9//4/2016

Haus der Kulturen der Welt

Language and Knowledge : Brief perspectives on simultaneous interpretation

Mit Lilian-Astrid Geese & Günter Orth

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Notes:

Simultaneous interpretation, a form of translation in contrast to the more formal form of consecutive translation, was first implemented by the in

 

terpreter Wolfgang Hildesheimer at the Nuremberg Trials in 1946.

Simultaneous interpretation requires translator to listen and speak simultaneously, while also maintaining accuracy of intent behind a statement (attention to intonation, cultural/political difference/delicacy, usw.)

Lilian-Astrid Geese:

Simultaneous interpretation is “as many moves on a chessboard – the fate of the world rests on interpretation. Interpretation is craft, it requires technique and method. Interpretation is also teamwork, one must start to prepare for the task before the conference – reading books, acquainting oneself with history or details of the summit, etc.”

Gunther Orth (Arabic translator)

“Syria has lost many artists, poets, filmmakers – Arabic interpretation is rising. Interpretation is an intellectual challenge, as languages build bridges between worlds. ”

When asked about correcting the speaker, both translators expressed an implicit finesse necessary to understanding the conversation and determining whether a correction ought to be made, whether it adds or detracts from the overall statement.

How is simultaneous interpretation accomplished?

Gunther Orth:

“Interpreter must hear, interpret, formulate – employing short term memory and visual memory – the interpreter must see the word, with a 1-2 second lag-time, taking the whole sentence, developing a concept, image, and then retranslating(sic)that image into the target image. Translation cannot be done word for word, as the syntax is different.

A sentence is like a melody,  must be taken as concept and verbalized. The technique is a black box, I do not know all of the steps. Spoken language is semi-automatic, one must not always think twice about a sentence.”

Lillian-Astrid Geese:

“I prefer direct contact with the audience and the speakers, to be able to see that my interpretations are being understood, and so that I am able to observe the situation of the speakers, their movements, expressions, etc.”

Takeaway:

Translators form images or concepts of sentences as framework for pulling an idea from one language into another.

Most amusing, was that this discussion on simultaneous interpretation was being simultaneously interpreted from German into English, so that the efforts of the translators was simultaneously more fascinating as the incredible difficulty of their task was illuminated.

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What the Animals Say

9//4/2016

Frank Steinheimer – Ornithologist, Natural Science University

Has created a volume of bird classification, German names for Corvidae (aves) that previously had none, or had been inaccurately assigned:

Steinheimer, F.D. (2009). The type specimens of Corvidae (Aves) in the Museum für Naturkunde at the Humboldt-University of Berlin, with the description of a new subspecies of Dendrocitta vagabunda. Zootaxa 2149: 1–49.

Aside from a lengthy discussion on the technical difficulty of standardizing bird names, correcting historical inaccuracies (Darwin given as prime example of naive naturalism) this discussion went into the myriad wonderful and fascinating complexities of bird calls, from Ravens to Lyre birds.

Takeaway:

Birds must learn to sing the way we learn to speak. There are many triggers to the variety of birdsong, not only on the basis of food or habitat.

Dominant birds’ songs are mimicked by young, they recite the loudest and most impressive birds, not necessarily their fathers’ calls.

Birds don’t always distinguish calls, so long as notes and patterns are somewhat accurate, ie. the cuckoo. Most birdsong has harmony, but not all birds hit the notes.

Beauty in birdsong: the versatility and messaging in male birdsong is indicative of the quality of that male as a potential partner: long beautiful birdsong denote age (longevity) and experience in males, some fly to southern continents and return with southern birdnotes incorporated into their songs – revealing that he is a “fit” or good mate, able to fly long distances. Some males craft extremely loud mating calls, some are more embellished, some are more succinct, etc.

Sidethought: (So how does this reflect upon us, as we learn language? as beginners, we are caught behind our limitations – our inexperience limits our creativity, when we become proficient and are able to embellish expressively with new combinations and access to a greater lexicon, our own capabilities and access to new ideas/thoughts (mates?) increase as well)

Raven versus the Tit: Every Raven call carries a different meaning, through a random combination of syllables. Hardly any decoding has been done for birdcalls, the language and construction is still vastly unknown. The Raven has fewer syllables than the Tit, yet it more intelligent.

Ravens also remember individuals, just as Magpies recognize their own image in the mirror.

Birds mimic interesting sounds: Parrots mimic for attention. Lyre birds have no call specific to their species, they merely mimic their surrounding soundscape. The females must interpret the meaning.

So, do birds have a language? Throughout the 17th century(prior to enlightenment) people assumed it as granted that birds had language.

Conclusion:

Bird gardens, popularly used for hunting native bird species in the middle ages, were also well known to be used by lovers to “screw”, which is where the phrase “going to the birds” originated.