联合国口译员的工作原来和大多数人一样，平平淡淡按部就班，只要不碰上如卡扎菲般滔滔不绝的人物就行。

　　How Does a United Nations Interpreter Spend a Workday?

　　Introduction——口译员身担重任，此言非虚。

　　A UN Interpreter is one of the most integral

　　members of the United Nations General Assembly. UN Interpreters belongto the Interpretation Service, which is part of the Meetings andPublishing Division. UN Interpreters benefit the United Nations GeneralAssembly because they work as a mediation

　　between languages. The language barrier is removed, due to the fastinterpretative services these linguists provide. They indirectly helpto facilitate world policy and peacekeeping efforts。

　　Types——同声传译，日进斗金。

　　There are two types of UN Interpreters.The first type of interpreter reads and translates text from onelanguage to another. This type of interpreter gets paid between 15 and25 cents per word. The second, and most in demand, type of UNInterpreter is the simultaneous interpreter. This linguist translates speech from one language toanother while listening contemporaneously. The listening audiencereceives a slight delay in hearing and understanding the message intheir own language. This type of interpreter can make up to $850 perday。

　　Preparation——准备工作不可少

　　A typical day for a UN Interpreter begins by reading over documents and materials that will be discussed in the General Assembly meetings. It isnecessary for the interpreter to familiarize himself with what will bediscussed, in order to put context into their translation. There aretimes when an interpreter is unsure of a phrase or meaning, and ithelps to understand the overall direction of the speech。

　　Meetings——会场如战场

　　The majority of a UN Interpreter's day isspent in meetings. There are typically two 3-hour meetings per day. UNInterpreters work in teams of two, swapping 30-minute shiftsover the duration of each meeting. Interpreting simultaneously requiresa great deal of mental concentration and agility. One must be able totranslate the context of the original speech, not just a word for word translation。

　　Simultaneous Interpretation——眼、耳、口面面俱到

　　Those who specialize in simultaneous interpretations do so with the use of an ear piece and a microphone.These UN Interpreters sit in a glass booth with plain view to theGeneral Assembly Meeting floor. The UN Interpreter needs to see thespeaker in order to convey his demeanor,while interpreting. It helps the interpretation process to know if aspeaker is particularly forceful or timid. The UN Interpreter hears thespeech through an ear piece, and then translates exactly what he hearsthrough the microphone. The microphone transmits the translation toheadphones of those in need of interpretation services。

　　Work Load——工作量

　　The typical UN Interpreter works a 40-hour week. During busy times, some UN Interpreters work up to 7 days a week。