Interpretation and Interpreters: Focus on Arabic

Abstract

Conducting simultaneous and consecutive interpretations from English into Arabic is a problematic issue that needs to be addressed. Difficulties come from the fact that the brain of the interpreter is performing a number of tasks that need a high level and intensive concentration at the same time. The interpreter is listening to, analyzing, and rendering what the speaker just said on the spot. Being unfamiliar with the topic, and the fast pace of the speaker make interpretation more difficult. Maintaining the same level of fluency and delivering what the speaker said in the same style and tone to ensure that the message reaches the audience in the right manner are some of these difficulties. This study endeavors to investigate the reasons behind the difficulties that interpreters face and try to suggest some solutions to overcome these difficulties. The study data is a speech by King Abdullah II of Jordan, a speech by President Obama, and a speech by British Prime Minister Cameron at the UN. These speeches were chosen based on their authenticity and difficulty. The participants are 20 students taking simultaneous and consecutive courses at the University of Jordan. The results show that students’ nervousness, being concerned with the judgment of their performance by their professor, dissatisfaction with their abilities, being afraid of making mistakes and eventually losing marks made the students' interpretation weak.