Sites & Cités is a French national network of outstanding sites in Art and History. Since 2000, it has functioned as a platform for cities and towns to be able to share experiences and skills. The platform allows cities help each other in the the management, protection, and promotion of cultural heritage. On June 19, 20 and 21, in collaboration with the Colombian Institute of Cultural Heritage, Sites & Cités organized a meeting between leaders of the city of Draguignan and a Colombian delegation. The French organization proposed solutions and ideas for three cities in the department of Boyacá in Colombia (Paipa, Villa de Leyva and Sogamoso). Cultures Connection mediated between the parties with a French-Spanish consecutive interpretation service.
Flexibility for a Successful Consecutive Interpretation
French and Colombian authorities met in Draguignan, in the south of France. Delegates participated in three days of workshops, city tours and visits to places of interest. Cultures Connection, with offices in the city of Nice, provided an interpreter who accompanied them throughout the tour. For our professional interpreter who worked in Draguignan, the greatest challenges was to maintain flexibility and adapt to changing circumstances.
When consecutive interpreting, an interpreter listens and takes notes to then reproduce a speaker’s ideas in another language. This is usually done without the use of technological equipment, and as faithfully as possible. Our consecutive interpreter faced a particularly challenging task this time. Occasionally, leaders spoke quickly or constructed long and complex ideas. In these sorts of situations, a consecutive interpreter memorizes important ideas and summarizes them for fast and effective communication.
Temperature also played an important role, according to our interpreter. In the Mayor’s office, leaders participated in workshops meant to introduce the cities. They discussed topics such as sustainable tourism, financing for the maintenance of heritage, and city planning. However, participants also went on bike rides and visited important cultural sites like Draguignan’s media library or ancient Roman archaeological excavations. Sunny, warm weather made the days a little more tiring than usual.
Preserving Cultural Heritage Through Interpretation
Cultures Connection’s interpreter feels the work went well, and that both French and Colombians showed a lot of interest in the presentations. With years of consecutive interpretation experience, Cultures Connection and our interpreter played a fundamental role in the success of the event.
Our agency has 10 years of experience in translation and interpretation in the field of culture. We work with the best professionals in the field, including our interpreter in Draguignan. Our consecutive interpreter is French, studied languages at Paris-X-Nanterre University, and lived in Colombia for several years. Alongside fluency in both French and Spanish, she has the cultural knowledge necessary to interpret in Colombia. She is experienced in consecutive interpretation and knows how to best accompany the client, coming early to meet the group, explaining her work to them, and making herself available for whatever they required.
Cultures Connection offered the group an interpreting suitcase for 10 people, with a microphone, transmitter, and 10 headphones. However, the group felt that they did not need it and preferred not to use it. As an agency, we always go above and beyond demands of our clients.
