Pavel Palazhchenko: Difference between revisions

Pavel Palazhchenko
Occupation	Interpreter

Pavel Palazhchenko (Template:Lang-ru) is a high-level Soviet conference interpreter and principal English interpreter for Mikhail Gorbachev and Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze from 1985 and 1991.^[1]

Palazhchenko was born on March 17, 1949 in Monino, Moscow Oblast, Russia. He graduated from the Maurice Thorez Moscow Institute of Foreign Languages (Moscow State Linguistic University) in 1972.^[2]

As one of the leading interpreters of his time, Palazhchenko participated in all US-Soviet summit talks leading to the end of the Cold War. He is the author of a personal and political memoir, My Years with Gorbachev and Shevardnadze: The Memoir of a Soviet Interpreter.^[1]

Palazhchenko also wrote the Moi Nesistematichesky Slovar or My Unsystematic Dictionary which was published in Russia by R. Valent publications in May 2002. The 300-page Russian-English dictionary provides information, insight and cultural observation on the linguistic twists and turns that lie between the English and Russian languages; and was a sequel to Palazhchenko’s other work: the English-Russian dictionary published in 1999. The 1999 English-Russian dictionary dealt with trends in the political, diplomatic and journalistic usage in the English language.^[3][4][5]

Palazhchenko loves his trade. In his book, My Unsystematic Dictionary, Palazhchenko writes: This very occupation, to imbibe the air of a foreign (and your own) language, to rake through the throng of words and, having found the right one, feel its texture, its size and then grope for the threads connecting the two languages, has always been my favorite thing to do… - from “Book Tackles Those Hard Words”, The Moscow Times, June 3, 2002.^[3]

In 2005, the third book of this series, Unsystematic Dictionary-2005 was published.^[6]

After becoming a long-time associate and aide to Mikhail Gorbachev for several years, Palazhchenko eventually became the head of the International Department of the International Non-governmental Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Studies (or The Gorbachev Foundation), where he also functioned as an analyst, spokesperson, interpreter and translator.^{[7] [8][9][10][11]}

1. Not Lost in Translation by Boris Fishman, Diplomatic Immunity (An Anecdote), The New Yorker Magazine, NewYorker.com, date retrieved: 28 May 2007
2. Familiar Russian Interpreter Pavel Palazhchenko to Lecture on 07 October 1993, News Release, Stanford University News Service, 01 October 1993, date retrieved: 28 May 2007
3. The Memoir of a Soviet Interpreter: Pavel Palazhchenko (1997), Concentrating on the Critical Period of 1985-1991, Penn State University Press, Book Information, WorlRetailStore.com - ISBN 0271016035
4. Oscar Night (Mikhail Gorbachev via Pavel Palazhchenko) by Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, April 1, 2002, ErolMorris.com, date retrieved: 28 May 2007
5. The Memoir of a Soviet Interpreter: Pavel Palazhchenko (1997), The Recollections of a High-level Soviet Interpreter Who Worked with Mikhail Gorbachev and Soviet Foreign Minister Shevardnadze between 1985 and 1991, Alibris Books, Alibris.com, date retrieved: 28 May 2007

• List of UN Interpreters
• Igor Korchilov, UN Interpreter
• United Nations Interpretation Service Website,date retrieved: 28 May 2007
• Interpreters: Inside the Glass Booth by Elsa B. Endrst, The UN Chronicle, United Nations Publications (1991), Gale Group (2004), date retrieved: 28 May 2007
• Hossam Fahr, UN Interpreter, "To Save The Planet, First Get An Interpreter" by Danna Harman, Staff Writer of The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, from the August 30, 2002 edition, date retrieved: 28 May 2007
• Stephen B. Pearl, UN Interpreter, "Five Principles and Five Skills for Training Interpreters by Stephen B. Pearl", META, Volume 45, n.2, June 2000, pages 241-248, an article written by Dr. Peter K. Kornakov, Associate Professor, St.Petersburg State University, Russia and a University Teacher in Interpreting and Translating, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, date retrieved: 28 May 2007

• Interpreters at the United Nations: A History by Jesús Baigorri-Jalón ISBN 84-7800-643-5
• La interpretación de conferencias: el nacimiento de una profesión, de Paris a Nuremberg by Jesús Baigorri-Jalón ISBN 84-8444-055-9
• From Russian into English: An Introduction to Simultaneous Interpretation by Lynn Visson, UN Interpreter ISBN 0-87501-095-4
• A Brief Guide to From Russian into English: An Introduction to Simultaneous Interpretation by Lynn Visson, UN Interpreter ISBN 0-87501-095-4
• Interpretation: Techniques and Exercises by James Nolan, UN Interpreter Hardbound ISBN 1-85359-791-0, Paperback ISBN 1-85359-790-2, Ebook ISBN 1-85359-792-9
• More Publications about Interpreting and Translation

• International Association of Conference Interpreters AIIC
• The American Association of Language Specialists TAALS
• Monterey Institute of International Studies Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation