Turn on your TV and you catch a clip of an international summit. There you’re likely to see heads of state or official representatives wearing headsets as they listen intently to what the current speaker has to say, though they don’t speak the same language. The information will be simultaneously interpreted by professional conference interpreters, who are located in nearby soundproof booths, and sent to the heads of state. However, conference interpreting can be used in a wide range of settings—anytime there is an important meeting where not all participants speak the same language.
Much has been written about the history of written translation, but not as much ink has been dedicated to the history of interpreting, or the history of conference interpreting in particular, even though the use of interpreting predates the origin of writing. This may be partly a function of interpreting’s more ephemeral nature, as well as its lack of status traditionally, but this is changing along with the use of interpreting.
Over the course of the last century, geopolitical necessity helped to shape modern interpreting into the forms we know it today and gave rise to the professionalization of the conference interpreter.
Ancient Interpreting
The first written “proof” we have of interpreting comes from the ancient Egyptians. Dating back to 3,000 BC, they inscribed a hieroglyphic meaning “interpreter” on a number of funeral monuments near the border between Egypt and Nubia.
Neither the ancient Egyptians nor the ancient Greeks had much respect for languages other than their own, but their desire to exchange goods and wage war on other nations made foreign-language interpreting a necessity.
In ancient Rome, interpreters were necessary for the Romans’ dealings with foreign contacts like the Celts, Egyptians and Syrians. In addition, Roman officials liked to use interpreters in their dealings within the empire but this was done primarily for political reasons.
Exploration and Conquest
Starting in the 15th century, Spain and other European nations began to explore, and then to conquer, continents beyond Europe.
From the very beginning, Christopher Columbus recognized how essential interpreters were. He brought an Arabic and Hebrew interpreter on his initial voyage, which proved not very helpful in the Americas. But once he recognized his mistake, he captured some indigenous people with the idea of teaching them Spanish and using them as interpreters in the future. Most of his captives were less than enthusiastic about the idea, but a few did successfully serve as interpreters during subsequent voyages.
In fact, one of history’s most famous interpreters was a woman called Doña Marina, or La Malinche, who was instrumental to Spain’s conquest of the Aztec Empire, located in what is now modern-day Mexico. Born a noble but sold into slavery as a child, she was given to the Spaniards. However, they came to recognize her linguistic talents and she served as an interpreter, advisor and diplomat for Hernán Cortés. For her extraordinary involvement in the Spanish conquest, she remains a controversial figure in Mexico to this day.
International Diplomacy
The Latin language outlived the Roman Empire and served as the language of European diplomacy until the 17th century, when it was replaced by French. The French language was then used as the language of diplomacy not only in Europe but throughout the world until the early 20th century and the end of one of history’s deadliest conflicts, World War I.
The Paris Peace Conference, held in 1919 and 1920, set the terms for peace and the end of World War I, as well as established the League of Nations (a predecessor of the United Nations), the International Labour Organization and the Permanent Court of International Justice. 27 nations were involved. However, representatives from Great Britain and the United States requested that English be used as a diplomatic language during the proceedings in addition to French.
Since this time, English has been used as a diplomatic language around the world, either alone or in conjunction with other languages, such as French.
The Paris Peace Conference effectively created the first demand for modern conference interpreting and opened the gates for more multilingual diplomacy. However, it wasn’t until the innovations following the next world war that conference interpreting became what it is today.
Nuremberg Trials
After World War II, the Allied powers established the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany, known as the Nuremberg Trials, to try Nazi war criminals under international law. Until this time, interpreting had always been done consecutively. This is where a speaker says something in one language and then must wait for the interpreter to convey what was said into another language.
The Nuremberg Trials were large, ultimately indicting 24 individuals and seven organizations, and were conducted in four languages: English, French, German and Russian. A new method of interpreting—simultaneous interpreting—was pioneered in order to hold the trials fairly as well as efficiently. Using a system of microphones and headsets, interpreters conveyed what speakers were saying into the target language in real time.
Interpreting Today
The practice of foreign-language interpreting has evolved over the years. Today, conference interpreters are well-respected professionals who help diplomats, business people and others to communicate in different foreign languages at important conferences, summits, meetings and events. Depending on the event requirements, conference interpreters can interpret consecutively or simultaneously.
If you or your organization require an experienced interpreter for a high-level event, Responsive Translation can help. To learn more about our foreign-language interpreting services, please get in touch at 646-847-3309 or [email protected].