Last month, I spent three intense days interpreting at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London.
My role was to interpret for an expert witness as he was cross-examined about a 250-page, highly complex technical report he’d produced.
That meant I had to read the full report in advance of the hearing, as well as a bundle of other legal papers.
New clients are often surprised by just how much preparation goes into my work. Before every assignment, I meticulously review every piece of background material I can get my hands on: meeting agendas, slide decks, briefing notes and reports. I also request participant lists, so I can ensure I’m pronouncing names correctly.
I research the topic under discussion, the companies involved and the wider industry, and I also create bespoke glossaries of industry terms, so that I can translate these confidently on the day.
Clients are sometimes surprised when I request background material, but once I assure them that confidentiality is guaranteed, they’re usually delighted to see their project being taken so seriously. It reassures them that I’m deeply invested in doing an excellent job.
Doing this background preparation is what enables us to deliver calm and accurate interpretation, particularly in cases like the one I carried out last month, where the subject matter was highly complex and the speaker was very fast-paced. Even the judge was struggling to keep up!