Simultaneous Interpretation
Simultaneous interpretation (SI), known in Chinese as “同声传译”, is the cornerstone of Sinophone’s business.
We are senior professional conference interpreters, accredited with the United Nations, IMF, and other international organizations.
Each year, we provide simultaneous interpretation services in Beijing, Shanghai, and across China for well over a hundred high-level meetings and events.
How does simultaneous interpretation work?
Simultaneous interpretation is the mode of interpreting that is used in the United Nations. It is the preferred mode of interpreting for many events because it is unobtrusive and takes up no meeting time whatsoever.
Simultaneous interpretation is extremely demanding. It requires trained, skilled, and experienced interpreters who have thoroughly prepared the meeting's subject matter. And it also requires a specialized SI system that we install in the meeting room.
In simultaneous mode, the interpreters work in a soundproof interpretation booth with a direct view of the speaker, projection screen, and audience. The interpreters listen to the speaker via earphones, while speaking the interpretation simultaneously into an in-booth microphone, with an average time lag of 2-4 seconds. The audience listens to the interpretation in their language of choice through headsets.
Simultaneous interpretation requires teams of two to three interpreters per language booth: due to the high level of concentration required, the interpreters alternate every 20-30 minutes. This is highly demanding work, for which professional interpreters undergo years of specialized training, and then diligently prepare the content and terminology of each new assignment.
Our formula for success
Sinophone’s turnkey SI solutions leave nothing to chance. We bring together:
- the best simultaneous interpreters working in China today, members of the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC)
- the Bosch digital SI and discussion systems, the best available anywhere in the world
- specialist SI technicians
- expert project management under a professional consultant interpreter, your single point of contact who will oversee the entire service.
The result is fast, fluent, and accurate interpretation professionally delivered in CD-quality sound to each delegate’s headset, securely and reliably via infrared, in up to 32 languages.
What they are saying
Here is some typical feedback we received from our clients in 2013:
- "our best simultaneous interpretation experience EVER"
- "we received overwhelming positive feedback on the quality of the interpretation service"
- "we’ve received so much positive feedback from our attendees regarding the simultaneous interpretation"
