Translators and interpreters are commonly mistaken as one profession. They do share many similarities, such as requiring proficiency in more than one language, being aware of how cultural factors may influence the conversion between source and target language, and being necessary in government, medical, and academic settings. Oftentimes, some people work as both translators and interpreters, further blurring the distinction between one profession and another.
However, translators focus on written communication while interpreters focus on spoken communication. Translators work with the written word, converting text from a source language into a target language over a period of time with access to external resources (such as dictionaries and other linguistic experts). The finished product must not only convert words in one language into another, but also convey the style, tone, and intent of the original text, recognizing how differences in culture and dialect can make idioms, slang, and untranslatable words difficult to convey. Translators can translate books, poetry, contracts, and websites, among other works.
On the other hand, interpreters work with the spoken word, converting speech from a source language into a target language. Their work happens in real-time such as during an event or meeting, and includes sign language as well as spoken language. Similarly to translators, interpreters are not only responsible for speaking two languages fluently; they are expected to adjust for style, tone, and intent to enhance the listener’s comprehension to the highest degree. While translators are often extremely proficient in both their target and source languages, they generally work in one direction: the source language to their target language (which is often their native language). Interpreters, however, mostly work bi-directionally, requiring work both to and from the target and source languages.
There are various methods of interpreting, but the most common are simultaneous interpreting and consecutive interpreting. Simultaneous interpretation requires the interpreter to listen and comprehend the source language while “simultaneously” conveying it in the target language; the quotations are there because the interpretation is technically not simultaneous, but instead somewhat delayed as the interpreter breaks down and reconstructs the syntax and vocabulary. Settings for this include court proceedings, international meetings, and press conferences. In fact, UN sessions—where interpreters convey real-time messages to representatives—are one of the most famous examples of simultaneous interpreting at work. Consecutive interpreting is not as rapid. Rather than continuously providing translations, interpreters instead listen to several complete sentences in the source languages, and then the speaker pauses to allow the interpreter to convey the message into the target language. This can occur in small meetings, person-to-person communication, and question-and-answer sessions (such as attorney-client interviews and physician-patient meetings).
Regardless of their various similarities, translation and interpretation have their unique qualities that distinguish them as two separate (yet highly necessary) professions. Working in the realms of government, healthcare, business, and many more, translators and interpreters are necessary to facilitate the ethical and high-quality communication necessary to run our increasingly globalized world.