El proceso de preparación previa del intérprete: una propuesta de aplicación práctica para la elaboración de glosarios en traducción e interpretación

Abstract

Interpreting, conceived as a macro-process, encompasses a series of sub-processes unfolding at a micro-scale (Alexieva, 1985; Pöchhacker, 2015), occurring simultaneously as the interpreter performs their task. However, the interpretative action itself involves the interaction of other elements that, collectively, enable the interpreter to attain a higher degree of confidence and certainty while interpreting. The interpreter’s prior preparation emerges as the key to the success of their work (Pérez-Luzardo Díaz, 2009), as it allows both interpreting professionals and trainees to attain a greater familiarity with the environment of the specific event and the topic being addressed.This preparatory process demands from the interpreter a set of terminological and documentary efforts that will enhance their immersion in the thematic and circumstantial context of the event in which they are to interpret. Nevertheless, the interpreter's prior preparation, along with the elaboration of glossaries conceived as the instrument gathering the outcome of these terminological and documentary work, is often approached superficially (Luccarelli, 2006), diminishing its significance within the macrostructure of interpretation, particularly in the training stages. The acquisition of knowledge based on terminological and documentary work by the interpreter forms the foundation to efficiently face any interpretative action (Gile, 2002; Kalina, 2002; Setton y Dawrant, 2016). Therefore, this preparatory process must be approached with utmost rigor and from a critical perspective to access contents that truly add value. In pursuit of efficiency and effectiveness, interpreters should leverage technological or innovative tools to streamline the preparatory process in a world where time is often a scarce resource. This dissertation aims to theoretically explore previous approaches to interpreter preparation from various perspectives (terminology, documentation, technology, etc.) and subsequently analyse how both the preparatory process and the elaboration of glossaries fit into the training and professional stages of interpreters. To achieve this, surveys were conducted among undergraduate and postgraduate students taking interpretation courses, as well as professionals in the field. The results obtained will not only deepen our future research into potential branches arising from the analyses but also facilitate the definition of new paths of research related to this underexplored area of the interpretation field. Similarly, this work intends to lay the groundwork for the design of a comprehensive glossary-elaboration application that addresses the needs of interpreters—and translators— in terminological and documentary matters, enabling the dynamic use of the resulting terminological tools in the various phases in the interpretative process described by Kalina (2002).