INTERPRETORS

LOL- it was a quick response from the top of my head- as an example, and I got it rather splendidly... or rather catastrophically, wrong, didn't I!
Thanks goodness it was an example about how interpreters can influence things, rather than one about factual history.

Of course most top politicians who are not French or British speak at least one foreign language and often 2 or 3 or more. Usually English + another.
Here in Switzerland, all will speak both French and German + English, and often Italian too. I recently had to host the whole of the Swiss Government, at the opening of a new Museum I am VP of- and they were all switching from German, French and English without batting an eyelid.

granjura I am intrigued by Korbatschev. Is than an alternative (maybe German?) transliteration of – well who exactly? I thought about Gorbachev, but then what connection did he have with a Kennedy? Help!

Why do you think Angela Merkel gets along so well with Putin. She does not need an interpreter. She went to school in East Germany and did Russian at school. I think a politician these days should speak one foreign language at least. We may be an island but communications and travel have progressed so much that you can't grumble about paying for interpreters. A good interpretation is an advantage in any situation so pay them well.

It is such a highly skilled job indeed- when translating, you have access to lots of specialist dictionaries and time- but when interpreting, especially difficult material like politics or scientific papers, etc- it is instantaneous- in fact worse, the interpretor is always 1 sentence behind. Worst is interpreting languages like German, with very long combined words like in Welsh, and so often the verb going right at the end of a sentence.

But even the best make mistakes. The worst was an interpreter for Jacques Delors, Head of the European Parliament at the time of the Maastricht Treaty. Mrs Thatcher was of course present. M. Delors said 'bien sûr, l'union fait la force? = of course staying united will give us strength. But the interpretor got it all wrong and made Mrs T. jump- it was like red rag to a bull. Of course Unions will have more power- he said. I was screaming at the TV- it seems noboy else but me picked it up, as there was no comment in the Press or apology/correction at all.

I often wonder if interpreters were at times chosen to influence the outcome- sort of active spies. Imagine Korbatschev and Kennedy talking about the cold war- and the interpretor would deliberately and cleverly alter the meaning and sense of what was being said ... in such sensitive and dangerous times, it could be the flame that set the all thing alight.

Simultaneous interpreters - in such places as the Euro-parliament - are very highly skilled linguists. A first class degree in languages is not a sufficient qualification. An interpreter's course has to be taken at post graduate level.

I live in Spain!! I am 82yrs old and almost deaf,although trying to learn Spanish for several years I still can't hold a conservation in the language.Whenever I visit the doctor or any of the local authority offices I have to have an interpreter,at my own expence,I don't mind as I choose to live here.In Spain people have to put into the system before they can draw from it and that includes the Spanish!!!!Perhaps the uk government should take a few lessons from the Spanish.??

So right TerriBull I had basic Spanish before we moved over there which was helpful but after 18mths was quite fluent depending on which area in Spain the person was from with whom I was conversing,a truely delightful language I used it on an every day basis as my neighbours where all Spanish and when I came back to UK it took me a couple of months to stop thinking in the language.

glammanana - I'm sure you are right, expecting everything to be in English when living in Spain isn't good, such an attractive language as well, it would be a shame to live there and not to take some lessons, broken Spanish would be better than nothing. My neighbours live half the year in France and have enough French to get by day to day, a basic requirement for anyone who intends to live in a foreign country I'd say.

Terribull Most of the ladies who deal with the insurance for medical claims made in Spain speak English and will gladly translate for emergency treatment they will go out of their way to help you understand most Medical Staff have English as a second language,its the long term x-pats who don't bother to learn the language who you find are the problem they "expect" everything in English as being their right.

I have noticed that any literature put through the door from our local council has a section on the back, where, if requested, it can be translated into a number of languages. I haven't had anything for a while, but it was particularly noticeable when we had a Lib/Dem council in this area. If we have to make serious cuts then I think this sort of unnecessary benevolence should be among those cuts.

It always puzzled me as to the languages that were offered, for example, top of the list Albanian. Firstly they are not in the EU yet, so how many Albanians can be here? Translations into French, German, Japanese, the Scandinavian languages aren't offered, we have a number of those nationalities in my area. I suspect the reason being is that they would not be dependent on these sort of services.

As well as wasting public money I don't think it's too much to ask non English speaking foreign nationals to get someone in their community to translate for them. I believe the English community in Spain are expected to bring a Spanish speaking friend to hospital appointments now when they don't speak the language as translation services are not offered in Spain.

Which interpreters do you mean nonu?

Did you mean non English or non English speaking people and will this 100K only be paid by English taxpayers?

Do you have a source or link to tell us more about this Nonu?

I believe the government recently decided that the transalation services offered in courts etc would work much better if, instead of the usual ad hoc system of employing interpreters they put it out to tender for a large company to be responsible for providing translators for the legal system country wide.

The rates the company with the contract offered the translators was so poor many refused to take on any legal work,The result was total shambles as court cases had to be postponed because promised translators failed to make an appearance, or arrived late or spoke the wrong language. It also cost far more than the usual system by which each court knew who the local translators were, how good they were and could often get them to come to police stations and courts at very short notice and paid them less than they had to pay the Contractor holder but more than the translator got paid by the company themselves..

We use interpreters in the tribunals. We need evidence from the claimant themselves and relatives can not be relied on to correctly interpret what their relative says.
The interpreters are very poorly paid and vary in quality.

I imagine using family members might be open to difficulties. When working in antenatal clinics it was common for ladies from India or Pakistan to not speak any English. It was hardly appropriate for their son or daughter to translate and I never saw a husband with them. In fact many would only see a female doctor with persuasion.

Is that £100K per year for one person or for all of them?

Why do English people abroad need interpreters? We all know that if an Englishman speaks very slowly and very loudly he can be understood by anyone

I am a sworn-in interpreter. They had to swear me in when I translated for beaten up American soldier. It was very hard work - quite exhausting. The case went on all day.
Your brain has to find the exact right word in seconds, and as for the simultaneous interpreting in the EU parliament then they must need a lot of them and why shouldn't they be paid well?
Usually it is people who can't speak a word of any other language who think that just by living in a country it all becomes so easy! Why not do it for free? I was always being asked by the Tourist Bureau to translate or correct texts mostly over the phone until I asked for couple of free theatre tickets to compensate me for my time and that was the last I heard from them.

I'm hazarding a guess that the OP is referring to immigrants and non-English-speakers in the UK for whom an interpreter is necessary in certain circumstances.

Not all countries provide such a service for free, as has been said!

It fascinates me granjura that when going abroad some people blithely assume that everyone will speak or understand English- DS says this is even prevalent in Kurdistan! He found that if an interpreter wasn't immediately conjured up some Americans would threaten to leave immediately....

... lol, which is why they expect mugs like me (professional linguists) to provide my services again and again ... for free (cheeky!)

And they just can't believe the local plumber, carpenter, garage, dentist, GP, hairdresser, policeman- do not all speak fluent English either- as well as 3 national languages ;)

Expats in Switzerland certainly moan very loudly about some officials not speaking fluent English, and interpreters not being available for free ;)

What interpreters do you mean?

100k to the English taxpayers, some may think this is a bargain. Am afraid I think it a lot of money, but hey ho!

Ultimately taxpayers somewhere, I guess. The UN bill must be phenomenal and I doubt if the G8 (or however many it is now) comes cheap.