This weekend, I was at a bilingual conference in Quebec, and watching the interpreters got me thinking about the similarities and differences between interpreting and written translation. Let’s look at some similarities first.
- Both must be bilingual.
- Both need great comprehension skills in the source language. For interpreters, this means listening skills, and for written translators it means reading skills.
- Both have to be able to express themselves well in the target language. For interpreters, this means speaking skills, and for written translators it means writing skills.
While both interpreting and written translation have a lot in common, there are also several differences between the two activities.
- PERSONALITY: Interpreters must be comfortable in a public setting, while written translators often work alone in a quiet corner. Interpreters can use hand gestures to emphasize what they are saying, but written translators must compensate by drawing on a large vocabulary and stylistic writing techniques.
- WORK HABITS: Interpreters don’t have the luxury of being perfectionists; time constraints demand that they give the interpretation quickly, without having much time to think it over. However, translators can take more time to choose the best word, turn of phrase or sentence structure.
- FOCUS: Interpreters cannot afford to let their mind wander for even a few seconds, or they will miss what the speaker is saying. Translators have more flexibility with this, although getting distracted will affect their efficiency.
Also, in terms of the three quality concerns that I often talk about, there are differences there are differences between interpreting and written translation.
- FIDELITY: This means being faithful to the original message. Interpreters may sometimes have to summarize what the speaker has said, whereas written translators are expected to reproduce every thought in the other language.
- READABILITY: This means sounding natural in the target language. Sometimes speakers make this difficult for interpreters, by cutting up their sentences, or trying to quote a poem or song with no warning. Translators have the advantage of seeing the whole text in front of them, and can take more time to make it flow nicely in the target language.
- CONFORMITY: This means good grammar, spelling and punctuation. Expectations in regard to grammar are lower for spoken language; generally, people are not bothered by filler words or casual language, and poor spelling is not evident during speaking. There are much stricter expectations of translators; whenever something is put in writing, there are language standards to conform to — otherwise, people will not want to read the translation.
I know people who excel at both interpreting and written translation, but many whom I have met prefer one over the other, because of their personality and writing experience. Yet I believe that interpreters can become good written translators if they are willing to develop their writing skills.
Have a great day!
Liane 
www.LearnTranslation.com
www.NonprofitTranslation.org
