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."

Figures

From Working With Interpreters. (Eds.) Roberts-Smith, Frey & Bessell-Browne. Used with kind permission from NAATI.

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. 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

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

David Moham Maria Lydia