How I became a UN interpreter. Helen Reynolds-Brown

How I became a UN interpreter

Helen Reynolds-Brown

Working as an interpreter can sound like quite a glamorous life – but though I absolutely love it, it can be high pressure work and the prosaic truth.

I didn't have a languages background: I was brought up in north London, neither of my parents were linguists. I was about 10 when I first discovered I enjoyed French. Then in my second year at secondary school – when I was already studying French – we were offered the chance to learn German, Latin or Russian. I took a deep breath and chose Russian, even though I'd barely even heard of the country.

I loved Russian straightaway. It was a puzzle, a challenge: I discovered that if you have some stepping stones, you can see the language building before your eyes. Four months in St Petersburg convinced me that doing languages at university was the right choice. That few months definitely motivated me – I was fascinated by the oddness of Russia.

I got a first in my French and Russian degree, but it was only when I went back to Russia to teach English after graduating that my skills really improved. I'd taken a year out to do a masters in interpreting at the university of Bath, and then I did the UN interpreting test.

There aren't many of us interpreting from Russian to English, and I work from French as well. There are so many potential pitfalls: not getting a written statement in advance, or getting it just 30 seconds before they start speaking... or while they're speaking. People often speak very fast, and Russians in particular are prone to send one of their delegation to check you're interpreting precisely as they want you to. It's quite nerve-wracking enough without someone standing over you. Worst of all, they may even stop you mid-flow. Then you just have to repeat what they say even if it's interpreted awkwardly.

There are also accents to grapple with. Various French speaking African republics, for example, have strong accents, and use flowery language and unfamiliar vocabulary. Being simultaneously webcast ratchets up the pressure, because you know there are a lot of people listening. Some events are particularly high profile: I've only done the UN human rights council once – that's a tricky one because it's political and it's webcast, and it's the UN.

My working life four years on is, well, complicated! I have an 18-month-old daughter, and I started back at work when she was five months old. My husband came out to Geneva with me to look after her at that point. We're back in Gloucestershire now, and I mostly try to arrange bookings so I'm away for a few days at a time. Fortunately it's well paid, and I aim to work 10 days in a month. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are a lot of single interpreters, but for our family it works well – I like the flexibility of being freelance, I love the stimulation of the work and I like being able to have time at home with my daughter.

https: //www. theguardian. com/education

⇐ Предыдущая 1 2 34