Taking Fist Steps as Interpreters

August 21-25, 2019, Fairy Tale Parade, I International Puppet Theatre Festival was held in Cheboksary as a cultural event dedicated to the celebration of the 550th anniversary of the city. There were represented theatres from Russia, Belarus, Bangladesh, Germany, Kazakhstan, China, Cuba and Japan. The 4th year students of the Faculty of foreign languages volunteered to interpret the foreign guests.
According to Olga Antonova, there was a very creative atmosphere at the festival. “Each puppet theater had its own individual style, so it was very interesting to work with them. We quickly found a common language with the representatives of the theatres. Before the festival, I worried about my translation skills, but then I got constructive feedback and everything worked out all right. Our responsibilities included translating performances, press conferences and communication between the puppet masters. We also accompanied them to performances and various events”, she said.
“This festival gave me a great opportunity to try my hand in the profession of an interpreter. We met and made friends with a large number of people and learned a lot about their cultures. We were able to practice all the skills acquired at the university: we had to deal with simultaneous translation, translate performances behind the scenes, solve organizational and production issues ”, said Diana Danilova.
“I really liked the festival and the experience I gained. I am grateful to the university for such an opportunity ”, said Mikhail Fomin.
“The festival has become my starting point in the professional field. I have gained enormous experience that inspires me to move on”, said Elizaveta Lashkova.