Interpreter training: A never-ending process

Historia magistra vitae est: interpreting history is no exception, in addition to being a fascinating subject, and can offer the opportunity to reflect on the interpreter’s role and how it developed through centuries, in particular during turning points in civilisation. The result can be a more objective and critical stance towards present events and changes. Similarities may be detected between interpreters’ experiences in wartime, for example during Nazi- occupation or in concentration camps and in present- day conflict- zones. Simultaneous interpreting introduced during the 1920s at international conferences and especially its use during the Nuremberg trial required considerable adaptation to the new mode of interpreting comparable to the revolution brought about by the massive use of remote simultaneous interpreting during the Covid- pandemic. Interpreting history and the memoirs of interpreters themselves provide examples to enable students to overcome difficulties during their conference interpreting studies.