I believe "told" is the best choice. I don't find "was telling" natural. In my opinion, here are the combinations that seem natural. A) The interpreter TOLD the president what the Chinese visitors HAD SAID. (Translation of one statement - The visitors spoke, then the interpreter translated.) B) The interpreter (WOULD TELL) or (TOLD) the president what the Chinese visitors WERE SAYING. (The visitors spoke multiple times, the interpreter translated each time. The meeting was in progress. The visitors were going to say more.) Here TOLD has the meaning of a habitual or repeated action. Examples: - 1 - Yesterday, I studied all day. (one event) - 2 - When I was a university student, I would study all day. ("would" indicates a habitual or repeated action) 3 - When I was a university student, I studied all day. (context indicates a habitual or repeated action) C) The interpreter WAS TELLING the president what the Chinese visitors HAD SAID (when the president interrupted with a question). (The interpreter was not finished when the president interrupted.) D) The interpreter WAS TELLING the president what the Chinese visitors WERE SAYING (when the president interrupted with a question). (The interpreter was not finished when the president interrupted. In this version, the translation is simultaneous with the visitors speaking.)

Hi Sasha, They are not the same. "was telling" does infer that the action was happening the same time as the Chinese were speaking. But do you know that? Here's a different picture. You and I are having coffee and you say "Would you like to hear what the Chinese visitors said last night?". Later that day I will tell someone that "Sasha told me what the Chinese visitors were saying". You have your tenses correct. You just haven't covered all the possibilities. Good luck with your tests, Stephen