Press Conference
You are participating in a press conference to answer questions from foreign journalists. Translation at a press conference is one of the most responsible and intensive types of translation and requires great composure and care from the translator.
Translating press conferences has much in common with translating interviews, the only difference being that the press conference takes place in a more formal setting, and questions are asked not by one or two, but by a large number of media representatives at once. Moreover, unlike the translation of an interview, questions are almost never agreed upon in advance with the respondent and can be asked spontaneously by anyone present at the press conference.
An experienced interpreter who, if possible, has the skills of both consecutive and simultaneous interpretation, is usually invited to interpret at press conferences. It will be difficult for a pure synchronized interpreter if he has to translate long and confusing passages from memory during a press conference.
The translator must be smart, confident, and be as accurate as possible when translating. If he did not hear part of the answer, it is better to ask again than to fantasize and give a distorted translation.
It is advisable, if possible, to inform the translator in advance about the topic of the press conference and the issues that may presumably be raised at it. Then the translator will be able to better prepare for the translation, and his translation will be more confident and of high quality. If there is a prepared text of a communique or press release, then it is also advisable to introduce the translator to them before the press conference. Better yet, instruct a professional translator to translate these texts into a foreign language in writing in advance. A written list of all participants in the press conference in both languages will be of great help to the translator.
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