Translation & Interpretation: What's the Difference?

"Do you have an interpreter? I have a certificate that I need to be translated to Chinese."

Working for a translation and interpretation company, we usually have clients who confuse one to the other. This is very apparent especially here in the Philippines where translation and interpretation are not popular fields yet.

As the Monterey Institute of International Studies defines the two in their documentary on the life of an interpreter, the difference is indeed "very basic." In the words of Iciar Gomez, an experienced Translator/Interpreter, "Interpretation is ORAL [while] Translation is WRITTEN."

However, Nancy Nicholson of Cambridge University eplains that "Many scholars and practitioners (the terms are not mutually exclusive), however, choose the generic 'translation' to include both oral and written product, some referring more specifically to 'interpretation' as 'oral translation' and to 'simultaneous interpretation' as 'simultaneous translation.'"

No matter how the two terms are loosely used, it still pays to know the basic difference between them.

Kinds of Interpretation

Knowing the difference between the two is not enough though. In the case of Interpretation, it is important to now the nature of the request to determine whether Simultaneous, Consecutive, Guide/Accompanying or Whisper Interpretation is needed.

Simultaneous interpretation, from the name itself, is interpreting messages simultaneously or at the same time. It usually requires the use of an interpreter's booth and headset for the client. This kind of service is mostly done for big conferences or in occasions where immediate relaying of message is needed such as in international media coverages and 'multi-lingual meetings'. Two interpreters usually alternate the work every after 30 minutes as this involves a lot of concentration and non-stop processing of messages.

Consecutive, on the other hand, requires the linguist to sit or stand, whatever the case may be, beside the guests who need the service. The interpreter delivers the message afer the speaker finishes talking. For accuracy, notes are taken down. The usual interval is after every 15 minutes, where the speaker pauses while his message is being interpreted. This type of service is usually used for events with smaller number of guests, interviews, or for instances where the use of simultaneous interpretation equipment is an inconvenience or may not be possible.

As for Guide/Accompanying, this usually applies to informal settings and/or may simply need the interpreter to assist the guest for whatever business he may have. Exhibits and Trade events usually require this service.

Lastly, Whisper interpretation is normally seen in short meetings where the interpreter sits beside the delegate or guest and whispers the messages. It may sound easy however, it can be as tedious as simultaneous interpretation is and may be uncomfortable or exhausting for the guest as well.

From the things mentioned, interpretation, regardless of its kind, requires a lot of concentration, quick processing of information, and fluency on the language pair they cater to. As Gomez puts it, "You are not a parrot. You have to listen to the speaker. You have to assimilate what the speaker is saying. You have to process it, transfer it to another language, say it, and [make sure that your delivery is gramatically and factually correct]."

She concludes, "The better you are, the more invisible you are. They don't realize that you are one of the main actors in the whole scene and without you that wouldn't be able to happen."

Translation as a Profession

As compared to Interpretation, Translation is a more 'relaxed' kind of job, although this does not mean it is any easier. Since the translator deals with documents and not with a live person, he has the chance to go back and correct any errors on his work. Accuracy can be guaranteed at 100% with the time given to them to translate and proofread.

This profession, however, goes beyond one's knowledge of certain language pairs. As documents for a wide variey of topics may be worked on, expertise and professional background are usually required. This specifically applies to translation of Medical, Technical, Engineering and Legal documents.

There are instances though that translators get claims from their clients over the use of certain terms. Since translation is not an exact Science, there are words, terms, and phrases which may be translated in various ways. It is in this case that both parties need to discuss properly the guidelines in every project.

One of the perks of this is that you can do it freelance while having a full time job or better yet, if you hate to be confined in the office, you can also be a full time freelancer. With the growing demand for globalization, more and more businesses want to connect to various cultures across all continents. A lot of translation agencies are constantly looking for linguists to fill in their equally growing number of projects.

Philippines: Language Services at Present

In the Philippines, where Filipino and English are widely used, language services are not usually needed. However, with the foreign investors, exchange students and tourists going to the country and even OFWs seeking fortune overseas, the need for translation and interpretation is being realized.

Private clients usually need their certificates, employment papers, clearances, diplomas etc. to be translated to the language of the country they will go to. Meanwhile, corporate clients require their website to be seen in different languages, also known as Website Localization, or their brochures, company profiles, contracts and other marketing materials to cater to different nationalities. This is where a translation agency or translation company steps in.

-- The writer, Yvonne Javier is a project manager of Lexcode Inc. For inquiries, you may reach her at yvonne.j@lexcode.com -- YJ

Top 7 Communication Barriers

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Top 7 Communication Barriers

By: Eric Garner

Many people think that communicating is easy.

It is after all something we've done all our lives.

There is some truth in this simplistic view.

Communicating is straightforward.

What makes it complex, difficult, and frustrating

are the barriers we put in the way.

Here are the 7 top barriers.

1. Physical barriers

• marked out territories, empires and fiefdoms into which strangers are not allowed

• closed office doors, barrier screens, separate areas for people of different status

• large working areas or working in one unit that is physically separate from others.

Research shows that one of the most important factors in building cohesive teams is proximity. As long as people still have a personal space that they can call their own, nearness to others aids communication because it helps us get to know one another.

2. Perceptual barriers

The problem with communicating with others is that we all see the world differently. If we didn't, we would have no need to communicate: something like extrasensory perception would take its place.

The following anecdote is a reminder of how our thoughts, assumptions and perceptions shape our own realities:

A traveller was walking down a road when he met a man from the next town. "Excuse me," he said. "I am hoping to stay in the next town tonight. Can you tell me what the townspeople are like?"

"Well," said the townsman, "how did you find the people in the last town you visited?"

"Oh, they were an irascible bunch. Kept to themselves. Took me for a fool. Over-charged me for what I got. Gave me very poor service."

"Well, then," said the townsman, "you'll find them pretty much the same here."

3. Emotional barriers

One of the chief barriers to open and free communications is the emotional barrier. It is comprised mainly of fear, mistrust and suspicion. The roots of our emotional mistrust of others lie in our childhood and infancy when we were taught to be careful what we said to others.

"Mind your P's and Q's"; "Don't speak until you're spoken to"; "Children should be seen and not heard". As a result many people hold back from communicating their thoughts and feelings to others.

They feel vulnerable. While some caution may be wise in certain relationships, excessive fear of what others might think of us can stunt our development as effective communicators and our ability to form meaningful relationships.

4. Cultural barriers

When we join a group and wish to remain in it, sooner or later we need to adopt the behaviour patterns of the group. These are the behaviours that the group accept as signs of belonging.

The group rewards such behaviour through acts of recognition, approval and inclusion. In groups which are happy to accept you, and where you are happy to conform, there is a mutuality of interest and a high level of win-win contact.

Where, however, there are barriers to your membership of a group, a high level of game-playing replaces good communication.

5. Language barriers

Language that describes what we want to say in our terms may present barriers to others who are not familiar with our expressions, buzz-words and jargon. When we couch our communication in such language, it is a way of excluding others. In a global market place the greatest compliment we can pay another person is to talk in their language.

One of the more chilling memories of the Cold War was the threat by the Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev saying to the Americans at the United Nations: "We will bury you!" This was taken to mean a threat of nuclear annihilation.

However, a more accurate reading of Khruschev's words would have been: "We will overtake you!" meaning economic superiority. It was not just the language, but the fear and suspicion that the West had of the Soviet Union that led to the more alarmist and sinister interpretation.

6. Gender barriers

There are distinct differences between the speech patterns in a man and those in a woman. A woman speaks between 22,000 and 25,000 words a day whereas a man speaks between 7,000 and 10,000. In childhood, girls speak earlier than boys and at the age of three, have a vocabulary twice that of boys.

The reason for this lies in the wiring of a man's and woman's brains. When a man talks, his speech is located in the left side of the brain but in no specific area. When a woman talks, the speech is located in both hemispheres and in two specific locations.

This means that a man talks in a linear, logical and compartmentalised way, features of left-brain thinking; whereas a woman talks more freely mixing logic and emotion, features of both sides of the brain. It also explains why women talk for much longer than men each day.

7. Interpersonal barriers

There are six levels at which people can distance themselves from one another:

1. Withdrawal is an absence of interpersonal contact. It is both refusal to be in touch and time alone.

2. Rituals are meaningless, repetitive routines devoid of real contact.

3. Pastimes fill up time with others in social but superficial activities.

4. Working activities are those tasks which follow the rules and procedures of contact but no more.

5. Games are subtle, manipulative interactions which are about winning and losing. They include "rackets" and "stamps".

6. Closeness is the aim of interpersonal contact where there is a high level of honesty and acceptance of yourself and others.

Working on improving your communications is a broad-brush activity. You have to change your thoughts, your feelings, and your physical connections.

That way, you can break down the barriers that get in your way and start building relationships that really work.