Classes of the Second-year MA Students of the Caspian Higher School of Interpreting and Translation with Yuri I. Kozlovsky

This week second year MA students who are about to graduate from the Caspian Higher School of Interpretation and Translation enjoyed the privilege to attend the classes, delivered by the chief adviser of the Department of Linguistic Support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Yuri Ivanovich Kozlovsky, to hone their translation skills. This is particularly relevant in the light of the forthcoming final examinations: Yuri Ivanovich not only gave valuable advice on the transformation of a text to be translated, but also dwelled on correct approach to working on a text as a whole, including editing at different stages of translation. He told students about the entrance exams for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the United Nations, and mastering of additional languages required for a successful translation career in international organizations. He also shared stories of the interesting life of Soviet diplomats during the time, which was difficult for the whole country. The classes were also attended by students of the first year who were closely following the work at the classes and taking part in it by offering their options for translating the texts. Yuri Ivanovich Kozlovsky listened attentively to each student, paying attention to translation style and giving some editing tips. He also drew graduates’ attention to the fact that interpreters should treat their text as if they had created it, avoiding the calque and complying with the principles of a thematic-rhematic articulation in the Russian language. He believes that the quality of translation from English into Russian is determined by profound knowledge of the mother tongue, making a reader perceive a translated text as one written in his/her own language.
The students were grateful for the valuable advice of the experienced interpreter, which would certainly be useful for their career.