From Paris to Nuremberg: The birth of conference interpreting(111 Benjamins Translation Library)

Conference interpreting is a relatively young profession. Born at the dawn of the 20th century, it hastened the end of the era when diplomatic relations were dominated by a single language, and it played a critical role in the birth of a new multilingual model of diplomacy that continues to this day. In this seminal work on the genesis of conference interpreting, Jesús Baigorri-Jalón provides the profession with a pedigree based on painstaking research and supported by first-hand accounts as well as copious references to original documentation. The author traces the profession’s roots back to the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, through its development at the League of Nations and the International Labor Organization, its use by the Allied and Axis powers as they decided the fate of nations in the years prior to and during World War II, and finally its debut on the world stage in 1945, at the Nuremberg Trials. Available for the first time in English, this account will be of interest not only to scholars and students of interpreting but also to any reader interested in the linguistic, social, diplomatic, and political history of the 20th century.

Table of Contents:
1. Preface; 2. Translators' foreword (by Mikkelson, Holly); 3. Introduction; 4. Chapter I. The Paris Peace Conference of 1919; 5. Chapter II. The splendor of consecutive interpreting, the interwar period; 6. Chapter III. The birth of simultaneous interpretation; 7. Chapter IV. The interpreters of the dictators; 8. Chapter V. Nuremberg, simultaneous interpreting comes of age; 9. Conclusions; 10. Bibliography; 11. Index

Review :
In this seminal work, Jesús Baigorri-Jalón provides both first-hand accounts and research that trace the roots of conference interpreting back to the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. The story then winds its way through the League of Nations and the International Labor Organization, the role of conference interpreters for both the Allied and Axis powers as they decided the fate of nations before and during World War II, and finally its debut on the world stage in 1945, at the Nuremberg Trials. Available for the first time in English, this account will fascinate any reader interested in interpreting. There is no question that this well-researched and valuable book will prove to be an excellent guide for new generations of interpreters (and translators) by bringing to life, through the words of the participants themselves, this historical moment when their specializations were not yet demarcated so clearly. [...] It is especially recommended for conference interpreters, but its appeal extends to anyone interested in how we can find our way through crisis to cooperation and peaceful coexistence by skillfully entwining the diverse threads of language.