Have you ever wondered why you usually hear about “court interpreters” and not “court translators”? Or why Nicole Kidman’s movie is called “The Interpreter” rather than “The Translator”? No, it’s not because “interpreter” sounds cooler or more exciting. (Frankly, the average interpreter’s job is not quite as exciting as Nicole Kidman’s character!) The difference between “translation” and “interpretation” is pretty basic: a translator works with written text, whereas an interpreter works with spoken words.
People who don’t work in either field tend to incorrectly refer to both as “translation.” While they both involve a rendering from language into another, the skills required to perform translation and interpretation tasks are different. Thus, the distinction.
What is a Translator?
Translators take documents written in one language, usually referred to as the source or original language, and transfer it into a different language, usually called the target language. There are endless varieties of documents that translators work with. It can be anything from a work of literature, to a cookbook, to a legal complaint, to a medical journal article. Due to the wide range of texts that often require translation, many translators pick a field to specialize in, depending on their background knowledge and interests.
What Skills Should a Translator Have?
First and foremost, translators require a very solid knowledge of the source language and an excellent command of the target text. Most translators work into their native or dominant language, but there are a few exceptions in which a translator can work equally well into more than one language. Translators should have a strong grasp on spelling and grammar and have a keen eye for detail. Research skills are very important, because translators will always need to look up unfamiliar words and phrases. There’s just no way anyone could ever know everything there possibly is to know about a certain field. Every translator I know will agree with me on this important point: there is no such thing as too many dictionaries. So stock up, ladies and gentlemen!
What is an Interpreter?
Interpreters listen to words being spoken in the source language and transfer them into the target language. There are three modes of interpretation: simultaneous, consecutive, and sight. During simultaneous, the interpreter speaks at the same time as the original language speaker. Consecutive requires that the interpreter wait until the speaker finishes before rendering their interpretation.
Sight interpretation, also called sight translation, involves reading a document in the source language and speaking it into the target language. Many interpreters dislike the name “sight translation” because the very nature of this activity involves speaking (in other words, interpreting), whereas translation would involve writing.
What Skills Should an Interpreter Have?
The most important skill that an interpreter needs is the ability to multitask. One would think this is obviously useful for a simultaneous interpreter, because you need to be able to listen and speak at the same time. It does also apply to consecutive interpreting, given that you need to be able to take notes and listen carefully at the same time. Having an excellent memory is also essential, because it’s extremely difficult to rely completely on note-taking during consecutive interpreting. Furthermore, given that they don’t have time to look up concepts and do research, interpreters absolutely need to be able to think on their feet. Not to mention sound graceful while doing it! Interpreters are expected to communicate everything being said without adding, omitting, summarizing, or changing any part of the message.
Want to know how to effectively speak through an interpreter? Check out this video! It’s filled with some great tips illustrated in very simple ways. Feel free to comment or ask questions!
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