RADIO TRANSLATORS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18547, 22 August 1928, Page 4

RADIO TRANSLATORS.

i ?. The microphone is helping to solve i- one of the major difficulties of the i League of Nations’ sessions at Geneva s —the diversity, of languages of nations i represented there. The translating of s speeches has always been subject to a L great deal of criticism. All speeches i made, in German, Spanish, Italian or s any “non-official” language must then s be translated into both French and t English. A speech requiring twenty V minutes *'or actual deliAery, therefore, -1 requires a total of one hour with trans- >- lation. A plan originally proposed by r Edward A. Filene of Boston for sol\’ing 1 lie difficulty is now having a suca cessful trial (states a report on the il subject). Interpreters are stationed l- near the speaker. Each of these speaks' t in a iow tone into a microphone and l the translation is amplified to listent ing machines of a special kind which y are located among the delegates. The rl listener can choose the language he s ’j wishes to hear. By adjusting the ini' strument he obtains an instantaneous;

translation. Mr Filenc has advanced funds for the perfection of the -invention, it is said.