Signal system in Interlingua

PREOCCUPATION with the problems of communication across language barriers has resulted in our time in the perfection, progressive application, or investigation of three new techniques. They are (1) simultaneous translation, as practiced in the United Nations General Assembly, and more and more extensively also in the most varied international congresses of scientists and other groups of specialized endeavor, (2) Interlingua, as utilized currently (especially for medical summaries) in increasing numbers of scientific periodicals and printed programs of international congresses, and (3) mechanical translation by electronic computers, as envisaged especially by scholars at Georgetown University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Universities of California and Washington, and Birkbeck College (University of London). The technique of simultaneous translation seems definitely established. It is to be assumed that it can be further perfected by technological improvements of the machines with which it operates and also by additional refinements in the training of the translating personnel. The psychological processes which the simultaneous translator experiences--his tendency to identify himself with the orator after the fashion of a good actor, his "schizophrenic" endeavor to be simultaneously, so to speak, a listening Russian balalaika and a resonant Spanish guitar, and so forth--make fascinating material for descriptive and analytical studies in some branch of metalinguistics. But no fundamental research seems required at this time to lift the technique of simultaneous translation into the saddle or to keep it there. There is likewise very little to be done to extend the limits of the potential usefulness of simultaneous translation. These limits are completely clear, even if they represent a suit of armor the little giant must grow a lot to fill out completely. Simultaneous translation is a technique that can be applied wherever the spoken word in one particular language needs to be understood for immediate reaction by groups of individuals whose language masteries do not cover that one particular language. The product of simultaneous translation need never and can never serve as an "official" rendering ready and valid for incorporation in a permanent printed or otherwise published record. The relation of Interlingua to the technique of simultaneous translation is on the whole one of irrelation. There can be no competition between the two but only peaceful coexistence and -let us hope -cooperation. An ideal example of mutual complementation of these two techniques is that of the forthcoming Sixth Congress of the International Society of Hematology. This Congress has announced its selection of English, Spanish, French, and Interlingua as official languages. All publications -announcements, programs, etc. -which the Congress sees fit to publish will be in either English and Interlingua or in Interlingua alone. All papers presented at the Congress will be read in English, French, or Spanish with simultaneous translation being provided for these three languages. We may, if we wish, dream of a further sim plification of this already highly efficient setup. Instead of three languages admitted for the presentation of papers, we may wish for an ultimate liberalization shedding all restrictions. Under such a fantastically ideal setup, participants in the Fiftieth or Seventy-Fifth International Hematological Congress may present their papers in Dutch, Hindustani, Japanese, Hungarian, Finnish, Marathi . . . or any other language of their choosing, with no chaos resulting, thanks to the technique of simultaneous translation and its provision of Interlingua versions of every individual contribution. Those who cannot appreciate the well-nigh ideal efficiency of these two plans (with the second thrown in to placate incorrigible pursuers of the as yet unlikely), those, i.e., who hold that no international congress can be said to have handled the language problem efficiently if it does not provide for one common auxiliary language for all participants, are looking at things from a viewpoint that is alien to me. I do not wish to criticize them, but I also do not wish to be associated or confused with them. If it seems impossible to construe any sort of