Why do you have to mumble? A Glance at the Performance of Interpreter

Abstract

Performance of the interpreters could in many ways be assessed by the audience, whether professional, or not. Coming out of a conference, or a negotiating session in which an interpreter performed as a mediator between and among a number of individuals involved, s/he may hear a number of different types of comments on his/her performance, such as "had it not been for the quick wit of the interpreter, we wouldn't have come out of the session with agreement.", or " what a talented interpreter. He perfectly handled both sides so swiftly and authoritatively." One thing we must bear in mind is that not all comments are in favor of the interpreters and their performances. It is possible that the interpreters will be the target of strong criticisms by the audience of a lecture delivered, or the negotiating members of a delegation. It is thus the objective of the present paper to glance at the performance of interpreters and find out why some of them prove weak in their performances. In other words, the present paper is aimed at providing interpreter trainees and probably novice interpreters with certain clues so that they can overcome their weaknesses and prove successful mediators in probably all sessions their performance is required. Now, let us investigate the probable weaknesses of interpreters and find out if it is possible to categorize them. Attempts will also be made to/ provide possible solution to the probable problems in this connection.