The Ambassador’s Speech or silence is golden

One of my most excruciating interpreting moments happened when interpreting a high level roundtable on Afghanistan. A number of ambassadors and dignitaries were present but the climax of the event was to be the speech by Afghani Ambassador. Interpreting for diplomats is usually a joy as they are brilliant public speakers. So I interpreted the opening remarks playfully and was ready for the key speech. After a proper introduction the Ambassador took the floor. I listed carefully to his first words only to realize in horror that I could not figure out anything. I closed my eyes and focused harder, allowing for an accent– still I couldn’t recognize a single word. My heart missed a beat. I braced myself and listened intently and realized that it could not be the heaviest accent; the language His Excellency was speaking simply wasn’t English. At this point some participants, hearing a silence in their receivers stared fidgeting with them, changing channels and turning up the volume, others glared at the interpreters’ booth. I wished I could crawl under the table and die there. What was I to do? I apparently did not understand Afghani language. It would have been entirely inappropriate for me to start making something up. So I decided that I would stay silent. After several agonizing minutes the Ambassador made a pause and his Aide started interpreting consecutively what had been said into Ukrainian. Apparently the organizers in their haste forgot to warn me about this set-up. With a sense of greatest relief I started interpreting the Aide into English. A classic case of golden silence indeed.

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