Invisible: Interpreting on Panels

Many readers may be unfamiliar with the fundamental difference between translating and interpreting. If it's old news for you, feel free to skip to the next paragraph. While translation usually refers to the written transfer of words and content from one language to another, interpreting is characterized by achieving this transfer orally. My MA program focused on written translation, but I also attend interpreting seminars and still interpret semi-regularly. The main challenge of is the speed. When translating a sentence from a novel, I would have access to a dictionary, and would go through multiple drafts. When interpreting on a panel, for example, I have a matter of seconds to come up with the best possible translation for the given sentence and spit it out. And do it all in such a way that facilitates communication and renders me (nearly) invisible.

This year I was asked to interpret for several panels for program called Europa21 (sponsored by the Robert Bosch Stiftung) that attempted to highlight various aspects of contemporary life in Europe. Several panels were conducted in English, but there were occasionally members on the German language panels understood little to no German. The first panel, "We the Wealthy?," was oriented around the question of who has a claim to Europe's wealth and at whose cost. While the other panelists chatted away in German, I whispered an English version into Jón Gnarr's ear. When he gave his answers in English, I took notes and then repeated his answer into microphone, in German.

My work on subsequent panels was similar, with Åsne Seierstad (We, Partners and Friends? - How an Enlarged Europe Sees its Boarders) and Adam Szymczek (We, Conscious of History - Wasn't There Something a Hundred Years ago?), although in these cases the decision was made that we could trust enough of the audience would understand answers in English and I was just responsible for making sure Seierstad and Szymczek understood the German-language debate.

Finally, working for the panel opened the door to a new experience for me: the VIP area. It definitely wasn't as swanky as I imagined, but the prep time before and after panels plus the free food and drink was augmented by something nearly priceless at the overfilled trade fair: silence. Whispered conversations and the sporadic clank of cutlery were the only distractions while I looked out over the growing blanket of snow.