How to Become a Simultaneous Interpreter

As the saying goes, every trade has its masters — and every profession is a pyramid with a base and a peak. In translation, simultaneous interpreting is the peak. Take the premier's annual press conference: the interpreters in the booth need not only superb language skills but also agile thinking and the ability to adapt on the fly.

A veteran SI trainer once said: "For interpreters with booth experience, every assignment is excellent material for reflection." Beginners inevitably worry about making mistakes. In fact, SI follows learnable patterns — summarize diligently, internalize the lessons, and results will come.

Compared with other forms of translation, SI success depends heavily on external factors: the atmosphere of the venue, the condition of the equipment, the interpreter's physical state. The speaker's verbal habits, slips and cultural background matter too. To truly become a simultaneous interpreter, build knowledge across fields — classical poetry, foreign trade, finance, construction — and prepare thoroughly before every conference. Sharpening the axe never delays the chopping.

SI requires interpreting while the speaker is still talking, with a lag of about three seconds — still a major challenge. Organizers usually provide speeches in advance; since speakers may go off-script, interpreters should read the texts beforehand and conquer stage fright. Only then can you keep accumulating experience and raising your professional level.

Translation is never accomplished overnight — it is a process of constant practice and improvement.