Simultaneous Interpretation of Neosemanticisms in EU Press Conferences: Translations of «Hotspot», «Relocation» and «Resettlement» into Dutch and German

In this article we will discuss EU «neosemanticisms» (i.e. existing terms that receive a new meaning in specific contexts) from the interpreter’s perspective. As opposed to translators, who have more time to search for a suitable translation, simultaneous interpreters have to convey the message straight away. So, which terminological solutions do interpreters themselves propose? Which strategies do they use in the heat of the action? To answer these questions, we examined two interpreted EU press conferences regarding the European refugee crisis. We analysed the neosemanticisms «hotspot», «relocation» and «resettlement» used in the original speech, and how they were translated into Dutch and German by EU interpreters. For the analysis, particular attention was given to elements of dynamic context, such as situational, cognitive and linguistic context. It appears that the interpreting sessions concerned contain quite some terminological variation, and that the interpreters made use of mainly language dependent strategies to convey neosemanticisms into the target language.