Six languages are now used at the United Nations—Arabic，Chinese，English，F(xiàn)rench，Russian and Spanish. These are known as the official languages. The languages used most often，however，are English and French. At the U.N. headquarters(聯(lián)合國總部)，all the signs and directions are both English and French. On the doors，for example，you see both the English word“Push” and the French word“Poussez”.

People understand each other through the U.N. interpreters(譯員). Some of the 2026 seats in the General Assembly Hall(聯(lián)合國大會(huì)議廳)are equipped(配備)with earphones. The earphones are attached(系)to the sides of the seats. At each seat there is a box that has a switch with numbers on it. There is a number for each ofthe six official languages and one for the speaker. By turning the switch，the listener can hear either the speaker on the floor，or the translations into any of the six official languages.

Imagine now that a meeting is going on. Some of the delegates(代表)speak only English，others only French or Spanish. Still others speak only Russian or Chinese. How can they understand one another? By using the earphones and listening to the amazing interpreters!

The interpreters sit in glass-walled，sound-proof booths(小隔間)overlooking the Assembly Hall. They listen to each speaker and translate what they says almost immediately. They speak into microphones connected(連接)to the earphones at the listeners’ seats.

How does this work? Let’s say a delegate at the meeting is talking in Russian. The French delegate doesn’t understand Russian. So he turns the switch at his seat to the number for French. At once he hears the Russian speech translated into French.

The interpreters must be very good indeed. They must be able to hear someone talking， and in a matter of seconds translate what he has said.