It is important not to confuse interpretation with translation. Interpretation involves the presence of an intermediary who relates the meaning of spoken or written language in real time. The term translation, as it is generally used in the translation industry, involves the submission of already existing texts and is not performed in real time. Written translation, particularly technical translation, must restrict itself to the precise text. Interpretation is much more focused on how the parties understand each other, and, because it is a "live" process, there is ample opportunity for feedback, explanation, elaboration, etc. In interpretation, human interaction makes the task of fostering understanding somewhat easier because of the possibilities for feedback, but the process is considerably more difficult for the interpreter, as it must be accomplished on the fly, often requiring simultaneous listening and speaking.
What Are the Business Needs for Interpretation?
Most businesses think of interpretation for receiving guests from other countries, or perhaps traveling overseas for shows or congresses of one sort or another. Interpretation is really much more common in day-to-day circumstances, like customer service, human resources management and technical consultations. In the global context of the 21st century, interpretation has become increasingly necessary and useful within the internal communications of many larger corporate structures.
What Are the Kinds of Interpretation?
Interpretation can be sequential or simultaneous. Sequential may be used when conditions do not favor more than one person's talking at once. Simultaneous interpretation occurs when the audience of the interpretation can be segregated some way (either physically or electronically) from the audience of the speech being interpreted. Interpretation varies also according to subject matter. For example, the United Nations is a very large employer of interpreters, in which the subject matter is mainly international diplomacy and all that that entails. In the same building a travel guide may be interpreting the presentation of someone conducting a tour of the premises, whispering to his or her group in one language, while keeping his ear focused on the speaker in another language. The vocabulary required in the two contexts is quite dissimilar, and the stakes, of course, also vastly different. Interpretation can take place over the telephone. In many courtrooms today, if the judge does not speak the language of a person brought into court, the clerk may call an interpreter over a speaker phone, swear that person in as a witness, and then use the interpreter to make sure the judge and the person appearing can understand each other. The interpreter could be a continent away from the court!
How Green Crescent Translations Can Help.
Green Crescent currently offers high-quality services in remote, live English/Spanish simultaneous interpretation (SI), consecutive interpreting (CI), conference, judicial and medical interpretation services. We do not offer on-site interpreters available at this time in any language.