Paulo Silveira

“My career as a conference interpreter is as old as my son: I started working in simultaneous translation the year he was born. Before that I studied Fine Arts, lived in England and France, where I worked as an English teacher and translator – which allowed me to further develop my knowledge of languages. Once I came across a lecture on interpretation and realized I had several of the key characteristics a professional must have: the ability to not get stuck on specific words, but rather to be loyal to the message being conveyed; flexibility; a drive to always stay up to date on a myriad of topics and a desire to be the proxy that allows speakers of different languages to communicate with one another.

I believe simultaneous translation is about teamwork, requiring strong rapport between speaker, listener and interpreter. It is very interesting to see the collaboration take place and to realize that interpretation allows speakers of different languages to interact as though they were actually speaking the same language. I have had the privilege of performing alongside notable speakers such as Roberto Setúbal, then CEO of one of the largest banks in Brazil, artist Vik Muniz, volleyball coach for the national team Bernardinho, and even stars like Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock on Star Trek.”