Moving in the meeting room

The position of the consecutive interpreter in a meeting room is supposed to be fixed. Isn't it?

I can precisely remember the situation when I decided on the spot to raise from the chair and walk closer to the presenter gesturing on the side of the projection screen, pointing with finer and arm at specific information spread onto the slide.

I moved closer because voice interpretation was  simply inefficient, loosing all the gesturing, the implicit logical chain of facts, comments and attached information that had been delivered by the speaker. The gesturing was part of the explanation, and also part of the keys to understand the argumentative flow, and offer better rendering.

I have been doing this "moving to the blackboard" many times since then. It's a good exercise in assuming or faking self-control, and also, if successfully managed, raise the importance and value of the interpreter. Does this stepping onto the stage goes against the discreet, neutral mantra of the interpreter as a compulsory device that should be kept as transparent as possible? The answer is a resounding yes. I only see one accommodation to this, that the interpreter be given a laser pointer, which has never happened. And incidentally, laser pointers have not been a common appliance available in the meeting rooms I have stepped in. In one occasion, the presenter propped out his own device, Star Wars like.

Detailled description of a PowerPoint slide puts challenges in the post-delivery laps of time. The interpreter can't seriously bury her nose and head in the printed document she may have on hand. By doing this, all the gesturing and information that is pegged to this dancing would be lost, and proper rendering put into jeopardy. Intently watching the scene, that is, the screen, is mandatory. And also the presenter. As a result, note taking gets even more challenging. I always carry my notepad (advert starts here - long live the Tops Docket 63858 - advert end here) even standing or whatever. Note taking is challenging, but most of the notes are already there, on the slide, so that the note taking activity is mostly mental, grabbing the logical flow, the intended logical descriptors so that rendering gets very close, gestures included, to the voice and physical performance of the presenter.

There is no situation I know in business interpretation where the activity get so physical, and the rewards, when good delivery is achieved, so much satisfying. Which also suggest that presentation skill be part of the business interpreter's set of skills.