Noncontextualized Information
It is very important for the interpreter to note down all numbers, proper names, dates, names of days and months, lists of things and terms. These elements belong to the group of so called “noncontextualized information” because they cannot be recalled on the basis of analytical and logical thinking in a given context. R.K. Min’yar-Beloruchev denominates these words as “precision words” (прецизионные слова) [10: 51-53].
Precision words do not evoke any associations; they cannot be associated with any events important for the interpreter, that’s why they tend to slip away from memory at perception of continuous text (speech). There are also exceptions, namely those precision words reminding the interpreter of some well-known fact related to his/her personal life or historical events. For example, one can hardly remember what he was doing on 21st of May, 1998, but he (she) surely remembers his (her) birthday date. It is easy to remember such dates as 9th of May or 24th of August, or such names as Einstein, Lincoln, Shevchenko, but one can hardly keep in memory the unknown names like Kalanadze, Danyil’chenko or Vitauskas.
If the interpreter wants to remember these elements, he or she has no choice but to keep repeating them over and over again. Clearly this is not a preferable manner because if the interpreter’s mind is too preoccupied with rehearsing such “noncontextualized information”, he or she will be distracted from listening comprehension and target language production. In addition, unlike “main ideas” which have strongly impressed themselves on the interpreter’s mind in the form of either specific images or general concepts and tightly linked with each other, most of these elements are not tagged with any kind of mental images and they independently stand on their own. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that numbers, proper names, lists of things and terminologies most deserve to be the priority of the interpreter’s note-taking.
To illustrate the importance of “precision words” in the interpreter’s work, R.K. Min’yar-Beloruchev mentioned a well-known fact from the times of World War II. The fascists were much concerned about the possibility of the Allies to open the second front at any time. They closely observed all tactical movements of the American forces, and dozens of interpreters were involved in radio interception searching for information. All of a sudden, they picked up a message saying that a meeting of the Heads of Governments and military command officers of USA and UK had been set for January 1943 in White House, with the purpose of determining the date and place for landing of troops in Europe. Hitler’s military intelligence service mobilized all their forces to spy into the White House. The most experienced agents were sent to Washington. At the same time, Roosevelt, Churchill, and high ranking military officers were discussing all details of landing of the troops in Sicily, having gathered in Moroccan city of Casablanca, which sounds as “white house” if interpreted from Spanish. Thus an error in interpreting of the “precision word” prevented Nazi from taking the necessary steps in southern Italy. [10:52]
From here, the first conclusion: while receiving some information, both from written and verbal sources, it is necessary to pay special attention to “precision words” and, if possible, to analyze them. As a rule, precision words bear key information and they therefore require particular accuracy at interpreting.