Simultaneous interpretation in the House
Simultaneous interpretation of te reo Māori into English is available in the House and galleries, and on Parliament TV, from 9 February 2010.
Simultaneous interpretation is aimed at helping a listener understand what is being said in a language he or she does not understand. It is an oral process, whereas translation is a considered, written process.
The simultaneous interpretation will not form part of the official record of the House. Any speeches in te reo Māori will later be transcribed and translated for publication in Hansard, which is the official record of debates in the House.
Interpreters work from a purpose-built soundproof booth supplied with sound from the House and television pictures.
Members listen to the interpretation via an earpiece. Visitors to the galleries can ask the attendant for a receiver from which to listen to the interpretation.
For Parliament TV viewers, an alternative ‘English only’ audio stream is available for selection. This audio stream is live from the House until the interpreter’s microphone is turned on. At that point, the sound will come from the interpreter. When the microphone is turned off, the audio stream will revert to the live House sound.
Viewers of Parliament TV on the web are offered a choice before they view Parliament TV. The interface on the Parliament TV page has been changed accordingly. See detail below.
If you currently receive Parliament TV via a digital platform, you will be able to select a preferred audio stream while viewing. The means for doing this and what appears on your screen will vary according to your receiver/decoder and your service provider. Try buttons on your remote control such as ‘audio’, ‘menu’, ‘+’, ‘options’. Receivers/decoders default to anything tagged as ‘English’. Therefore, this is how the sound live from the House has been tagged. You need to look for the alternative if you want ‘English only’. For instance, you may see an option for ‘English – Alt’.
The radio broadcast on Radio New Zealand’s AM Network will continue to broadcast the sound direct from the House. There is no additional radio station on which ‘English only’ can be received at present.
The move to simultaneous interpretation implements recommendations of the Standing Orders Committee set out in a 2008 report.
