The Nuremberg Trial against leading Nazi war criminals, conducted from November 1945 to August 1946, was one of the great and unique events of the twentieth century. The complete record of the trial in daily transcripts and supporting documents was published shortly thereafter in more than 40 volumes. Estimates vary, but it has been referred to as a "six-million-word trial." Yet, unbelievable as this may sound, not one word is said in this official, published record about the system of simul taneous interpretation that was created in order to permit the multilin gual conduct of the trial. This book is now setting the record straight. Generated by the imagination and curiosity of a young, multilingual student of history, it tells a remarkable story that has not been told before: How it came about that oral presentations made in one language can now be heard and understood in several other languages at the same time. For those of us who were there at the beginning, it has been hard to understand the complete lack of acknowledgement throughout these many years. It seems, however, that history will always get its due, thanks to young inquiring minds who take the time and trouble to collect, compile and present the evidence. The system of simultaneous interpretation was crafted by trial and error in an attic room of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice. It served its purpose well and without it the trial would have taken four times as long. To some, at first, the very idea of multilingual instanta neous interpretation was unthinkable—as was the thought of bringing to trial the willing accomplices of a brutal dictator. By now, more than 50 years later, it is evident that simultaneous interpretation has been a success. It is used all over the world and has greatly improved commu nication, thereby promoting, it is hoped, a better understanding among nations. What remains to be seen is that the same acceptance and success be granted to the principles of justice and human rights that were promulgated by the Nuremberg Tribunal. INTRODUCTION The research for this book began as the answer to a simple question: "What is the origin of the profession of simultaneous interpreta tion?" Surprisingly, very little is known about the origins of the art and profession of simultaneous interpretation, which is now com monly used and even taken for granted at international conferences and gatherings. Of course, interpreters and translators have existed since the beginning of time, every time people speaking different languages have come in contact with each other. However, until less than a century ago, interpreting was not seen as a profession, and was performed by military officers, diplomats, secretaries or other personnel with knowledge of foreign languages. This changed with the creation of international organizations and the growing need of specialized linguistic personnel. This book focuses on one particular and specific aspect of the birth of the interpreting profession: the invention of simultaneous interpretation. Who, when and how, I wonder in this book, had the idea that it was possible to connect microphones and earphones in such a way that a speech could be translated instantaneously and extempore in a different language? Who thought it was possible for an interpreter to hear and speak at the same time?
