Published in Mediterranean Politics
Won the International Studies Association (ISA) Diplomatic Studies Section Article Award
The European Union employs the largest number of interpreters globally, surpassing even the United Nations. This analysis delves into the interpreted world of international politics and works towards appreciating sonic politics in conference and diplomatic interpretation. Drawing on testimonies of Portuguese interpreters of the European Union, the present paper examines the everyday practicality of institutional operations, what happens on the ground and what constitutes everyday diplomatic life – in other words, in other voices – so as to locate new sites of political activation, meaningful enactment of power and ideological encounters. The research shows that interpreters supply affective foundation to multilingual negotiations and that their emotive rendition gives form to inter-state understanding. The research explains how interpretation is politics emerging from visual and audible performance of the interpreters.
Flowers after the rain, Brussels, April/May 2023, @Kaian Lam
Kaian Lam 林嘉欣 