Rules of conduct for an interpreter at business meetings

The success of many events depends on the preparedness and behavior of the language specialist involved. The professional ethics of a translator amharic to english is an unspoken set of rules that he adheres to in his work. The rules of conduct are aimed at creating a positive image of the invited specialist in the eyes of the participants and their colleagues. Good manners and proper conduct create a reputation that enhances the overall level of professionalism.

Cropped shot of a group of colleagues having a meeting in an office

Professional ethics establishes certain rules for the behavior of an interpreter at business meetings:

Mandatory. The translator is responsible for compliance with the contract concluded with the customer. It is unacceptable to be late, unauthorized distraction or departure without warning. As a rule, the specialist notifies the organizer of the event about his arrival, clarifies the necessary details and then waits for the start of the official part. The places where language intermediaries are located are established by the protocols of the events.
Correctness. Competent and correct speech is the hallmark of a professional linguist. Regardless of who the specialist communicates with, he must behave like a cultured, educated person.
Confidentiality. Everything that a specialist becomes aware of in the course of his work should not be taken out of the scope of the event. Without any exceptions whatsoever.
Purity of translation. The translated speech should not go beyond what the speaker said. The specialist should not express his personal opinion, comment on what he heard. Its main task is to adequately interpret the text, preserving its semantic and emotional side.
Appearance. International business events differ in the level of formality. It would be wise to agree with the customer in advance on what kind of dress the meeting implies and dress accordingly.
cultural traditions. Before the start of the event, as well as immediately after its completion, there may be a small informal communication between the participants. People greet each other, exchange pleasantries. Here, as well as during the meeting itself, it is necessary to take into account the customs and cultural characteristics of different peoples. Everything is important – the distance between people, the volume of the conversation, the appeal to each other. To look favorable, you should be well aware of the peculiarities of negotiating with representatives of different countries. It is especially important to observe these conditions when working in direct contact with the meeting participant using the whispering method.
Exchange of personal information. If, at the end of the event, the interpreter considers it possible to leave his business card to one of the parties, he must do this unobtrusively, at the appropriate time for this. It is necessary to observe subordination and transfer personal data to a person approximately corresponding to oneself in status. Usually this is a person with whom the translator has already talked, or who himself has shown interest in the specialist. The unspoken rules of conduct for an interpreter at meetings say that the distribution of business cards is unacceptable if he was invited to the event by his colleague or worked for a translation agency.
During the event, the invited specialist has the right to be treated with respect. There is an opinion that the best translator is the one who manages to do his job as discreetly as possible. If they paid attention to him, then something went wrong. This is not a completely correct statement. The translator should not focus on himself, but he should declare himself as a professional. First of all, it concerns the issues of working conditions. Event organizers often try to decide on their own how the translation should be done, where to be during the meeting, when to take breaks. A professional should be able to correctly, but firmly convey to the meeting facilitators the features of his work. Of course, the interpreter is not an independent participant in the meeting and is obliged to obey the protocol, but he can and should count on being treated as a person, and not as an instrument. The conditions created for the language intermediary should guarantee the high quality of the translation.

During business negotiations, invited experts must strictly observe all the subtleties and rules of conduct. Business etiquette must be studied and applied in their daily activities by all professional interpreters.