A chair in the wings

I knew the subject of the interview well, but this was my first time interpreting it in front of an audience. In the wings, I listened to the guest's quick, uneven answers and imagined every sentence reaching me before I had finished the previous one. The organiser offered me water. I nearly asked whether another interpreter was available, then stopped: I had prepared the terminology for a week. When I opened my notebook, the first page looked reassuringly familiar. I still wished the opening question would be a short one.

In your own words, explain the writer's thoughts and feelings before the interpreting assignment.