What Does an Interpreter Do?

Many people get confused as to the difference between an interpreter and a translator. There is a common tendency to think translators interpreter, or that interpreters translate. In fact, the two are very separate jobs requiring different skills. To explain who and/or what an interpreter as opposed to a translator we set out the main differences between interpreting and translation.

Interpreting vs. Translation

On a basic level it would appear that there is little difference between an interpreter and a translator. One translates spoken words and the other written words. However, the differences in how the job is carried out, the pressures, requirements, skills and talents are many.

A translator must be able to write well and be able to express words, phrases, innuendos and other linguistic nuances between languages on paper. A translator has the luxury of time, resources (dictionaries, etc), reference material and the freedom to take a break when needed. Their pressures are relatively limited.

Translators only work into their native languages to assure accuracy in both linguistic and cultural senses. Translators therefore, it could be argued, are not completely bilingual. They may be able to deal effectively with written sources but when it comes to orally translating, it is a different skill.

A translator therefore has a one dimensional aspect to their work. They deal with written words and language that come from paper and return to paper.

An interpreter, on the other hand, has to be able to translate spoken words in two directions. They do this using no resources or reference material bar their knowledge and expertise. An interpreter is required to find linguistic solutions to problems on the spot. The pressure therefore can be quite intense.

In addition to interpreting, the interpreter must also act as a bridge between people, relaying tone, intentions and emotions. Where an interpreter is caught between cross fire they need to demonstrate great professionalism and diplomacy. Their roles are therefore much more complex as they have to deal with both language and people.

What does an Interpreter do?

There are two ways of interpreting known as consecutive and simultaneous.

Simultaneous interpreting involves interpreting in 'real time'. Many would have seen an interpreter sitting in a booth wearing a pair of headphones and speaking into a microphone at a conference or large diplomatic meeting such as the EU or UN. A simultaneous interpreter has the unenviable task of quickly digesting what one person is saying before immediately translating it to others. One of the key skills simultaneous interpreters must demonstrate is decisiveness. They must think quickly and on their feet.

Consecutive interpreting is carried out in face to face meetings, speeches or court cases. A speaker will usually stop at regular junctures, say every few sentences, and have the interpreter translate, before proceeding. A key skill involved in consecutive interpreting is the ability to remember what has been said.

What do you need?

In short, if you need someone to translate something that is written you need the services of a translator. If you need someone to translate the spoken word, you need an interpreter.

Neil Payne is Director of Kwintessential, a London based consultanct providing a range of cross cultural service including interpreters: http://www.kwintessential.co. uk/translation/interpretation.html

---

Google News Updated : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:51:44 GMT Bashir Visits Darfur, Pledges Sudan Will Protect Relief Workers - Bloomberg Voice of America Bashir Visits Darfur, Pledges Sudan Will Protect Relief Workers Bloomberg - 4 hours ago By Paul Tighe July 24 (Bloomberg) -- Sudan's President Umar al-Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in the Darfur conflict, visited the region yesterday and pledged to provide security for international relief ... Bashir returns to Darfur New York Times How Sudan Was Brought to Court TIME The Press Association - The Epoch Times - Voice of America - Times Online all 1,663 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:39:29 GMT "X-Files" movie both satisfies and disappoints - Seattle Times "X-Files" movie both satisfies and disappoints Seattle Times - 50 minutes ago Mulder and Scully are together again in "X-Files: I Want to Believe." The story may be silly, but the agents' romance is compelling as ever. The X-Files: I Want to Believe AU Review IGN Scully have I loved Salon Daytona Beach News-Journal - The State - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com - Youngstown Vindicator all 557 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:01:06 GMT Pittsburgh Cancer Center Warns of Cell Phone Risks - ABC News China Daily Pittsburgh Cancer Center Warns of Cell Phone Risks ABC News - 6 hours ago By JENNIFER C. YATES and SETH BORENSTEIN AP Writers AP The head of a prominent cancer research institute issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff Wednesday: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer. Red alert! The cellphone warning has been issued Los Angeles Times Pittsburgh cancer center warns of cell phone risks The Associated Press DetNews.com - USA Today - Julie's Health Club - Chicago Tribune Blog all 436 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:01:03 GMT Obama lavished with airtime -- and criticism - Los Angeles Times ABC News Obama lavished with airtime -- and criticism Los Angeles Times - 1 hour ago As the media moves to correct itself for glowing coverage of the Democrat, it's entering a period of shallow analysis. By ON THE MEDIA, JAMES RAINEY It seems like just about everybody has spent the last week beating up on the media for showering too ... Veterans group hits McCain on troop pullout The Associated Press 'Generation Gap' Widens in the 2008 Electorate Wall Street Journal Boston Globe - New York Times - CQPolitics.com - Right Pundits all 2,612 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:43:11 GMT Powerful quake injures 92 in Japan - CNN Boston Globe Powerful quake injures 92 in Japan CNN - 2 hours ago (CNN) -- A strong earthquake injured 92 people and destroyed 31 buildings in northern Japan on Thursday, authorities said. People at an auto dealership in Karumai, Japan, clean up glass shards after a strong earthquake Thursday. Japan's North Hit by Magnitude-6.8 Quake; 95 Injured (Update3) Bloomberg Powerful earthquake hits Japan, dozens injured The Associated Press Jerusalem Post - Reuters - AFP all 766 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:51:37 GMT Dynamo top United at soggy RFK - MLS - Major League Soccer The Money Times Dynamo top United at soggy RFK MLS - Major League Soccer - 1 hour ago By Charles Boehm / MLSnet.com Staff WASHINGTON -- After two aborted tries on previous dates, DCUnited and the Houston Dynamo finally completed the first of their two league meetings on Wednesday night -- and some of Thursday morning, ... Mullan, Ching power Dynamo over DC United 2-0 Houston Chronicle Dynamo outlasts United despite lengthy delay Seattle Post Intelligencer The Canadian Press - FC Dallas - Washington Post - United Press International all 144 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:07:00 GMT Oklahoma determined to have a strong finish - Fort Worth Star Telegram NCAAfootball.net Oklahoma determined to have a strong finish Fort Worth Star Telegram - 1 hour ago By MIKE JONES "Our whole mentality now is WTLG [win the last game]," Harris said Wednesday. "Come out and finish. It’s national championship or bust. Sooner, the better Topeka Capital Journal Players put success on Stoops Daily Camera SportingNews.com - Chicago Tribune - ESPN - Norman Transcript all 38 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:03:29 GMT Earn Money With Surveys RSS Feed Reader

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

English Has Come A Long, Long Way...

I often wonder what would happen if Shakespeare were to... Read More

7 Words Americans Should Stop Using Until Further Investigation

Relationship: Here is a word that is used to qualify,... Read More

Learn Korean: Part 1 - Asian Languages and Language Families

So, you have always been fascinated by Asian culture have... Read More

Learning a Foreign Language: Learn from the Blind

In a previous article, you read that to establih your... Read More

Show Me the Bunny: Language Acquisition

Some children are really funny about experimenting with speech. Nonetheless,... Read More

Preschool Spanish

Why an EarlyAGE 2nd Language?Research indicates that from ages 1... Read More

Aphasia: The Cruelest Language Barrier

Imagine the following scenario: You wake up one morning and... Read More

Can You Understand English?

There is a lot of talk about making English the... Read More

Learning a Foreign Language: the Psychological Factor

When it comes about learning a foreign language, many people... Read More

Learn Italian in Your Hometown

Are you interested in learning the Italian language right in... Read More

Second Language Competence Beneficial but often Misunderstood

Second language learning has associated with it many types of... Read More

Japanese Kanji Learning: Short-Cuts to Rapid Mastery (Part 1)

What? Kanji can be learned quickly? This seems an impossible... Read More

English Language Sputtering Online Like an Old Ford!

Sad, but true. Just about everywhere you look online, the... Read More

Learn Italian for Free

Italian is one of the most widespread languages in the... Read More

Online IELTS Preparation - Why Does It Make Sense?

Because IELTS is a difficult test. While most agree that... Read More

Uncommon Facts / Rules of English Language

English is an international language. It has so many grammar... Read More

English Slang For Perplexed Tourists

I watched the British version of 'Big Brother' recently. That's... Read More

Bridging the Language Gap Using Bilingual Picture Books

There are more than 39 million Hispanics live in the... Read More

Chinese Pinyin or Hanyu Pinyin Overview

Chinese Pinyin is the romanization of the Chinese "written sound".... Read More

Don?t Take The Romaji Short-Cut When Learning Japanese

This is an issue many Japanese learners come up against,... Read More

Learning French in Paris

Nothing can be more frustrating than to be in France... Read More

What Does an Interpreter Do?

Many people get confused as to the difference between an... Read More

Learning a Foreign Language: Why Should you Learn Words You Never Use in Your Mother Tongue?

Imagine a child sitting in front of a desk, his... Read More

How Ronzoni Italian Foods Helped My Dad Learn English

My dad likes to say, he was made in Italy,... Read More

Japanese Kanji Learning: Short-Cuts to Rapid Mastery (Part 2)

In Japanese Kanji Learning: Short-Cuts to Rapid Mastery Part 1,... Read More