In 1956, during a diplomatic reception in Moscow, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev told Western Bloc ambassadors, "My vas pokhoronim!" His interpreter rendered that into English as, "We will bury you!" This statement sent shockwaves through the Western world, heightening the tension between the Soviet Union and the US who were in the thick of the Cold War. Some believe this incident alone set East/West relations back a decade. As it turns out, Khrushchev's remark was translated a bit too literally. Given the context, his words should have been rendered as, "We will live to see you buried," meaning that Communism would outlast Capitalism, a less threatening comment. Though the intended meaning was eventually clarified, the initial impact of Khrushchev's apparent words put the world on a path that could have led to nuclear armageddon. So now, given the complexities of language and cultural exchange, how does this sort of thing not happen all the time? Much of the answer lies with the skill and training of interpreters to overcome language barriers. For most of history, interpretation was mainly done consecutively, with speakers and interpreters making pauses to allow each other to speak. But after the advent of radio technology, a new simultaneous interpretations system was developed in the wake of World War II. In the simultaneous mode interpreters instantaneously translate a speaker's words into a microphone while he speaks. Without pauses, those in the audience can choose the language in which they want to follow. On the surface, it all looks seamless, but behind the scenes, human interpreters work incessantly to ensure every idea gets across as intended. And that is no easy task. It takes about two years of training for already fluent bilingual professionals to expand their vocabulary and master the skills necessary to become a conference interpreter. To get used to the unnatural task of speaking while they listen, students shadow speakers and repeat their every word exactly as heard in the same language. In time, they begin to paraphrase what is said, making stylistic adjustments as they go. At some point, a second language is introduced. Practicing in this way creates new neural pathways in the interpreter's brain, and the constant effort of reformulation gradually becomes second nature. Over time and through much hard work, the interpreter masters a vast array of tricks to keep up with speed, deal with challenging terminology, and handle a multitude of foreign accents. They may resort to acronyms to shorten long names, choose generic terms over specific, or refer to slides and other visual aides. They can even leave a term in the original language, while they search for the most accurate equivalent. Interpreters are also skilled at keeping aplomb in the face of chaos. Remember, they have no control over who is going to say what, or how articulate the speaker will sound. A curveball can be thrown at any time. Also, they often perform to thousands of people and in very intimidating settings, like the UN General Assembly. To keep their emotions in check, they carefully prepare for an assignment, building glossaries in advance, reading voraciously about the subject matter, and reviewing previous talks on the topic. Finally, interpreters work in pairs. While one colleague is busy translating incoming speeches in real time, the other gives support by locating documents, looking up words, and tracking down pertinent information. Because simultaneous interpretation requires intense concentration, every 30 minutes, the pair switches roles. Success is heavily dependent on skillful collaboration. Language is complex, and when abstract or nuanced concepts get lost in translation, the consequences may be catastrophic. As Margaret Atwood famously noted, "War is what happens when language fails." Conference interpreters of all people are aware of that and work diligently behind the scenes to make sure it never does.
1956年, 在莫斯科的外交招待會上, 蘇聯領導人尼基塔.赫魯雪夫 對西方陣營國家的大使們說: 「Мы вас похороним!」(俄文) 他的口譯員將這句話英譯為: 「我們要埋葬你們!」 這個聲明震驚了西方世界, 讓處於冷戰高峰期的蘇聯和美國, 兩國間的關係更雪上加霜。 有些人相信,這個事件本身 造成東、西方的關係倒退十年。 事實上,赫魯雪夫的言論 有點太按字面直譯了。 對照上下文,他的話應該被譯為: 「我們會活著目睹你們自掘墳墓。」 意思是共產主義會比資本主義更長久, 原是一個威脅性較低的言論。 雖然,他的本意最終被澄清, 但赫魯雪夫言論的最初衝擊, 有可能導致世界 走上核武戰爭的不歸路。 現今,鑒於語言和文化交流的複雜性, 這類誤解為何沒有頻繁發生呢? 答案在於口譯員的技巧和訓練, 是克服語言障礙的關鍵。 在歷史上,逐步口譯占了大多數, 講者和口譯員會暫停下來, 來讓彼此說話。 但,隨著無線電科技的問世, 新的同步口譯系統 隨著第二次世界大戰興起。 在同步模式中, 口譯員在講者說話時, 就立刻透過麥克風翻譯他的話語。 觀眾不需暫停就可以選擇 自己想聆聽的語言。 表面上,它看起來無縫接軌, 但在幕後, 口譯人員不停地工作, 以確保每個想法 都如預期般地傳達出去。 這不是輕鬆的工作, 就算原本雙語 就很流利的專業人士 也需要兩年來擴展他們的 單字量和掌握必要的技巧, 才足以擔當會議口譯員。 為了習慣邊聽邊說的不自然任務, 學生跟著講者,用相同的語言 重複他們說的每一個字。 過一陣子,他們用近義詞 釋義講者的話, 並進行語言風格的調整。 之後,再以第二個語言釋義。 用這個方法練習, 在譯者腦中創造新的神經迴路, 努力不懈的重組,使之變成習慣。 經過長時間的認真學習, 譯者學會各式各樣的技巧 來跟上講者語速, 處理艱深的專業術語 和掌握多種的外國腔調。 他們可能會縮寫過長的人名, 選擇大眾化的字詞 而不是專業術語, 或運用投影片以及其他視覺輔助。 在他們找到最準確的同義字前, 甚至可以保留原語言的字詞。 口譯員也具有即使面對混亂 亦能泰然自若的本領, 要記得,他們無法掌控誰會說什麼, 或講者聽起來會多清晰、流利。 變化球隨時都可能出現, 而且他們時常在數千人面前口譯, 在一個非常有壓迫感的環境裡, 像是聯合國大會。 他們為了保持情緒的平穩, 會仔細準備每一個工作, 在事前累積專門術語的辭彙表, 大量閱讀相關題材, 並且溫習相關主題的演說內容。 最後,口譯員成對工作。 當其中一人忙著即時翻譯演說時, 另一位會提供支援,像找尋文件、 查單字 和搜尋參考資訊。 因為同步口譯需要高強度的專注力, 所以每三十分鐘兩人會角色互換。 成功與否仰賴於嫺熟的合作默契。 語言很複雜, 當抽象或有細微差別的 概念被誤譯時, 結果可能是場大災難。 瑪格麗特.愛特伍的名言: 「當溝通失效,戰爭一觸即發。」 會議口譯員 最能夠體會到這一點, 所以勤奮地在幕後工作, 以確保此事不會發生。