Physiological Stress During Simultaneous Interpreting

1. Introduction

Physiological stress during simultaneous interpreting: a comparison of experts and novices - Ingrid Kurz, University of Vienna

1.a. Background

Simultaneous interpreters, especially those of conference interpreting, are faced with difficult situations to handle. These situations are directly caused by stress factors such as the constant information load, time factor, fatigue, tremendous amount of concentration required, the confined environmental of the booth etc.

Job stress occurs because of the interaction of the interpreter with work conditions that are a key factor and bear a basic role in what is called interpreter’s job stress (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health). This doesn’t mean that individual factors should not be considerably taken into account.

Intuitive perceptions have been stated by different researchers regarding the stress and how it is fundamental to interpreting. For example Herbert says that the interpreter in his profession must stand a long and continuous nervous tension that more than often is hard to be handled. Seleskovitch strongly states that while doing simultaneously interpreting, the interpreter is under much pressure, whereas Henderson considers stress as one of the most important factors affecting interpreting. For Gravier interpretation is considered as a complex and not easy process where the interpreter must show nerves of steel in order not to fail as Coughlin agrees by stating that interpreters must be programmed to be winners under unfavorable and unhelpful circumstances. All concur with Longley’s statement that an interpreter must absolutely posses the ability to do simultaneous interpreting under stress and for long periods of time. All this in-short intuitive perception seems to be greatly and widely shared by those doing simultaneous interpreting especially the ones using the services of conference interpreting.

Experts surely do not work under such stressful circumstances as...