Interpreting and Translation

Interpreting and Translation Translation is a cultural activity in which translators transfer information between two symbolic systems which have different rules. (Wenjun, 2000) This is also true of interpreting — a cultural activity in which an interpreter transfers information between two symbolic systems which have different rules. Both serving to bridge the source language and the target language, interpreting and translation have something in common. But at the same time, differences do exist between the two means of transferring of information.

Similarities

Both interpreting and translation presuppose a certain love of language and deep knowledge of more than one tongue. It is difficult or almost impossible for one who knows only his mother tongue to interpret or translate one language into another. Although there was once the extreme example that the Chinese translator Lin Qin-nan who knew little about English translated many English works into Chinese, he was helped by someone else who knew English well —he would dictate to Lin the meaning of the source text in Chinese, and Lin, in turn, would note down his words and process them into a Chinese text. Without the help of others, he could not have succeeded. The need for deep knowledge of more than one tongue is also essential for an interpreter: how could he understand what one said in source language and interpret it to his mother tongue if he did not know the source language?

Besides, both interpreters and translators must understand the subject matter of the text or speech they are interpreting or translating. One of the main reasons why the Automatic Translation projects that were popular since 1950’s failed is precisely that reason. Translation is not a matter of substituting words in one language for words in another. It is a matter of understanding the thought expressed in one language and then explaining it using the resources of another language. In other words, what an interpreter / translator does is to change words into meaning, and then change meaning back into words —of a different language. And just like you can’t explain to someone a thought you didn’t fully understand, nor can you interpret or translate something without mastery of the subject matter being relayed. In practice, according to Nida (1998), “more errors in translation are made because of failure to comprehend the source text than for any other reason”. This shows how important the full understanding of the subject matter of the source text or speech.

Differences

On the surface, the difference between interpreting and translation is only the difference in the medium: the interpreter translates orally, while a translator interprets written text. However, the differences in the training, skills, and talents needed for