Whispered Interpreting

Whispered interpreting involves practically simultaneous interpretation without the use of technical aids.

Whispered interpreting represents a variant of the technique of simultaneous interpreting and is usually performed without technical aids. The interpreter sits next to or behind the listener and whispers the interpreted version into his or her ear. Thus a maximum of two listeners can be served by one interpreter.

In a further variation on this technique a small wireless simultaneous interpretation system is employed. Some of the listeners wear headphones, just as in a large conference. The interpreter uses a wireless microphone. However, he/she does not have the benefit of other technical aids which enable him/her to access the speaker’s words directly, so he/she must find a position close to the speaker. The demands made on the interpreter in terms of concentration are comparable with those of normal simultaneous interpretation.