Reading specialised magazines is a great way for interpreters to broaden their semi-technical knowledge of the world, and the vocabulary that goes with it.
These magazines are a great bridge between the normal person’s general knowledge – which is often not enough for the interpreter’s needs – and the expert’s in-depth knowledge – which is more than an interpreter needs (or has time to acquire in every field).
The other advantages are…
– you can tailor the selection of reading material to your actual work or to a specialisation you would like to acquire.
– this sort of magazine is in the space between real expert and amateur, so there are usually explanations of the technical concepts
– the layout of articles on the page in paper publications encourage you to read stuff you would not usually seek out
– you might discover new subjects that develop into interests, even specialisations!
When I go abroad I will usually try to pick up a batch of magazines like this.
For more on the advantages of reading off paper rather than screens check out this article…
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This exercise is taken from Conference Interpreting – A Student’s Practice book, by Andrew Gillies (B.27)