Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-09-07

Each person Tipped open Il
simultaneous interpreters en-
sconced in booths on the bal
cony alongside the floor, came
in clearly and with hardly any
hesitancy.
The system used at the
United Nations was employed
during the week-long meeting,
ending Labor Day, Of the Cen
trail Committee in Colg a e
Rochester Divinity School. As
the speakers addressed the
group, almost instant transla-
tions were given by the in
terpreters. Official languages Of
the council are English, Ger
man and French. Russian was
added at this meeting, at the
request of delegates from the
Russian Orthodox Church.
There were two simultaneous
interpreters assigned to each
official language by the coun-
Gil. The Russians brought their
own translaters, three.
How are such interpreters
trained? What are their quail.
fications for this intense, ardu.
GUS task? What are the back.
grounds Of these people?
Executive secretary Of the
World Councils translation de-
partment is the personable and
friendly Rev. Armin Boyens Of
Hamburg, Germany. A native
Of Denmark and a graduate in
1852 of the University of Heidel
berg, he has headed the depart.
ment since its establishment In
1861.
The department came into
being as a result of complaints
by German and French mem
bers that English was dominat.
ing the meetings and other Ian
kuages were being neglected.
In order to spread the idea
Of the ecumenical movement
Mr.. Boyens said it is esSentia.
to have documents about the
Central Committee and assem-
bly, meetings translated into
many languages. This he ex
planned, was why a German
had been asked to take over
the department, whose respon
Sibiities include the simultane
Gus Interpretation of speeches
during meetings.
To become an interpreter two
conditions are essential, Mr.
Boyens explained.
Zone is the interpreter SHOULD
understand the subject, which
means he must have a certain
theological knowledge" he said
"That is why of the six inter
prefers working for us at thi:
meeting, three are full-time
theologians and the others in
tensely interested.
Second, they must have pro
fesSional knowledge or training
in the field. This means they
must have full command of two
languages and know at leaSt
another adequately"
Each applicant for the worl
undergoeS a working test. The
candidate is given a text, pu
into a booth and asked to reaC
a 10-minute text in another Ian
guage. His instantaneous inter
probation is carefully followed
and checked according to the
two guiding principles.
1.-THE Interpreters of thu
United Nations receive higE
pay but we cannot afford thai
and ours are volunteers WHIT
get only their room and boarc
and travelling expenses" Mr.
Boyens said. "For the younl
theologian it is quite a thrill
to be at one of these historic
meetings and to become &C
quainted with the major figures
Of the ecumenical movement.
The equipment used is renteC
from the International Bushes:
Machine Co., with the company
providing the needed tech
nicianS.
The six simultaneous inter
prefers at the World Council
meeting were Miss Katerini
Benkert and X. L. Simon, Ger
man; the Rev. Heinz Birch
meier and Nine. Tomoko EvdO
kimov, French, and the Rev
John Arnold and Gerhard Ell
ston, English.
They all have, it might b,
said, ecumenical backgrounds
For instance, Nine. Evdoki
tnov's father is a japanese ant
her mother English. She wa
born in Berlin and is now mar
ried to a Russian professor VIII,
Is teaching in Paris. She speak
German, French and Englisl
tluently.
One Of the interpreters, Mr.
Simon, was born in Mannheim
Germany, and is a Worlt
Council exchange student to tn,
United States. He has just com
pleted a year at Drew Univer
sity, Madison, N. j., and i
going to work at an East Har
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