We interpret for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s debates on Taiwanese Television. Ask Us Anything!

When Trump says things such as "win bigly," "yuuuuuge," "I know words, I have the best words," etc., how do you render that into Mandarin? Do you try to remain faithful to the source and try to convey the absurdity of what he's saying or do you generally skip things like this because it's simultaneous?

I do try my best to remain faithful to the source by repeatedly using really simple, colloquial words. Come to think of it, it actually made my job a lot easier. - Tony

So do you guys interrupt each other when the candidates do?

WRONG! I NEVER SAID THAT! WRONG!

Yea we do. Or, at least we try. LOL - Tony

We tried very hard to. I had to end really quick whenever I saw Trump grab the mic. LOL. -Ellen

Are they liked/disliked? Is there a large viewing audience during the debates?

People like watching the debates and actually quite a few TV channels are doing live broadcast. My guess-- it's after all someone else's election-- the general public here are more impressed by and thus interested in how far can Trump go. ex. what are the jokes he's making today. -Ellen

Do you find yourselves thinking "I can't believe he/she is saying that, this is horsesh*t!" while you do the interpreting during debates?

ALL. THE. TIME.

Haha, but seriously though, as interpreters, it's our job to interpret regardless of whether we agree with the speaker or not, so... - Tony

A follow-up to that would be, are you ever even close to burst into laughter at the more outlandish remarks they make?

No, not really, just silent screams inside my head. - Tony

I could feel Tony's silent scream, I swear. LOL -Ellen

I assume one of you, Ellen, always interprets Hillary and Tony for Donald? Is there a strong preference that the interpreter's gender match that of the speaker?

I don't know if there's a "strong preference" per se, but we just decided that dividing the assignment based on gender would probably make it easier for the viewers to understand what's going on. - Tony

So for the moderator's questions, you two just take turns interpreting the questions?

I was responsible for all of the moderator's questions during the first debate. But for the second debate, we divided the questions based on the gender of the speaker. - Tony

It's really the decision of the TV station. Otherwise I would like to try interpreting Trump sometime. LOL. -Ellen

Let us know if you figure out what he's saying.

He's saying rude, vulgar, appalling words that can be translated but can't be taken for ____. -Ellen

How do the Taiwanese feel about the candidates and the election?

Well, as far as I know, I'd say the majority of Taiwanese people are pro-Hillary. Trump, on the other hand, is mostly perceived as a buffoon... - Tony

Do they report on her scandals? Or is it biased still only bashing Trump?

The media in Taiwan also reported on Hillary scandals, e.g. WikiLeaks, emailgate, etc. But I'd say people here are still overwhelmingly pro-Hillary because Trump is simply too...unconventional. - Tony

People feel it might be Clinton taking over. But after Brexit, I guess it feels like anything could happen...-Ellen

What are Hillary's and Trump's official Chinese names? Do they 'mean' anything, or do they just sound like their English names?

Well, in Taiwan, Trump is translated as 川普 ("chuan pu", or literally, "river normal") and Hillary as 希拉蕊 ("xi la re", or literally, "hope pull pistil"). - Tony

Wait, is "Xi la re" pronounced like "Shillary?"

Close! Also we have four intonations. Xi1-La1-Re3. (Since you're interested.)-Ellen

Hillary, if translated literally is Xi (希)/Hope, La(拉)/Pull, Rei(蕊)/Blossom-- Xi-La-Rei, hope-pull-blossom. Trump is Chuan (川)/River, Pu(普)/Public-- Chuan-Pu, river-public. -Ellen

Usually, unless people have publicly announced their Chinese names, for example former US diplomat Richard A. Boucher (包潤石), foreign names are rendered according to pronunciation. -Ellen

If you had to give them new Chinese names based on personality what would they be?

Personally I think they don't really need foreign names. They are both the kind of people with strong personalities and impressions. -Ellen

No idea. I'm really bad at naming things lol. - Tony

What is it like to interpret inappropriate words on television like "locker room talk" or some other things Trump has said and are these type of things censored for the audience in Taiwan?

Actually, the TV station specifically told us not to say ANYTHING sexually explicit on air, so we had to generalize and change "grab 'em by the p*ssy" to 關於性侵女性的發言 (talks of sexually assaulting women). - Tony

"Locker room talk", when rendered literally like talk in the locker room (更衣室裡聊天) is accepted. "Sexually assaulted" was not censored eithet, so we said something really blunt (性侵). —Ellen

How do you handle error correction (if it happens), since you're interpreting live on TV?

It happened to me a couple of times. I just said "Excuse me, I meant..." and moved on. - Tony

I tried my best to find time to insert and correct. -Ellen

Hi Ellen and Tony, So excited to have you chatting with the world on this unique assignment. What do you think about the fact that Clinton is called by her first name and Trump by his surname. Is there a preference in Taiwan or your channel? Your preference?

We do that here too. For some reason when you say Clinton, people automatically think of Bill, and when you say Donald, people think of the duck. So, whatever works. - Tony

Yes the duck! (I should bring my Disney cup for the 3rd debate!) -Ellen

Referring Ms. Clinton by her last name might create confusion since her husband is no less well known in the Chinese world. As interpreter, I use whatever the moderator uses, most of the time Ms. Clinton. -Ellen

Do viewers have the choice to listen to your voices or to the original English (perhaps via a "second audio program")? Or do they just broadcast your interpretation? Does the original English play quietly behind your voices or do viewers hear only you?

I'm not sure about the TV viewers, but for those watching online and using headphones, I think the audio is separated into left/right tracks. - Tony

On older TVs, I guess viewers only hear the interpretation. But on newer models, I guess they can choose. -Ellen

When it comes simultaneous interpreting do you often rely on lip reading? And my follow up question would be are Trump's lips a bit... misleading given they seem to be in a constant state of furling?

I'd say it's very important. That's why I'm always looking at the screen off to the side, so that I can see Trump's lips, as well as his facial expressions and gestures, to help me interpret better. - Tony

I can assure you there's no problem with these lips

Many people are saying that these lips are great. Believe me, they're the greatest lips ever. - Tony

I rely on the acoustics more. We deliver interpreting live right next to the anchorwoman, and the equipment is different from what we usually have in conferences. -Ellen

How did you handle "Trumped-up, trickle-down economics"?

I tried to make the renditions rhymed too. Back translation "if Trump gets in [the White House], the economy would collapse." (川普上台，經濟垮台) -Ellen

Wait ... so you're a rapper AND an interpreter?

Well, but it was a split-second decision. I didn't expect myself saying this and still don't know how I did it...LOL -Ellen

As a native English speaker, I swore I heard the phrase 'bigly' in each of the debates. Did I hear that? Or was it 'big league'? Either way, do you recall that, and how did you handle it?

Honestly I thought I heard "bigly" too, though apparently most online transcripts had it as "big league". Either way, that doesn't really affect the meaning of Trump's message, which is that everything he does will be YUGE! - Tony

Are you guys also interpreting the debate tonight? If yes, how do you prepare for something like that?

Yes. For Hillary's part, I frequently check out her website, follow news discussions to sort of make reasonable guesses on what the topics might be. -Ellen

Yup, we are. Well, to get myself prepared, I just watch Trump's past debates on Youtube, and lots and lots of political talk shows. - Tony

What was the most difficult part in interpreting for Trump and Hillary?

I'd say the hardest part is following Trump's logic (or the lack thereof) in his responses. - Tony

That's awesome.

Thanks! -Ellen

Hillary did prepare herself very well and it's quite info-intensive. I had to speak quick and to the point all the time! -Ellen

How much time do you get to interpret people? Is there a 5 minute delay, real time, or pre-recorded?

For the first debate, it was a live broadcast and we had to interpret in real time. For the second debate, because it coincided with Taiwan's national holiday, the debate special was still a live broadcast, but it was aired a few hours after the debate was over. So, we actually had the chance to listen to the whole debate first before we had to interpret it on live TV. - Tony

We did the first debate live. For events like this, I tried to follow the speech closer, i.e. with shorter EVS (ear to voice span), so the lag is about one sentence or a few seconds. -Ellen

Did you guys feel really pressured while interpreting the debate? As a minor mistake might lead to "political issues"?

I did it as I always do. Not that I don't have pressure, but I am confident in what I can achieve and what I can not. If it's an obvious and factual mistake, I prefer correcting it right away. -Ellen

Deep down, are you secretly happy that Trump got the nomination and not someone like Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio?

I was actually rooting for Kasich on the Republican side, because I lived in Ohio when I was studying in the States. - Tony

But no one would tune into a "I am the voice of John Kasich on Taiwanese TV. AMA!"...

Sadly, true. He's far more reasonable as a candidate, though. - Tony

Where in Ohio did you study? I'm guessing probably either Athens or Columbus

GO BUCKEYES! - Tony

I am not sure. I always believe even if Trump is elected and got into the White House, the system-- aka "democracy"-- should guarantee that business are as usual. President has the power, congress has the shield, and media/ people have their tools. -Ellen

How far in advance did you confirm this debate assignment and how long did you have to prepare for the first debate? I assume that you both generally stay up to date on current affairs and US development, but for a debate like this, with such wide ranging topics, there must have been a lot of prep work to do?

I once was a journalist/ staff reporter for international affairs. Keeping an eye on everything is like my hobby, if not habit. -Ellen

Thanks to the TV station, the assignment was confirmed pretty early on, and we had a few weeks to get prepared. I just watched all Trump's debates in the primaries and lots of political talk shows (as well as shows like Colbert, Last Week Tonight, The Daily Show) to get myself prepared. - Tony

What would you recommend to people who are experienced in translating in various forms, have the required foreign language skills but have no experience on simultaneous interpretation? Or is it even recommendable? Does that person need to be at a bilingual level and that's the end of it?

I would recommend formal training. Personally, I think there's much more to interpreting, especially SI, than just language skills. There are also lots of techniques, which can be difficult, if not impossible, to master on one's own. - Tony

Thanks, really appreciate this chance to talk to you and Ellen. Lastly, by formal training, do you mean formal education or an extra course/training outside school?

Our pleasure. Again, it's just my personal opinion, but I'd prefer formal graduate programs (like Monterey in the US, Taida and Shida in Taiwan). There are other training programs out there, like some 4-week or 8-week training courses, but I don't know if they're nearly as effective as the rigorous 2-year training that you get with those graduate programs. - Tony

It's like when you're learning to cook, if you want to cook really well and be a chef, you need to go to school. Be trained in the properly-equipped kitchen, mingle with people of similar talent and aspirations, and be part of the network. :) -Ellen

No not necessarily bilingual. I always think it's more important to master mother tongue/ A language than sharpening foreign languages, especially when you're working in your own region (in my case the Greater China area). -Ellen

How do people in Taiwan react to US left wingers anti-TPP stance?

As far as I know, not many people here talk about it, actually. But I imagine they'd feel deceived or betrayed, because hopes of getting into the TPP was the main reason why our government opened up imports of American beef and pork. - Tony

People tend to use inflection to get across this point of view (sarcasm etc.), do you also add that to your "performance" (poor wording on my part but I am curious about how much of it you consider acting)? Why or why not?

When Hillary said "Well...", I had to mimic the way she said it and the tone of the voice. Not really acting, but more than words. -Ellen

What was the most interesting thing you had to intrepret?

Oh I didn't do Trump so I guess I missed most of the fun part. LOL. But I prefer interpreting Ms. Clinton when I could feel her anger. She tried to smile so much during the debates. -Ellen

How do you translation when there are two (or three) people talking at the same time?

Deal with one at a time and catch up quickly. -Ellen

Is it more common for interpreters of your skill level to work for private or governmental employers? And are those two fields very similar, or do interpreters tend to pick one and stick with it?

Taiwan is not a very big market and most of the time I try to take whatever assignment coming to me. Although I am not hired by private or government as in-house interpreters, I do have steady referrals from PR agencies. -Ellen

Does it bother you that people conflate "interpretation" and "translation?"

"Translate" is like an umbrella term (can take it) and "interpret" is just-- precise (appreciate it). -Ellen

Well, in Mandarin the distinction is actually quite clear. Interpretation is 口譯 (literally, "oral translation") and translation is 筆譯 (literally, "pen translation"), so it's not really a problem. But when it happens in English? Yea it really annoys me. - Tony

Did you ever have to translate an event they referred to or just something only somebody with a US background would get? Something of cultural or historical importance, let's say. How did you translate it? Just mentioned the name or gave a brief information on the referred historical or cultural word?

When I translated "gold star family" (the Khan family as Hillary mentioned in 2nd debate), I managed to insert a short sentence saying that it refers to individuals who lost family members in the Iraq War. -Ellen

They did talk about things like Roe v. Wade, Citizens United and Antonin Scalia in the debates. Luckily I've actually lived in the States so I'm quite familiar with most of the topics they brought up. - Tony

What got you interested in interpreting?

I have always been interested in studying languages and communication. So interpreting is quite a nice mix! -Ellen

I know it's probably a cliche answer, but I've always liked to help people communicate and understand things. - Tony

Related to this, do you guys do the YouTube community translation projects to practice? They're super useful.

I haven't tried that but would love to explore. Thanks for sharing! -Ellen

If I was planning a conference on world domination at my secret Bond villain layer, how much would you guys cost to hire?

Asking for a friend.

It depends on for example the format, the venue, etc.. Ask Cadence, so my friend says. -Ellen

What is the difference between interpreting and translating and why do you - as professional conference interpreters - use the verb 'translate' to describe the work that you do?

Personally I feel "interpret" refers to orally translating a speech and "translate" is more of an umbrella term. -Ellen

have you ever had to translate something so stupid, so devoid of brain cells that you had to pause for a second, before translating it?

Professionally it's not our call to judge whether the speaker is saying anything stupid or smart. Stupidity is a way of life, I guess. But I do admit I kept rolling my eyes while interpreting for the debates. -Ellen

How common are such high-profile jobs? Do they help you in securing different assignments later on?

I'd say not very common. Interpreters are "invisible" in most settings, and people rarely stop to think about us. In fact, I've actually heard people say that they thought the interpretation at international conferences are done by robots...As for whether this helps us secure different assignments, well, I certainly hope so LOL. - Tony

It's like a good IT department at a company - nobody notices there's a problem till things are done badly / stop working. If you do your work well people don't realize you're there. Must be a strange dynamic.

Yes, exactly. - Tony

I have translated for Nobel laureates quite a few times, and honestly no much difference. For me I always maintain the same level of professionalism for every assignment I have. -Ellen

How mindblowingly frightening is it for you, and your viewers, to see the candidates we have put up this year with their documented anti-East views?

He's such a stereotype that I must have seen in some movies. Quasi-familiar but still can't quite believe it's true! -Ellen

Personally, I think it's truly scary. But I suppose there's nothing I can do about it, so... sigh - Tony

I'm pretty shocked no one has asked yet, but why?
Why is it being broadcast and translated live to Taiwan?

The US is THE most powerful country in the world and one of Taiwan's most important allies (albeit no formal diplomatic relations), so this election is definitely going to affect us here in Taiwan. - Tony

Trump has produced so many amusing, albeit not always politically correct, speeches. I guess some people just thought it's entertaining and would like to watch live. For TV stations, in Taiwan we have so many 24-hr news channels, they have the time and space to do it. -Ellen

You guys mention that you freelance. I presume there's a big difference between simultaneous translation and interpreting. Do you exclusively do one and not the other? What's the difference in average hourly cost to hire someone for one or the other?

Do you use an platform to help you find work? Perhaps you can recommend somewhere I could find a good translator?

Most translators I know are more capable of translating longer pieces, for example books, while the interpreters I know mostly do documents, for example press releases. I highly recommend Cadence as a platform to find qualified interpreters/ satisfying translation services. -Ellen