Interpreter Breaks Down How Real-Time Translation Works | WIRED
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 23 июн 2019
- Conference interpreter Barry Slaughter Olsen explains what it's really like to be a professional interpreter. Barry goes behind the scenes of his vocation, breaking down the many real-life scenarios he faces on a day-to-day basis. From simultaneous and consecutive interpretation to chuchotage and décalage, take a peek behind what it really takes to be a professional interpreter.
Barry Slaughter Olsen is the Professor of Translation and Interpretation at Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
NOTE: The techniques employed in this video are not all applicable to interpreting in a courtroom setting, where expectations regarding accuracy and completeness can be quite different. In this sense, legal interpreting is unique. More information on standards for interpreting in the U.S. courts can be found here: www.uscourts.gov/sites/defaul...
Footage of Muammar Gaddafi at the 64th General Assembly provided by the United Nations. (The views in the film are not those of the United Nations).
Conference Earpiece courtesy of Conference Rental.
Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on RUclips? ►► wrd.cm/15fP7B7
Also, check out the free WIRED channel on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. Here you can find your favorite WIRED shows and new episodes of our latest hit series Tradecraft.
ABOUT WIRED
WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Through thought-provoking stories and videos, WIRED explores the future of business, innovation, and culture.
Interpreter Breaks Down How Real-Time Translation Works | WIRED 
Наука
"The speaker has shared an untranslatable joke please laugh now"
Is actually pretty funny.
I thought that was absolutely reckless!! Lucky the leaders understood!
Hey, it'd be enough to make me laugh.. ;)
I didn't find that funny until I read your comment lol
A legparnas hajom tele van angolnaval.
yeah, what if the joke wasn't even funny to begin with. Would have been just as easy to tell them a joke was made about a dolphin splashing someone intentionally.
Doctors after seeing the interpreter's notes: Finally a worthy opponent!
Relatable
Some doctors speak 2 languages, for example, Chinese doctor speaks mandarin, and will typically get patients who only speak that other language and will have to also write their notes in english for others...in other words they have to translate their note while writing...
@@DoubtlessCar0 they were making a joke lol
@ I know...I'm saying there exists both at once
@@DoubtlessCar0 sorry I don't really understand, you mean you got the joke about the doctor's handwriting?
Title should be: Interpreter interprets interpreters interpretation
interpreception
@@junothewizard The interpreter is collapsing
@@junothewizard lmao
But it’s that interpreter’s interpretive interpretation...
@@ridikerous douché, as what andy dwyer would say
As someone who has studied many languages over the years, I legitimately don't understand how someone could handle being an interpreter. It's like wizardry to me.
Same
@@SourishBanik Especially Korean, or word related very closely to pitch.
I'm a turkish speaker and I've been learning English since I was a child. Long story short my english speaking author boss holds an event and guess who he chooses to translate? Me. I was absolutely terrified extremely scared and nervous, I'm not even that good in English. However it all worked out pretty well, I just waited for him to finish and translated what he said, some English speakers in the audience came up and suggested alternative words for some of my word choices. One girl studying interpreting congratulated me. It's extremely hard but once you get caught up it's doable. Human mind is amazing we really are able to juggle between two languages or even three
@@cat062 why would korean specifically be harder to interpret?
@@minjosof Well for a lot of people who didn't grow up with the language would find it hard to pronounce Korean words they way they intend since many do sound very similar and since there are no characters it's harder to build mnemonic building blocks. At least that's what I'm told by a number of my Korean friends and family membership.
if someone said the joke is untranslatable please laugh now, I would genuinely find that funny and laugh
I laughed
Lildizzle420 i actually burst out laughing in a library when that happened
if me why not laughing xD
jokes sometimes no need to understand, we just have laugh xD
Please clap
That in it self is a joke :)))
"Please laugh... She just tell a joke"
My mom to my relatives
Hahahhhhahaahaaaahhha
@@longtranbach5518 jajajajajaj*
Lol
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!!!!!! 😠😠😠
@@chrisrosario6114 *xaxaxaxa
These people have impressive brain skills... How can you freakin remember all they said / take notes / and suddenly start making a resume in another language on this? Crazy!
No hablo lá lingua
It's actually an ability we all have, it just needs to be trained, like a muscle. There are exercises you do when you start learning the job in order to train your memory (especially short term memory), to split your concentration in order to do many things at the same time and to enhance your analysis and synthesis skills The only problem is that the brain is not physiologically made to endure under such amount of concentration that allows you to do so many things at once, so after a certain period of time you need a break in order to be able to continue your job, that's why in multiple situations there's another colleague who's ready to take your place and vice versa. Once you've got into the mechanism is of course still hard because you need to be super focused and you're always under a great deal of pressure but it becomes more natural:)
I used to do this, studying the material beforehand helps immensley if given the option of course
It gets better with time.
If you are a fast typer, it's a huge plus for consecutive interpretation. People can go on and on, and I'll just type and retranslate word for word. But it's certainly not necessary.
Could someone with ADHD do this job? Asking for a friend. :P
the actors and interpreters in this actually did such a good job!! super funny and entertaining while also being accurate and informative! well done
agreed!
"The speaker has shared a joke. It is untranslatable, please laugh now."
Something I'd probably do 😂😂
We are legitimately taught to say that lol
Until I watched this video, I thought it was just a clever workaround that my specific teacher had taught us but looks like it's the thing to do X)
Not an interpreter myself, I've never thought of that, but it is a pretty clever workaround and no one involved have to lose face for not getting the point across/not understanding :) The more you know
Tbh
I actually laughed at that lol
It took me so off guard
Geo Nguyen 😂
The commenter has shared a joke. It is untranslatable, please laugh now.
The note-taking part was fascinating to me
My notes look more like shorthand (appreviated words). These interpreters are best of the best!
Chrissynysc You’re also an interpreter?
@@guyyouseewhenyoudie yes
I agree that was fascinating. But it also made me think of when I take notes in a client meeting. I have my own shorthand that works for me. I just normally don’t have to then read it aloud to someone. Lol
Oh it's the hardest for me to learn ... I still find it hard even years into the job now
As someone who has bad short term memory and not fluent in any other language... this is beyond impressive and very stressful to watch at the same time lol.
You keep forgor
@@blank1032 yes
Same, but I speak two. If it's a short comment, then no problem, can translate real time but as soon as they start talking on and on then I'm quitting.
Im turkish and i speak three languages
Turkish
German
English.
I was born in germany and i have translate sometimes for example my mom, grandmother etc. If we ever travel to foreign country and they don't speak german or turkish i step in with english.
Yes it is very exhausting trust me, you don't wanna experience this!
When your interpreter is secretly against you:
Diplomat: ‘’We are slowly losing large amounts of money and having such a difficult time”
Interpreter: “They told a joke please laugh now’’
Other Diplomat: LOL nice one fam
Nice fam
lol nice one fam
losing*
That wouldn't happen. Especially if they are a reputable interpreter.
@@kuywasaamazikeen8048 The original commenter made an untranslatable joke. Please laugh now.
"The speaker has shared a joke. It is untranslatable, please laugh now."
Same when my boss told a joke and it's not understandable.
or not funny
Hahaha
Oh HaHA
But you forced to laugh by your subconsciousness....😂
Im GK too!
The "They told a joke, please laugh right now" anecdote has been told in all my interpretation classes lol
as a good thing to do, or a bad thing to do? genuine question
SAME LMAOOOO
@@catfan913 good thing. because it's meant to be a joke, so of course you'd laugh. it'd be pretty awkward if ya didn't 😅
Heh. When I was in the university, I attended a course called "theory and practice of translation." That was probably one of the most interesting courses in the entire higher education program. My most favourite example was the Russian sentece "Девушка вошла в комнату", which switched to "В комнату вошла девушка" by simple replacement of "A girl entered the room" to "The girl entered the room." However, we have never heard that joke anecdote, which is a shame, really.
😂😂
I have a friend who is an interpreter and fluent in seven languages, works at the UN, EU, WHO etc. and he has travelled the world alone
he's a fascinating man, he's also blind which makes it even more impressive, I'm not sure how he does note taking but he has an incredible memory.
Is his name by any chance 'Dan'??
@@ayanaj1006 now we need to know if this is dan
Oh man it has to be Dan!
The world of interpreting is indeed small.
Is his language Arabic?
@@tdeo2141 wait...you mean you ALSO know a guy who fits the description ?
"Chuchotage.. meaning whispering in French"
Me being french and forgetting it's an English video - "Yeah I know"
That's so funny when it happens. I'm greek so, every now and then someone has to say what a Greek word means and I'm like "Dah!", but then I realize how dumb I am cause they aren't obliged to now.
This happens all the time
Mdr pareil
lmao
That word is so on point though!! Learned a new thing today
When you're a bilingual kid, and you translate real time for your parents everywhere
Does a sibling tap in after thirty minutes?
Totally relate
I sadly, can’t speak my birth language very well :(
@@spots1928 Sorry to hear that, mind if I ask what language it would be? :)
@@ulriktnnesen5987 Mandarin. It's quite a common language, but I can't speak or understand much of it.
Anyone can be bilingual, but translating is a real talent!👑
So true! I speak 4 languages, but I get lost when it’s time to interpret (live)😅.
keychaful same I know 9 languages. I'm actually a interpret not a good one but im juggling lol I just graduated at 16 so I have a lot on my plate. One day I hope I can get as good as these wonderful people.
I’m a translator/interpreter between Chinese and English. It can get tough at times. But I love the job, it puts me in the zone.
There's actually a thing in translation that's called "translation competences", which are necessary to be a translator. Those are professional competence, extralinguistic competence (everything regarding to cultural aspects in the language), communicative competence, psycho-physiology competence, transference competence and strategical competence.
Translating没问题，但是interpret is hard
Do Interpreters get into arguments between themselves for not translating correctly??? 🤔🤔🤔
Yes they do
They do, sometimes there is a team because they think the original interpreter translated wrong. At least in court. My mom is a court interpreter👍
Yes
I juat imagined 2 intrepreters fighting each other in this video’s scenario while the diplomats looks at them fighting confusedly
But then in which language do they argue?
After five years overseas, I had a reasonable level of fluency in my second language (German). I received compliments on a regular basis. All the literature, TV, films, and music I consumed were in German. I often dreamed in German, even.
So, when we had American visitors for a large meeting with several German speakers presenting, I was happy to be asked to translate the talks for the visitors. Rarely have I been so embarrassed. There were so many idioms used by the speakers! I understood the majority of these idioms, but was completely unable to translate them on the fly. And yes, after about half of an hour (as noted in the video) I was completely exhausted. All I could do was apologize profusely to the visitors. They were very kind about it, but I never forgot that speaking two languages fluently and real-time translation between them were two extraordinarily different things.
I speak English and learned Mandarin Chinese and let me tell....idioms are a curse!
it's a gift and not a skill, nice try though :)
@@ahmetrefikeryilmaz4432
It's not a gift, they spent lots of time to learn a different language so it *IS* a skill they developed over time.
@@pumpkinpatch7841 you have no idea and it's understandable. To be clear what is not a skill is not language-learning but simultaneous interpreting. There is a pseudo form of it that can be improved with practice, but that ain't the real thing either.
It's extremely helpful when the speakers keep that in mind and watch their use of idioms. Many people think that being asked to speak clearly for an interpreter means not muttering. While that's certainly helpful, there's more to it than that. When I was in an English speaking group having a native Romanian speaker translating for us, we were given a few tips since it was the first time many of us had given a presentation through a translator. Pause and give them time to translate, pronounce words clearly, and to avoid using slang. Even the monolingual members of the group were able to figure out what that meant. Some didn't remember, and even though the translator spoke excellent English, we could still see she was struggling when she had to translate at full speed a sentence like, "He started to get riled up, while I sat there flabbergasted. It didn't register with me what got him so dang ticked all of a sudden."
That seems like a super high stress job, especially if your boss is a ruthless dictator
Didn't North Korea recently imprison a translator for doing a bad job?
Anthony Lauder
They did??
[This is an untranslatable comment. Please laugh now]
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA
yes its, I get very hungry and dizzy lol
It is but you will see most interpeters love the skills thyve learned
Let's give a shoutout to all the professional and non-professional Interpreters/Translators out there!!!
Much appreciated ☺️🙏
Woot! Woot!
Luckily for intelligence translators we don't usually require having to translate in real-time. I sat at a desk in a certain maryland location and translated to my heart's content at my own speed.
That probably includes Google Translate too
And subtitle makers
"interpreters rely on-"
*audible ad*
Mint Mobile ad LOL
Daz ad
Old spice
I'm a medical interpreter, and I can confirm all of this! Specially for cases in the ER, you have to be fast, precise and concise with the interpretation, because sometimes people's lifes are on the line. Sometimes I don't even use my notes because I don't have the time to write anything down.
Jokes are hooooorrible at start, what I usually do is change it to a joke that is kind of similar. The thing is get laughs out lol
I love my job and I want to encourage everyone who knows two languages, give it a try!
Start with doing something for your family members (I started interpretating when my grandparents wanted to watch the church services without knowing it was interpretation), and you'll find that it gets so easier over time. It's a really great job and just as our friend in this video, I wouldn't change it for anything
I’m studying for medical interpretation in English & Spanish in college atm, what’s the biggest piece of advice you have for people starting/studying this profession?
@@SardineNipplesXX I'd say, try to get a briefing ahead of time. Some medical situations can be emotionally taxing and so if you can remove the element of surprise, i.e., knowing what you are walking into, it will be less traumatic.
I'm thankful, for example, for the nurse who gave me a heads up about the patient who had anorexia and what she looked like at this stage. At least I knew what to expect when I walked into the room.
Also, I'm thankful for the doctor who warned me that they would be talking about end-of-life care with a terminal cancer patient.
That way you can psychologically brace yourself.
These interpreters deserve to be well paid. After all, interpretation is never an easy job.
Edit: thank you for 10k likes
One word, could break friendship ei
these are interpreters not translators. they are two very different jobs. glaub mich nicht, macht nichts, tu ne dois pas me croire mais je le sais。 用对的词。
@@QuizmasterLaw Les mots peut etre le meme pour une autre langue. 比如翻译可以是写的或者说的. So there's no point trying to nitpick his comment.
jyashin huh
They are well paid. I used to be one- I am retired now.
the interpreter in the gray suite was so funny when he said "How could you do this to me I thought we were friends" he looked genuinely sad and I felt bad
Flauschekugel28 In college when training to be interpreters, we learned about vicarious trauma, which is when we absorb emotional and difficult things the people we’re interpreting for are going through.
I translated deaf and hoh phone calls sign is a very emotion based language so you must convey all emotion appropriate to the hearing party including laughing (I had a great fake laugh) and crying (I hated fake "crying" you don't actually cry you just pitch your voice to sound upset) and most of the time it just passed over me once I was used to the job but occasionally we did have counsellors come by to do training reminding us to let things go and keep detached and stuff, just in case you forgot and were getting burned out.
I like how this meeting is unpolitical but still very realistic. You hit the right spot between play pretend and not being silly!
The toughest part about being an interpreter is the responsibility you shoulder.
I worked as an interpreter by phone and it was exhausting. I spent about 7 hours on the phone every day and by the end of each day all I wanted in the world was to hear thoughts that were my own... Weird feeling I gotta say...
@HimKioo it was the same 3 or 4 kinds of calls, repetitive but draining nevertheless
Did it pay well?
^
@@MethodOverRide According to Radio Free Europe as of January 2013, UN Interpreters can earn up to $210,000 per year, working in teams of two, with each interpreter switching with the other every 20 minutes.
@@DaTT2 Thanks!!
"Joke barely makes sense in English" was the funniest thing in this video
Nah. It doesn't seems like that to me. The real joke is here : 7:35
I ALMOST CHOKED TO DEATH 😂
@@khairulhafidz15 same 😂
I currently study translation and took an interpreting course for one semester and holy cow, it's a lot more difficult than you might think. I reached a hole new level of anxiety during that course xD
As a beginner interpreter this was Awesome information! I already do note taking and study so much vocabulary. So glad to see that in the end of the day you stick to the basics and the rest comes with practice!
Welcome to the interpreter world ! ❤ hope you enjoy it! Just remember the essence is always more important then the amount of words !
Welcome to the gang!!! I'm 16 and i've recently completed my first live interpreting job! I made one mistake where i forgot a word and i was very nervous but otherwise i did it! (I hope ://)
"Whispering is bad for the vocal cord". Well, I've learnt something.
yes, it blows too much air which dries the vocal chords and they might crack or be damaged in some way
bad for the people who does ASMR
Rip Billie Eilish
Not only that if you whisper in French they'll understand.
What about exhaling through the mouth? Even that makes a whispering noise!
[This is an untranslatable comment. Please laugh now]
*laughs*
*laughs*
lol!
[laughs in spanish]
*actually laughing
He has a soothing and clear voice.
It's pretty much a job requirement.
Well he is a interpreter, that’s a part of his job
"The interpreters rely on"
Ad: Polo
Me: ah I see I see
I got a KFC ad :)
And the polo ad is unskippable
I got a starling bank one
The interpreter symbols are fascinating! Barry was great with his explanations too. Hope to see him on the channel again!
Nancy L I really enjoyed this one!
Thanks, Nancy. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Have you ever seen someone write in shorthand? A lot of women who are now grandmothers were taught shorthand note taking in high school. This looked similar to me. I remember telling my grandma a long story and her taking shorthand notes on an index card and she told it back perfectly! Pretty cool 😎
@@nicksurfs1 I actually remember anecdotally learning about shorthand in high school even though I'm only 24, not a grandmother lol. It's definitely similar to the interpreter notes. Very cool that your grandma uses it!
nicksurfs1 My Mom was an investigative reporter and her shorthand system is just fantastic. It’s so cool to look through her old notebooks, a secret language with all these insights to people and what she thought was going on under the surface.
*Now imagine interpreting*
_"I declare war on your country"_
Shivers is all i can think of
Translating after a meal..
"that wasn't chicken"
O-o
मैं आपके देश पे युद्ध की घोषणा करता हूँ।
Once I read that there's a technical term that literally means "this is war!" And doesn't need to be translated because it's latin, but I don't remember what it is and have no idea on how to pronounce it.
It's para bellum, someone already said it
I would say: "Yo declaró la guerra a tu país"
I've done a lot of translating in an informal setting and it's so ridiculously hard sometimes. I always wondered how interpreters can do this sort of thing in real time. This is a great video!
As a translator myself, I can really say interpreters deserve much more respect. I can't imagine myself interpreting simultaneously or consecutively, being interpreter really harsh. And I want to thank all interpreters out there for doing their job with love❤
This is considerably funnier when you're a bilingual
even funnier as a bilingual interpreting student lmao
Do you mean it's funnier when you're bilingual English and Spanish?
@@Feirin332 Exactly, 'coz u understand both languages & the subtle problems among them. English is WAY faster than Spanish & its grammar has more ways to resume complex ideas so u require more Spanish words 2 explain meanings. As an example: Mom's house (2 words & a contraction) = La casa de mamá (4 words) or more specific: La casa de mí mamá (5 words). This is 1 of the reasons why I do love English, it's SUPER effective :)
@@juandiegofm English is way simpler than spanish, not faster**. In fact, Spanish is the second fastest language of the world! Only beaten by Japanese. The way English structures their sentences is easy and practical, that's why it's not so hard to learn it.
@@user-hx9cc1qh3h I love facts and it opens the debate, thanks Ana. Let's see...a greater speed (# of syllables in recording / time of recording (in seconds) vs less words (If a book is written in English, it would be 25% longer in Spanish)? That would be a better scenario to know which is faster in delivering ideas.
Languages like English, which are spoken more slowly, have high grammatical density - that is, there’s a lot of information crammed into few syllables. Conversely, languages like Spanish, which are spoken more quickly, tended to have low grammatical density.
Spanish uses too many articles and too little contractions, yet at a greater velocity. On the other hand English grammar is a better way to deliver shorter sentences ERGO more ideas in a shorter period of time.
Now taking in consideration that one has a greater speed (S), yet the other one is faster due its grammatical density (E).
- Spanish = 7.82. syllables per second.
- Emglish = 6.19. syllables per second.
- Difference of = 1.63 = 20% faster.
--------------
- Grammatical Density: English is 25% ''faster'' than Spanish.
So which is faster?
To me English is faster in delivering ideas, In Spanish we just talk faster.
That was the Japanese enterpretor. He asked everyone to laugh.
randomjester I think it was when Bill Clinton was speaking to some Japanese ambassadors
No, it was actually a Jimmy Carter speech in 1981 at a Japanese college... I did my research 😁
No, it was actually Conan O'Brien's
No, it was actually barrack Obama’s
Do you guys have vidnof that?
I find translation in general fascinating, but this is particularly impressive because translating things like nuance and subtext in real time must be an absolute minefield, especially in languages which have marked differences in respect levels. I can imagine an interpreter starts second guessing and getting frustrated with themselves when they realise they could have provided a more accurate translation, but you can't afford to do that in real time!
I only speak 2 languages. The thing that really helps me is that i am extremely fast typing. What do I do? I type at least 85% of what the person is saying. Once they stop. I simply read while translating at the same time. I can't speak + translate +listen at the same time.
Practice more ig
Me: *makes a joke infront of my family*
My supportive mom: "The speaker has shared a joke, it is untranslatable, please laugh"
HAUDNAIGNSIGNSONFSOV relatable.
Story of my life lol
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
🤣🤣🤣
All of my relatives:
*laughing in spanish*
I may be a polyglot, but I can never achieve such speedy job as real-time translators. Kudos to all translators throughout the world for breaking language barriers!
They are not translators but interpreters, translators is in writing, please correct yourself :)
Which languages do you speak?
@Michael Leahcim yeah you must feel great insulting someone just because they pointed out a mistake
@Michael Leahcim Actually, interpreters and translators differ. That person wasn't even rude. I swear people are so sensitive nowadays.
斉木浩雪 Yeah press x to doubt
I have a lot of respect and awe for them, as someone who forgets a lot of words even in my native language Ik how extremely hard this is. ❤️❤️❤️
This was so interesting! I have translated for people in a number of professions and settings but not as a professional translator and this video answered so many questions I have had over the years.
As a Chinese-English conference interpreter myself, I can tell you all of these techniques (note-taking, speaking while listening etc.) require at least 2-year full-time training before you get comfortable and confident to do that. To be a top-leveled interpreter, there are so much more to exercise (volume/pitch control, short term memory, crisis response, background knowledge etc.). It is a very intensive and comprehensive day-to-day job.
I suppose Top-Level interpreter is for World Leader?
Where's the school?
Seriously, I speak Korean and Spanish. I love challenges
@@tonis5140 I studied in the UK, but you can find these programs in many universities across the continent. Search for MTI (master of translating and interpreting) and you may find a course that suits you.
@@franksaroyanthank you
Frank Saroyan hey I am doing that now , can you explain a bit on your career choice and path leading upon this degree??
"They have told a joke I can't translate please laugh." I think that's my favourite thing I've learned today.
There is a significant difference between i can't translate and untranslatable. It just would not make any sense.
Really excellent. As an interpreter (EN-PT/PT-EN) I can fully commiserate with all of the problems and situations you so well describe (been there; done that). As you say, room noises can be a terrible hinderance to a successful session. Talks between two people are difficult enough; these are multipled when there are several people around a table, and when more than one person speaks at the same time. All of us know the challenges of trying to translate jokes, and Americans, in particular, often like to begin a speech with one. Once, in the booth, my creative colleague said the following: "now the speaker is telling a joke that's untranslatable, so I'm going to tell you one that you will understand, so you can laugh at the end".
The actors are fab. Their way of presenting this information is beautiful and funny 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. And yes, it ended up a stressful job. 🤦♀️🙆♀️
Imagine starting a world war 3 because you mis translated something
There were in fact a few interpreters before WWII that tried to translate more peacefully to avoid conflict, but the two diplomatic parties often actually understand each other well and just have the interpreter for official reasons or as a way to get more time to come up with an answer, so they saw through it.
For one of Krushchev's speeches to Western ambassadors, he meant to say words to the effect of "We will live to see you buried" which was translated by his interpreter as "We will bury you"
@@YIIMM he actually said "we will bury you!" and the poor interpreter translated it this way too. But he actually meant that communism will outlive capitalism. It was just hard to get such context out of just "we will bury you"
this remind me of the Arrival movie.
there's been controversy about the translation of the Japanese answer to the American ultimatum for the A bomb by American analysts
"Never mind that this joke barely makes sense in English"
XD
Said every bilingual person ever
Science teacher: *tells a joke
Students trying to find where the joke is funny: 4:11
God I love you
@@xatiter ily u too
Such a brilliant explanation of the job!
“whispering is bad for the vocal chords” *looks at all the ASMR channels*
if it is done for hours on end, under stress, and keeping the pace of another person then it is for sure. I know, I am also an interpreter.
@@iceofswords wow which languages u know?
@@cam0987 They didn't reply, cuz dey were bullshitting REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
High stress in any situation. My brother was interpreting my new brother-in-law's best man speech when my BIL got nervous and started monologuing. After a 3 minute spiel my brother turns to my family to translate and says all of two words-- "Te amo." I've never heard so much laughter in my life.
that is super FUNNY! jajajajajajajaaa
what is a bil? In my country bil = car
@@gabrielcornea9119 an acronym for Brother -in- law 😊
@@gabrielcornea9119 It's half of Bilbo. The hobbit.
@@powercatsp thank you
Speaking different languages ans translating them are different things.
The hardest thing is to translate between languages that are not your native ones.
Very impressed with the production of this video.
I did a simultaneous interpretation for an ASEAN meeting recently, and the discussion unexpectedly kept going on for two hours straight. I was the only interpreter for the language, and I had no bathroom break during the meeting. Knowing that interpreters should take a break after 30 minutes makes me feel like I kinda did a nice job 😂
Kuddos to you!
Wow! Which language did you translate?
LaShawna Blanton thank you ☺️
Your Armchair I translate Khmer to English and vice versa ^^
Well done!
Imagine if a future civilization found these interpreter notes
Trying to figure that out will drive them cazy😭
Lololol
@Adromedox Hieroglyphs were common to large parts of the population though and kinda standardised. Interpreter notes are unique to each individual and even then they are not static. In my case you could show me the notes I took a few days ago and I would be clueless to their meaning.
Perhaps that was what the hieroglyphs were- Interpreting notes- on second thought it seems that most image-based communication has been that- your thoughts?
And then they make a Third Testament of the Bible out of these shorthand scripts 😂😂😂
Very great and informative video! I love the pacing section of the video, it's a great explanation of how our minds are processing information in real time. I've worked as a Spanish Medical Interpreter for 2 years now and I love the job, no matter how intense or stressful it can get at times. Patients and doctors alike are always so grateful for your help and that alone makes it all worth it! Plus the pay is great, I'd recommend more people look into it if they speak more than one language!
This video is so well thought and made so well!!
3:05
Am I the only one impressed by that cheat sheet folding lifehack?
I'm planning to do it for my schedule!
It's pretty cool. but not that useful, in most cases just ripping out that paper and placing it to the right is fine
I wasn't sure if to be amazed or confused at the cheat sheets.
Hard Core Mode: Invent a completely different joke.
I've done that once. Felt so badass
When you trade a family-friendly joke for a racist one.
This was so well done and interesting.
always been so impressed by the ability to listen, take in and remember information while translating and speaking the previous information in another language .. just a crazy quadruple brain skill..
this was setup and cut so well. Bravo on illustrating all the scenarios. awesome video.
I was an interpreter for an MUN conference that was on the WIPO conference rooms, and I automatically interpreted the swear word that the speaker said under her breath and that was picked up by the mic...
Can I ask how did you manage to get this job? Did it require previous college education?
@Yaroslav L That's true!
@@manager-nim2623 Hi this was not a job but part of our Model United Nations club conference, WIPO was kind enough to lend us their conference rooms as our school is very close to Geneva
@@butterbeer4582 ooh I understand, thanks for answering
You have interpreters in MUN? Doesn’t everyone speak English?
I once was asked by my family to become an interpreter for them to converse with our distant relative guests.
My family didn't think my deed was of any significance after I accompanied them for two full days and interpreted anything and everything.
Because for them... I already knew the two languages *DUH*
But the burnout I experienced ex post facto was intense..
And this is why many companies think interpreters should be paid peanuts.
Yes. I did this for a whole week for a family's friend and now it all made sense why I was so tired
Thanks so much for sharing this!
I am preparing myself to become a court interpreter in the State of Pennsylvania and I'm very excited to do this job. You have a new subscriber!
Interpreters are often mistakenly called "translators" in mainstream media, which is essentially not the same job. Finally a video using the right words for the right people and explaining in details the configuration of the job, placement and role of the interpreter, and different types of interpretation (consecutive and simultaneous)!
Yes, translation deals with a language pair, but translation is *written* and it doesn't require the same skills at all!
Great video guys. Cool homage to interpreters everywhere!
As soon as I read the title it clicked in my head.
Nice observation. I've been a translator for quite some time and eventually people ask me to do an interpreter job. I gave it a try a couple of times, but soon I learned I had no skills to do it. It's like my brain just decided to shut down and I forgot how to speak, how to listen and how to think lol
Yeah, true, it sucks that they are kinda misrepresented, though sometimes a cross between the two does happen lol
@@juniorlks1 in my country when you want to be a translator/interpreter you have to study the other as well. Then you can specialize if you want, but you have to study both.
Yes, it's so frustrating, and many people don't know the difference between simultaneous and cinsecutive interpreting (which is what is happening in the viddo) and tons of bilinguals only know how to do consecutive, not simultaneous
I can't tell if Katty is a Chilean woman with superb English or an American woman with amazing Spanish.
Chilean with great english.
Interpreters translate into their native language, in her case Spanish.
Based on the accent, definitely not a native English speaker.
@@florome She sounds 100% American to my ear. Not even a hint of a foreign accent.
@@maxkho00 she sounds foreign to me 😂 she sounds like she speaks Spanish hahahaha but I guess that's because I'm surrounded by people who speak English with a Spanish accent
Wow, 8 minutes and my head is already spinning, interpreters really deserve a lot of more credit
This was absolutely fascinating. Thank you!
"It's untranslatable. Please laugh." 😂
😶 i refuse
I love that part because it has happened in my house. My grandma tells these wordplay jokes where you rely on the sounds of the words(She said it in Spanish). My English-only speaking cousin was confused as to why everyone was laughing and I was racking my brain trying to figure out how to say the joke in English. It’s difficult because some words don’t carry the same emotion.
My major is English interpreting and translation, y’all gotta see my class’ notes during our classes lol. Sometimes we don’t even understand what we just wrote
Hahaha
That has to be very entertaining!
Is it good? I want to be a translator. But, I hope that I like it. I studied Architecture, and now I want to change my major. If you can help, I would be thankful.
I'm interested in this but the only language I'm fluent in is English. I'm 15 (almost 16 in less than a month) so idk if it's too late for me or not. This is the first time I've genuinely been interested in a job position
i feel the same. i have never been interested in any jobs, despite feeling forced to go to college. i am 14, and i have just started learning japanese, and i realized that interpreting is something i could do if i stick with it. (i love your profile picture by the way.)
Barry you are wonderful, good to see you again!
That folded under cheat sheet at 3:04 blew my mind. I've never thought using a notebook that way before.
As a polyglot, I'm often told that I should become an interpreter, implying that it would be an easy job for me. Well, let me tell you something, folks. I didn't learn most of the languages I speak in school, and I never translate words (let alone sentences) in my mind. I don't really connect different languages, so it would be extremely hard for me to do so orally in a fast paced environment, even after years of training. A lot of people seem to think that interpreting is easy, that all you need is to know a couple of languages, but it's a tough job that requires a lot of specific skills. Besides, it's a job that comes with a lot of responsibilities, too. I really wish more people would understand that.
i find that people that are able to interpret quickly & efficiently, are the ones the grew up speaking two (or more) languages in a household
Preach!!
This is so true.
Once I was trying to interpret an sentence in Portuguese to Spanish for a Spaniard friend at the same time I was reading and my brain went full 404 Spanish not found.
I can speak Spanish fluently but to make translation I need to process the whole sentence for a second or two. Specially if the frases are compounded differently in both languages, and I am talking about Spanish - Portuguese who are very similar languages
Exactly. Language is so many things never easy or simple. There's a common beauty to spoken languages , oral history telling etc that maked bilingualism n translating no simple puzzle
@@FrozenNoiseSakuraba haha i neeed that as a tshirt
I once had to translate a conversation between my Finnish grandparents and my Italian grandma. I was already tired after 10 minutes of translating 😌
It was really hard, the languages are so different and at first I was translating exactly what they said and then I realised I didn't have to
I wonder how would you translate in to finnish the nonna saying: "mannaggia alla puttana! Me se so bruciati i fiori di zucca! "
@Axel Drans you should try learning the language. I think there's a helpful Ted talk on here with helpful tips to learn the basics of a language in 6 months, but take your time
@@MrWolf-xk8sl the speaker has made a joke... its untranslatable please laugh now
We are supposed to interpret and translate ideas, not certain words.
I literally laughed out loud at the joke part. this video is so insightful
I've always wondered about these translators and how they translate in different situations. This was really interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed learning the process. 😊
As a certified Spanish interpreter, i am happy that people get to realize how hard our jobs can be.
I actually have a question I really hoped to ask someone in the profession!
Given the recent developments in AI and services such as Google Translate that already offer some sort of simultaneous translation and also have huge room for improvement do you think there'll still be a great need for interpreters and translators in the near future?
@nadirApex That was what I was hoping for thanks!
I'm a polyglot myself and the idea that foreign languages won't be that much necessary in some years kind of bugs me
@@camillachopinet3828 AI doesn't understand humor, sarcasm, irony and also doesn't understand nuances in what somebody's saying. Also - a lot of people want to speak in English, even though it's not their native language. So you might have a Japanese, a French person speaking English with an incredibly strong accent - I think AI would have a hard time picking that up. I mean, real interpreters do, too, but for AI, that would be even worse.
May I ask how you got certified? What did you study?
manager-nim I’m CCHI certified. If you go into their website you’ll see what you are tested on
Professional = fatigue starts at 30 mins, better to switch out to avoid feinting.
companies = we want to pay you barely anything for 9 hours a day of straight interpreting.
That's a real life example btw.
I totally agree worked on a job for 3 years 40 hours per week it was very stressful.
why i translate, only. a) there are better interpreters i think and b) yeah i expect they pay dogshit and expect you to beg for it.
@@MidoGhanim what!!
bro that's accurate asf
Civilian Translator/Interpreter: 30 minutes and then go take a sip of water and get on instagram for a bit
Military Translator/Interpreter: 7 hours straight, and if you cry in class, we're giving you paperwork
@@SB-gq7fp this video is about interpreters.
the video I was looking for, thank you well done
Thank you so much for this video. I always wanted to know the behind the scenes life of an interpreter. I am trying to learn 3 languages simultaneously 😳. Because I love to communicate with everyone. This video speaks to my passion. Thank you.
"The joke is untranslatable. Please laugh now."
Now THAT is funny!🤣
4:57 me first year learning a language in college
5:18 me after 3 years learning a language in college
😭😭😭 Me tryna learn Korean
Learning Japanese be like
dolphin?
Thank you! Starting out as a new interpreter. I needed to hear this.
Dear Barry, it is the first time for me to watch yours RUclips. I am studying the Health and medical interpreter course now and planning to pass the test of Certified Interpreter. Your show is very helpful. Thank you. Anna
In the name of all my fellow professional translators and interpreters: Thank you for raising awareness about how important and difficult our highly underrated job is!
Well done!
I have a question I wanted to someone in the profession!
Given the recent developments in AI and services such as Google Translate that already offer some sort of simultaneous translation and also have huge room for improvement do you think there'll still be a great need for interpreters and translators in the near future?
@@camillachopinet3828 Absolutely yes.
SomethingStupide and underpaid lol
"The speaker has shared a joke. It is untranslatable, please laugh now."
Can't help but actually laugh when the interpreter said this XD
Being an interpreter it is a treat! Amazing video
I loved this video; very informational and well created.
He hasn't explained what always boggles me the most: In simultaneous translation, how can the interpreter keep track of their own translation and listen to the the other person speak? I understand the stuff about the optimal EVS but this still seems impossible to me
Maybe just getting used to it I guess? Kinda like singing a harmony while someone else is singing melody, you get used to it over time. But idk, I'm not an interpreter
Trust me, I dont get paid but, the simultaneous will feel at times a lot more like consecutive translation. It's hard but it can happen.
How? Practice, practice, practice.
As an interpreting student we did many excersises like only repeating what the speaker said in the same language (called shadowing) and we got told to put only one headphone on so that we still heard ourselves speak. An important thing is to not get stuck if you miss something, and just continue the best you can. Also when you know the context really well you can make a pretty good guess at what the speaker is about to say. I guess you learn to split your attention in a way, although this is not something one is actively aware of.
I do this in my church, and i think the brain does it without much problem. I mean, i do know the “church” language in both english and spanish, so i just listen and my mouth starts speaking... i don’t know.. i really can’t say how it works. 😂🤣 but jokes, I just laugh. I have to say, I need naps after doing this.
'Perfecto Idiota'
6:29
When my teacher says I have no future because of my grades..
and my face would be..
Do other Spanish-speaking countries actually say “perfecto idiota”? It’s a very common expression in English, but as literal expression, you’d get weird looks in Mexico.
No one says that
@@ulisesxavier1116 No one says that.
you would commonly hear that in tlaxcala
I love how she still used "Usted".
I found this video incredibly insiteful and the editing of this video is great. I have a new found respect for interpreters, I struggle to sing a song when a different song is on, this seems harder than that. :)
This is so good, so funny, so informative. All in one. Congratulations!