Interpretation (Professional Interpreting in the Real World) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"I read James Nolan's handbook as a conference interpreting student and found it very useful. This book gives a comprehensive overview of numerous techniques and explains how to use them in a very clear manner. I particularly liked the excerpts from speeches given as examples by the author - a long-time UN-insider. They make this handbook a stimulating reading by showing real-life aspects of this exciting profession. Jean-Luc Rostan, free-lance conference interpreter This book is a well-organized practical handbook for interpreter trainees. It is a solid and innovative tool which can be used by teachers, students and practitioners of interpretation. The exercises are instructive and the excerpts from speeches and the potpourri of stock phrases and idioms are well chosen and interesting. I highly recommend it. Jean Matthews, Chief, English Section, Interpretation Service, United Nations, New York"

Product Description

This book provides a structured syllabus and an overview of interpretation accompanied by exercises in the main aspects of the art. It is meant as a practical guide for interpreters and as a complement to interpreter training programmes, particularly for students preparing for conference interpreting in international governmental and business settings.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Multilingual Matters (April 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1853597902
• ISBN-13: 978-1853597909
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #513,965 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Could have been better, November 11, 2007

By	Andrew Gillies "andy777" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I find the reviews above rather one-sided, so have decided to post this brief review.

There are some very useful chapters in this book, for example the introduction and the chapter on restructuring syntax. But to suggest that the book is an outright success smacks of bias.

There are some serious flaws with this book, not least of all, that 3/4 of it is useless if you don't have EN FR and ES together in your combination, as examples used to demonstrate interpreting techniques are given in these languages together with translations into EN. This rules out a huge proportion of an already small potential readership.

The author also makes some ill-advised forays into the world of EN language teaching in the Chapter "Figures of Speech", something he is apparently not qualified to do. Most of these exercises were banished from the language classroom 20 years ago and the 10 pages of Spanish, French and English idioms, without explanation or translation, cannot possibly help a student learn to interpret.

There is more. But it is not my intention to be overly negative, only fair. Parts of the book are useful, and parts of it deserve to be read and I recommend to my students. However, it is far from being a outright success.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interpretation: Techniques and Excercises, March 10, 2006

By	M. Dickerson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Very good book. It adresses more United Nations interpreting but may also be applied to other areas. It will require a seasoned interpreter or faculty to point out the differences with other fields of interpreting, such as medical or legal.

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent exercises for beginners and pros alike, July 8, 2007

By	D. D. Ayuso (Madrid, Spain) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a wonderful book for beginning or student interpreters (especially those whose working languages are French and/or Spanish), with a concise introduction to the profession followed by 18 chapters of exercises focused on specific areas, such as word order and collations, dealing with numbers and quotes, and note-taking.

Moreover, I think that experienced interpreters would also benefit from many of the exercises in this book, especially those aimed at honing diction and register skills. The chapter on figures of speech alone would make this book a worthwhile purchase.