Some of the neologisms in English are based on people’s names.  Gerrymander comes from the name of a Massachusetts governor who redrew the state’s districts to favor his party in 1812, while the Diesel engine is named after its inventor.  More often, the doctrines and policies of particular statesmen lend their names to words ending in –ism, like Leninism and Thatcherism.

Sometimes, certain words in English can take on new meanings, whether alone or in combinations.  This occurs often in popular culture, as shown by the music genres blues, folk and rock ‘n’ roll, along with the movie genres comedy and horror.

Clearly, this tongue that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England is now one of the ultimate mixtures in the world, and simply continues to evolve.  In fact, many languages have entities that regulate them, such as the Bangla Academy, which regulates Bengali; English has no official regulation.  In a way, English is no longer a sufficient name for the language.  It nowadays needs a name that emphasizes its fascinating mélange of words from around the world.

At a conference, an English-speaker stands at the front of a table giving a speech in a normal presentation voice.  There are two interpreters seated near the speaker at the front on opposite sides of the table.  Each interpreter wearing a transmitter listens to what the speaker says and verbally translates it into Spanish and French in a softer volume, so as not to interfere with the speaker or each other.  Through the receivers the participants seated around the table hear the interpretation very clearly in their own languages, no matter how far away from the speaker they are seated.  The conference goes off without a hitch.

What is magic is that there are two languages being spoken, but people only hear their own languages.  If you do not wear a receiver, you will hear the dominant voice and the two softer voices in the background.  The interpreters, however, ingeniously stay focused and manage to perform two complex tasks at once.  It is an almost mystifying process.  Just as in Robert Altman’s movies there are many conversations going on at once but it is still clear what the focus is, the focus is very defined in this situation.

Unlike consecutive, which is a stop-and-go process, simultaneous interpretation happens concurrently with the speaker, which saves time.  All the while, the brain has to perform two processes at once: listening to the speaker, and then converting the speech into another language and speaking it at the same time.  Practically everyone can drive a car, but not everyone can simultaneously interpret a language, which requires training.

Simultaneous interpretation is the preferable form for conferences.  Interpreters have to go through training to acquire their skills.  Technology and interpretation equipment are also employed to assist in the process.  Interpreters work in pairs and take a break after a certain amount of time due to the concentration required.  In the process, interpreters might also have to interpret a speaker’s tone and emotions and convey the speaker’s personal style.  In that sense, interpretation is almost like a performance.  In the end, because of the thrill and excitement, an interpreter can feel like a singer does after the curtain call.