Read: Being an interpreter

Read the following article to understand what interpreters and translators do.

The Role of the Interpreter

Before we can begin to study the skills needed to be a successful interpreter/translator,

we need to establish exactly what an interpreter is and does and what a translator is
and does.

Interpreters are people who transfer oral information from one language to another in an
impartial manner. Their role is to facilitate communication between parties who speak
different languages and they achieve this by accurately rendering the message from
one language into the other.

Translators transfer the meaning of the source language into the target language.
The meaning being transferred must remain constant. The form in which this meaning
is written will change from one language to another. The role of the translator therefore,
is to accurately transfer the meaning of a text written in a particular language (source
language) to a text written in another language (target language).

It's clear from these definitions that to interpret/translate successfully you first have to
understand the content of the conversation/text. You cannot interpret/translate without
comprehension. It follows that you will have to listen/read very carefully to perceive the
real meaning. Hopefully you will then be able to avoid bad translations such as this
example posted in a Japanese hotel:

"Is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person to do such a thing is
please not to read notis."
Language and Cultural Knowledge
Interpreters and translators are skilled professionals. They are at least bi-lingual and
should be bi-cultural – having at least a working knowledge of both cultures.

The need for two languages is obvious. As an interpreter, you are the person who has a
common language with the two parties involved and they can only communicate with
each other through you. As a translator, you are the person who can read the text in
one language and reproduce the meaning in another language. Your clients can either
read the original or the translation, rarely both.

Cultural knowledge is important so that when you interpret/translate you can do so

within the frame of reference of both parties or writer and reader. Cultural differences
mean that it is rarely possible to translate literally from one language into another.

For example, if you are interpreting in an educational context there will be concepts and
phrases that may be meaningless. If you literally interpret Year 10, you have to make
sure there is a corresponding year 10 in the LOTE country. You may (for example) have
to interpret this as the fourth year of secondary school.

If you are translating a brochure for TAFE, the LOTE language may not have an
expression for “vocational training” or “recognition of prior learning”. You might have to
explain the concept or place it into context.

Equally there are purely cultural factors that you need to consider. Eye contact is one
example. This is stressed in all interpreter training. In some cultures, a failure to make
eye contact indicates that a person is lying, guilty or just plain untrustworthy. In other
cultures it is considered rude to make eye contact.

In translating, it may be that you need to change how you address a person in a letter or
how you change the level of formality to avoid causing offense.

These kinds of cultural differences can cause communication breakdowns but they can
be eliminated by explanation or adjusting the words used. As an interpreter/translator,
you need to be aware of such differences and be prepared to deal with them to avoid
possible misunderstandings and communication breakdown.

Types of interpreting
There are three different types of interpreting requiring varying levels of skills.

1. Dialogue Interpreting - also called Triad or Interview Interpreting.

Dialogue interpreting is the most common form of interpreting, usually in an interview

situation conducted in the first person — i.e. using the form I not he or she. Short pieces
of information are interpreted, mostly in a question and answer format. The use of the
first person is important because reported or indirect speech — i.e. he says . . or she
says . . . hinders a direct rapport between the client and the LOTE speaker. By using
the first person, communication is direct between the two parties and the interpreter is
fulfilling the role of communication facilitator.

So in your role as interpreter, you should encourage both the LOTE and the English
speakers to address each other directly.

For example:
How can I help you? or Why have you come here?

Rather than:
Ask her how I can help her or Ask her why she came here today.

2. Consecutive Interpreting

Consecutive interpreting involves interpreting a lengthy passage of speech after a party

has finished speaking. This requires more advanced skills of memory and note-taking
and, if possible, knowledge of and preparation in the given topic of discussion. It is used
for lectures, speeches, lengthy explanations and so on.

3. Simultaneous or Conference Interpreting

This is the highest level of professional interpreting. Here the interpreter transfers from
the source language and speaks into the target language while the original speaker is
still delivering the source language material. There is a gap between the source and
target language – just long enough for the interpreter to hear and understand the
original source language material. Auslan interpreters most commonly interpret
simultaneously rather than consecutively.

This type of interpreting requires the highest degree of language knowledge and
concentration and is extremely tiring. It may be done via headsets with interpreters
working in teams for 15-20 minutes each. Simultaneous interpreting is used by
organisations such as the United Nations and the World Health Organisation – you may
have heard examples of it on TV or radio news programs.

Interpreting and Translating Skills

To be an interpreter or translator you must have, or develop, the following skills.

You may have some of these skills already — others will take you some time and work
to develop. In this and later units we will cover these areas in more detail and give you
guidelines and strategies for developing the various interpreting/translating skills.

Linguistic skills

You need to be able to:

understand and speak fluently in at least two languages

understand and write fluently in at least one language and comprehend another
language to a high level of proficiency

understand the subtleties and undertones of both languages

understand at least two cultures

know your own linguistic limitations and work towards improvement

Personal skills

You need to:

be discreet

follow the ethics of the profession

be adaptable
 be impartial

be objective

maintain confidentiality

have public relations and negotiating skills

have a capacity to educate clients in how to work with interpreters/translators

be non-judgemental

manage your own emotions

demonstrate well-developed memory skills

Have excellent problem solving skills

Managerial skills

You need to:

be capable of creating a trusting environment

be able to work as part of a team with common goals

be sensitive to the needs and goals of the client/s

be confident

be assertive without aggression

have conflict resolution skills.

Communication skills

You need to:

be an effective listener (int)

be perceptive

speak clearly (int) and write clearly (transl)

understand body language and non-verbal communication (Int)

have a knowledge of available services.

Have a quick grasp of new situations or topics

Reference:

Roberts-Smith L, Frey R and Bessell-Brown S (1990) Working with Interpreters.

Canberra:National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters

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Introduction to Interpreting / Public Speaking.