Recommendations for simultaneous interpreting

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Choosing interpreters:

Interpreters must be trained professionals, in other words interpreting must be their main profession.
Booths must be two-way where possible, as this allows each interpreter to work into their mother tongue as much as possible.
There should be two interpreters per booth. Three interpreters are required for medical, financial or highly specialised assignments. It must be noted that complexity and figures require more concentration (10 second delay between the speaker and the interpreter).

Preparing for conferences:

Customers must provide interpreters with as much documentation as possible to allow them to prepare for the assignment since they do not have time to look up words or dwell on a concept once they are in the booth. Interpreters must, therefore, be acquainted with the topics to be discussed beforehand and have prepared their vocabulary.
It is vital for speakers who are going to read a text, that they give it to the interpreters beforehand, since delivery tends to be faster when a speech is read. Interpreters will not translate the text on the day if a copy has not been provided beforehand.
Films and videos will only be translated if the interpreters can watch them before the conference.
Speakers must use a microphone. Without a microphone no translation can be carried out.

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Invoicing:

Every assignment is invoiced per whole day. This price includes the time required to prepare the interpreting assignment.
It is very important to let us know if the interpreters are going to be recorded, as an extra charge is incurred.
Every day booked is payable since professional interpreters dedicate the entire day to you, turning down all other assignments.
A day must not exceed 8 working hours (6 hours is preferable).

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Getting the most out of a conference:

Interpreters must not be called on to do any work during their breaks and lunchtimes when they are relaxing and recharging their mental batteries.
The earlier we can choose interpreters, the greater the chance of choosing a specialist in the field (see point 6).
The equipment supplier must be a reliable partner. If the equipment is not in good working order, no interpreting can take place. Interpreters and their equipment go hand in hand. Back-up equipment and technical assistance must be on hand should any problems occur.
To ensure that everything runs smoothly, it is preferable, whenever possible, for interpreters and their equipment to be provided by the same source to ensure a transparent simultaneous translation.

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Brief practical guide to interpreting:

You are meeting a foreign partner
Calling on the services of a liaison interpreter who works without equipment will enable you to communicate with ease.
You are organising a small meeting with visitors from abroad
If the meeting is informal and there are only two working languages (French and English, for instance), interpreters can work with portable interpreting equipment (transmitters and headsets).This increases speed and efficiency while keeping costs down. However, two interpreters are required should the work-time exceed one hour.
You are organising a conference lasting one or more days
Simultaneous interpreting must be used. Interpreting booths must be provided to isolate the interpreters and ensure seamless interpreting. A technician must be on hand to monitor the sound and the headsets, which enable participants to select the language they want to listen to.
Two interpreters per language are required, except for medical or financial meetings which require three interpreters per booth.
You are organising a small but prestigious conference
You can work using either simultaneous interpreting or, if time allows, consecutive interpreting. Even though consecutive interpreting requires more time, it is by far the best way to provide you with a top-quality service from a first-class interpreter.

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SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS WHEN RECORDING INTERPRETERS

IMPORTANT
Conference interpreting is an intellectual spoken exercise. Under no circumstances whatsoever can the spoken word be a substitute for the written language.

Minute-taking can be carried out by stenographers.

INTRODUCTION
The protection of intellectual property and the way it is used by third parties is governed by:

The Universal Copyright Convention
The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.
If the work of a conference interpreter is to be recorded on any medium whatsoever in any format whatsoever, it becomes a translation and its author holds the exclusive rights, as laid down in the Berne Convention. No-one may publish the work of an author or use it in any way whatsoever without prior permission. This exclusive right belongs to the author (Universal Declaration of Human Rights – 1948), in other words, the interpreter.

TRANSFER OF RIGHTS AGREEMENTS

Conclusion of the contract

INTERPRETERS CANNOT BE RECORDED WITHOUT THEIR PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OR AGAINST THEIR WILL.

Written authorisation for recording is required in order to protect interpreters from any action by a third party.

This individual contract, regarding the use of the recording, must state:

The intended use (commercial or otherwise)
The technical means used to publish the work
The remuneration and payment method
The technical details to guarantee the quality of the recording

Both the speaker and the interpreter – as heard by the audience – should be recorded.

Performance of the contract

If the interpreter so wishes, their name may be attached to the recording, and no changes to the interpreting must be made which could bring into question the interpreter's good name or reputation.

GENERAL RESERVATIONS

Only recordings authorised in writing are permitted on site (with the exception of press conferences).

REMUNERATION

Non-commercial use

The extra cost will be equal to at least 25% of the interpreter's daily fee
In special cases, interpreters may reserve the right to transfer their copyright free of charge

Commercial use

An extra cost equal to at least 100% of the interpreter's daily fee is required in cases involving the sale of audio and/or audio-visual material made from written transcriptions of a conference interpretation, or the publishing or broadcasting of the recording as part of a commercial broadcast on the radio or television.

This fixed amount may be replaced by a proportional remuneration equal to approximately 10% of the actual sales of such material.

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THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF INTERPRETING

CG will advise you on the most appropriate interpreting equipment for your event.

Conference equipment

CG's skills and expertise make it possible to work in 16 languages and provide digital sound quality.
For conferences, CG can provide the sound system (speakers, microphones, amplifiers, mixing desks, etc.) and, of course, the booths, interpreter desks and headsets.
The service provided by CG includes travel and transport costs and on-site technical assistance.
Our team visits the venue beforehand and carries out checks to guarantee the technical reliability of our equipment.

Portable equipment for simultaneous translation

A self-contained interpreting kit allows for the headsets to be recharged. Each wireless transmitter works on 1 or 2 frequencies, which is extremely practical for bilingual meetings for up to 50 people.