Interpreting in Russian: Two or Three Things

When it comes to interpreters, people first think of the image of someone dressed appropriately, speaking confidently in diplomatic or negotiation settings. In many novels and TV shows, there are protagonists who are interpreters. In real life, there are also many "gods and goddesses," such as Cheng Yikun, who studied at Xi'an International Studies University and is now the chief Russian translator for leaders, or Zhang Lu, an English interpreter who gained attention online a few years ago due to outstanding business skills.

I believe that many students studying foreign languages dream of becoming interpreters when choosing their majors. However, after studying for a few years, they may start thinking about giving up, with some even changing careers. Learning a foreign language for daily conversations may be easy, but mastering interpretation in a specific professional field is not simple. To become a qualified interpreter, one needs to put in a lot of effort.

Interpreters not only need solid professional knowledge but also interpersonal skills and the ability to adapt quickly, as there are many uncontrollable factors in interpreting situations that require consideration of various details.

A Chinese-Russian interpreter once shared an experience where she was doing consecutive interpretation at a meeting, facing a Russian interpreter who had been married and living in China for ten years. This Russian interpreter turned consecutive interpretation into simultaneous interpretation, putting a lot of pressure on the Chinese interpreter. In such situations, interpreters may feel panicked and even lose their usual standards. What should one do in such a situation? At this time, strong mental resilience is needed; one should not be intimidated but focus on fulfilling their job duties according to the agreed translation requirements.

During simultaneous interpretation, especially when leaders are speaking, there are often situations where the prepared text differs from what is actually said. This is common because speech drafts undergo constant modifications. As interpreters, our job is to understand the leader's expertise and achievements in advance, prepare for the professional terminology that the leader may use during the meeting, and respond flexibly.

Accompanying interpretation in informal settings is slightly less stressful than the previous two scenarios. However, this does not mean one can relax. Accompanying interpretation is more versatile; the content of the conversation is hard to predict, and there may be situations with significant shifts. Sometimes, the other party may have cultural taboos related to customs, language, etc., posing a challenging test for the interpreter's personal qualities.

Therefore, excelling in interpretation is no easy task. Interpreters should not have fear but instead keep falling and getting back up, accumulating experience through practical experience, and enriching themselves. Often, one nerve-wracking interpreting experience can lead to rapid growth for an interpreter.

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