A comparative analysis of two time lags in English into Korean simultaneous interpretation

This study examines the two most tangible variables in simultaneous interpretation studies, EVS (Ear-Voice Span) and TTS (Tail-to-Tail Span). EVS refers to the time lag between the arrival of the speaker's input to the interpreter and his production of the target message, while TTS is the lag between the ending of the same sentence by a speaker and the conclusion of the translated sentence by the interpreter. A computer-aided analysis of a speech delivered by an American Presidential candidate showed that the length of EVS is 3.66 seconds and that of TTS is 5.34 second, and that they were statistically different yet highly correlated. Longer sentences produced by the speaker increased EVS while longer sentences produced by the interpreter lengthened TTS. Accuracy of the sentences suffered when EVS or TTS were extended presumably due to limitations in the interpreter's working memory. Although the average size of pauses between sentences produced by the speaker was found to be big enough to encompass TTS, a close scrutiny revealed that half of those pauses were long clapping, and that the mean of the pause was significantly shorter than the average. Therefore, often the interpreter could not enjoy the luxury of finishing delivering his own sentence before the arrival of the speaker's next input