Words can be combined in ways that convey a different meaning from the literal one of the single words forming them. These combinations of words are called figures of speech, and interpreter should pay particular attention to them. Figurative speech does not have to be rendered only as another figure of speech, but it can be translated by non-figurative speech. The decision on how to render it should be taken by the interpreter on a case-by-case basis.
How interpreters translate figures of speech
Mixed metaphors can prove especially difficult to translate, also because they are usually considered weird even in the original speech. For a professional interpreter, Chapter 7 of Interpretation Techniques and Exercises, by James Nolan, is very interesting and useful. It provides a lot of examples of different figures of speech and how to cope with them during an interpreting session.
Argumentation skills for conference interpreters
Argumentation skills are based on logic and emotion, but neither one of them necessarily excludes the other. Therefore, interpreters must be able to understand, appreciate and use both kinds of rhetoric, emotional and logical.
To give an example of the use of logic in the middle of a speech that touches emotional cords, James Nolan quotes a speech by Abraham Lincoln during his presidential campaign in 1860. When a politician provides a set of figures and facts to support his views, the interpreter must be extremely precise in reporting the data. As an example of speech relying on emotions, Nolan mentions a speech by Nelson Mandela.
Reference: Interpretation. Techniques and Exercises by James Nolan.
