Notetaking

Symbols with predicative functions

In consecutive interpreting, the arrow is one of the most useful symbols in note-taking. It has a wide range of functions and meanings.

	arrive; come to; introduce; import; transmit; tend towards;· lead to
	receive; depart; come from; proceed from
	return from; to
	improve; increase; add; develop; speed-up
	worsen; decrease; decline; slow down

Another versatile symbol is a slanting line indicating relationships:

	related to; connected with; in respect of; concerning
	to be (vb); equal; comprise
	not to be; not equal to; be different from
	do away with; forbid; cannot; must not* *X is often used to indicate the No. of times so the the curved X is better in this case
	state; say; declare; announce
	think
	to decide
	approve; agree; acceptable
	disapprove; disagree ; unacceptable

Symbols indicating time

	now; at present; today
	past; formerly
	long ago
	future; afterwards; coming
	in the distant future
	soon
	very soon; shortly
	period of time
	beginning of a period of time or action
	end of a period of time or action

General symbols and abbreviations

	country; state
	region
	city
	world
	nation; people; group of people
	question; problem
	perhaps
	very likely
	therefore; consequently
	conference; meeting; congress
	surprise; unusual
	bring closer; bring together; put into contact
	move apart; separate
	always
	never
	remember; recall
	suggest; propose; suggestion; proposal
	to change; alter
	all

Symbols for emphasis

when drawn below a symbol or abbreviation a line indicates a bigger size or quantity. The more lines, the greater the emphasis

Examples

city

a big city

a very big city

 the biggest city in the world

when drawn above a symbol or an abbreviation, a line indicates a smaller size or quantity:

Examples

a small city

a very minor matter

Point

	point
	point of argument of discussion
	point of view

Note taking excercises

In the last 25 years, particularly, 3.1 million people came from 70 different countries and locations around the world. That was an intake of migrants 5 times that of the United Natio... United States, rather, in the same period. Today, in Australia, there would be 13% of the Australian population that would have some blood connection with Italy. There would be a million people in Australia of Italian birth or extraction. And, of course, that dates bock to the arrival of the first Italian settler, a guest of the government, Mr Tuso (?), on the First F1eet in 1788.

Then in terms of Greek settlement, there would be about a half a million people of Greek birth or descent in Australia. And Melbourne today is the fourth largest Greek-speaking city in the world. It follows Athens, Salonica and Nicosia, the Cypriot/the Cypriot capital as the fourth largest Greek-speaking city in the world.

And then, of course, you have from Malta 400,000 people either born there or their parents came from there, and that means that we have in Australia 50,000 people, more people of Maltese birth or descent than there are in Malta, because the entire Republic or Malta, I think has 350,000. We have 50,000 more.

Now in terms of Yugoslav settlers, there would be more than a quarter of a million and that comes from all over the component states and independent republics of Yugoslavia. And then 130,000 people that... whose first language would be Arabic. And then, large groups, such as people of German origin... Dutch... Spanish­ speaking and/and so on. So that you got today one Australian in three a product of post-war migration, and also half the population will shortly be under 25, and so those people who were alive in Australia at the time of World War I1 are now in a minority.

The Geneva Notation System

Based on the following principles:

1. Bringing across the idea, not the word
2. Abbreviating
3. Linking
4. Negation (denying)
5. Stress
6. Verticality
7. Shifting

Abbreviating

spec:

• special, sp^l
• speciality, sp^ty
• specialised, sp^ed

prod:

• production, pr^on
• producer, pr^er
• product, pr^ct
• productivity, pr^ty

com:

• commission, c^om
• committee, c^tee

I speak (say): I^"

I will speak later: I^"ll

Which contributed to: helped

With reference to the situation at this point in time:

• as sit ^on now

Linking

as, car, why: general concept of explanation

tho: general concept of opposition

(But), sed, ma: general concept of restriction

if: general concept of presumption

as to: general concept of reference

asi: general concept of conclusion

= general concept of correspondence, equality

≠ general concept of difference

de+ general concept of supplementary information

Negation

Approve: OK

Disapprove: NoOK or 

Stress/emphasis

The study is interesting: int^g

The study is very interesting:

The study is extremely interesting:

The important question is... 

We must examine with great care: care

A solution which is not so decisive:

Verticality

The report with regard to Western Europe: 

The report with regard to Western Europe is an interesting document:

Since the delegations of France, the United Kingdom and the United States have proposed As

Which led to new investments especially in the area of transport

Shifting

In the course of the year 1954, prices underwent an increase,
Without, however, reaching the level of increase of incomes, so that the national income in fact grew.

In 1954 prices went up,
But not as much as income,
So that the national income increased