Remember when you first rode a bike? I do. I felt as if my brain got an upgrade. How does it know exactly how to handle my senses and body positions to keep me upright on two wheels? And what about driving? I still find it unfathomable how we can drive a long distance while navigating dynamic road conditions, carrying on conversations, and processing all that information all at the same time. I really don’t think we give our brains enough credit.
What your brain doesn’t tell you, is that it’s perfectly capable of handling interpretation, too. I know, interpretation requires us to juggle multiple cognitive functions, which I admit, is not exactly natural. But neither is riding or driving. The same brain that harnesses bikes and cars is more than enough for interpretation. It just takes a bit of training. (Don’t worry, it’s not juggling.)
Building up linguistic skills is definitely a part of it. Equally important, is working out our brains. For the serious and the curious, let me introduce you to an exercise used by professional EU interpreters to achieve exactly that purpose. When all is said and done, someone much like you will stand on the stage, interpreting fluidly. What once seemed impossible now feels natural. He has no idea how he’s doing it. She’s as much making it happen as it’s happening to her. It feels almost like… riding a bike, and driving a car.
