meeting with HSE Vice-Presidents of all major oil and gas companies working that time in Russia. No subject of the meeting, no content, no duration was known. In such situation you have only one pre-read – your knowledge gained during years of work in the industry, your competence and working skills.
Somebody may say: “Well, it is all right when you permanently work as an employee in one company, but we are freelancers and have to interpret different topics”. Actually I am talking just about the same. It is clear to everyone, including customers. To interpret different topics means to create profanation or be superficial. It has been repeatedly said that the interpretation should be industry-based, and the translator should be certified. Then no pre-reads will be needed in principle.
I wanted like to finish this short article with a quotation from genius book of Mikhail Bulgakov “The Master and Margarita”, but decided to cite a bigger extract from the dialogue between the Master and poet Ivan Bezdomny, because it ideally suits our topic too.
- So you do not like my verses?
- I absolutely dislike them.
- And what of them have you read?
- Well, I have not read any of your verses.
- And then what are talking about?
- Do you think I have not read other verses? However… maybe a miracle? All right. I am ready to take it on faith. Say yourself, if your verses are good or not.
- They are terrible…
- Do not write no more.
- I promise.
Indeed, brilliant. Amazing. Just think how fully it can be applied to us, interpreters.
