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At the European Commission in Brussels, they have a joke about the work interpreters do—Languages", they say, "have nothing to do with interpretation, it helps to know them. "Anyone thinking of becoming an interpreter would bear this so well in mind. Translating languages, especially in a political context, involves far more than mere linguistic ability. To work in an international organization, such as the United Nations, you need to be approved by one of the various international translators or ’interpreters’ associations. To achieve this, you must experience rigorous and lengthy training, either at an accrediting organization’ s own school, or on a postgraduate course at university. But a qualification in languages is not the only route into the job. At London’ s University of Westminster, candidates get offered a place on the interpreter’ s course if they can show that they have "lived a bit", in the words of one lecture. Young people who have just left university often lack adequate experience of life. The University also looks for candidates who have lived for long time in the countries where their acquired languages are spoken. They are also expected to have wide cultural interests and a good knowledge of current affairs. This broad range of interests are essential in a job which can require interpreting discussions of disarmament(裁军) on Monday, international fishing rights on Tuesday, multinational finance on Wednesday , and the building and construction industry on Thursday. Interpreters also rely on adrenaline (肾上腺素)—which is caused by the stress and challenges of the job—to keep them going through their demanding schedules. Many admit that they enjoy the buzz of adrenaline they get from the job, and it’ s known that their heart rates speed up while they are working. It’ s also a job with its own risks and excitement. Interpreters are needed in war zones as well as in centers of international diplomacy, like the U. N.

Candidates for the training course in London’ s University of Westminster need the following qualifications EXCEPT______.