I'm certainly not a celebrity so the chances that I will in fact be interviewed are rather slim. But who says, I cannot give a fictional interview just to introduce myself to my readers? So here it comes:
Q: Who are you and why do you think we should be interested?
A: I'm a freelance translator and interpreter with over 16 years of experience in the language industry. In these 16 years I have encountered many interesting people, worked on interesting subjects, and in I like to share my stories.
Q: What is actually the difference between a translator and an interpreter isn't it just the same?
A: No, it's not the same. As a matter of fact it's two quite different activities. A translator is someone who works with written text. They might be translating books or scientific articles, contracts, marketing materials ... you name it. They can and do use dictionaries, they have the possibility to consult with their clients, search the internet to check the terminology. They have the time to do it, whereas an interpreter is someone who "translates" orally - in a meeting, conference, at the doctor's and in many other situations. There is no time to look up a word in a dictionary, or search the world wide web. It's instant communication. It can be very stressful, but also very rewarding as you have direct contact with the people you work for.
Q: But you can be both a translator and an interpreter?
A: Yes, you can, but there are people who specialise in either translation or interpreting. It takes a different skill to be a good translator or to be a good interpreter.
Q: So what are the basic skills you need?
A: I'd start with the perfect command of your mother tongue, something which is often overlooked. But as "communicators" we have a responsibility towards language, sometimes we create new words or word combinations and the way we speak or write can influence language. Just as much as journalists or politicians do. When there is a word that has no equivalent in our mother tongue, it's up to us to find the best possible solution.
Of course you have to have an excellent command of the foreign language as well. It goes without saying that you have to avoid grammar mistakes . Also, you have to use the correct language register, sometimes the source language may need to be more formal than the target language. There are many more factors that need to be taken into account.
You have to understand the subtleties, read "between the lines" , the cultural context, because translating or interpreting is not about words. It's mediating between two cultures, something that is perfectly acceptable in one culture may be taboo in another culture.
Q: Nowadays it seems like everybody speaks English, it is widely used on the Internet, at conferences, in companies ... why should we consider using interpreters or translators?
A: Let's say you want to sign a contract with your foreign business partner. It's worth €100.000 but there are "general terms and conditions" several pages long in small print, stipulating all possibilities you could think of. Now, how do you feel about reading "legalese" in your own language. If you're not a lawyer, you probably don't feel very comfortable, because legal texts are difficult to understand. And now imagine the same in a foreign language, even if it's the widely used English language. I would rather understand everything perfectly before I sign it, wouldn't you?
And as for interpretation: again, imagine you're discussing the delivery of the goods you're manufacturing, setting up a contract, every word counts. You have to focus on your negotiating strategy and on a foreign language. Unless you use that language on a fairly regular basis, you might be at a disadvantage compared with your counterpart who's a native speaker. Wouldn't it be nice to take some pressure off and gain some thinking time, while the professional interpreter is at work?
Of course if English is your mother tongue, the situation turns around. You want to make sure that your counterpart really understood what you meant, you want to sell your products and don't want to put off your customers by using a language that is foreign to them.
Interpreters and translators can be useful in many situations. Just make sure, you pick the right ones.
Q: Who are you and why do you think we should be interested?
A: I'm a freelance translator and interpreter with over 16 years of experience in the language industry. In these 16 years I have encountered many interesting people, worked on interesting subjects, and in I like to share my stories.
Q: What is actually the difference between a translator and an interpreter isn't it just the same?
A: No, it's not the same. As a matter of fact it's two quite different activities. A translator is someone who works with written text. They might be translating books or scientific articles, contracts, marketing materials ... you name it. They can and do use dictionaries, they have the possibility to consult with their clients, search the internet to check the terminology. They have the time to do it, whereas an interpreter is someone who "translates" orally - in a meeting, conference, at the doctor's and in many other situations. There is no time to look up a word in a dictionary, or search the world wide web. It's instant communication. It can be very stressful, but also very rewarding as you have direct contact with the people you work for.
Q: But you can be both a translator and an interpreter?
A: Yes, you can, but there are people who specialise in either translation or interpreting. It takes a different skill to be a good translator or to be a good interpreter.
Q: So what are the basic skills you need?
A: I'd start with the perfect command of your mother tongue, something which is often overlooked. But as "communicators" we have a responsibility towards language, sometimes we create new words or word combinations and the way we speak or write can influence language. Just as much as journalists or politicians do. When there is a word that has no equivalent in our mother tongue, it's up to us to find the best possible solution.
Of course you have to have an excellent command of the foreign language as well. It goes without saying that you have to avoid grammar mistakes . Also, you have to use the correct language register, sometimes the source language may need to be more formal than the target language. There are many more factors that need to be taken into account.
You have to understand the subtleties, read "between the lines" , the cultural context, because translating or interpreting is not about words. It's mediating between two cultures, something that is perfectly acceptable in one culture may be taboo in another culture.
Q: Nowadays it seems like everybody speaks English, it is widely used on the Internet, at conferences, in companies ... why should we consider using interpreters or translators?
A: Let's say you want to sign a contract with your foreign business partner. It's worth €100.000 but there are "general terms and conditions" several pages long in small print, stipulating all possibilities you could think of. Now, how do you feel about reading "legalese" in your own language. If you're not a lawyer, you probably don't feel very comfortable, because legal texts are difficult to understand. And now imagine the same in a foreign language, even if it's the widely used English language. I would rather understand everything perfectly before I sign it, wouldn't you?
And as for interpretation: again, imagine you're discussing the delivery of the goods you're manufacturing, setting up a contract, every word counts. You have to focus on your negotiating strategy and on a foreign language. Unless you use that language on a fairly regular basis, you might be at a disadvantage compared with your counterpart who's a native speaker. Wouldn't it be nice to take some pressure off and gain some thinking time, while the professional interpreter is at work?
Of course if English is your mother tongue, the situation turns around. You want to make sure that your counterpart really understood what you meant, you want to sell your products and don't want to put off your customers by using a language that is foreign to them.
Interpreters and translators can be useful in many situations. Just make sure, you pick the right ones.
Great Post.
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