ALIF TRANSLATE - Nairobi

Language Interpretation Services: Existing services, areas and applications. Interpretation or translation?

We often hear the word “interpreter” used interchangeably with “translator,” but the two are quite different. Both centre around converting one language to another with while preserving the intended meaning. The disparity is in the application. Translation of any kind involves the written word. Interpretation belongs to the world of the spoken word. One is visual, the other auditory.

Within interpretation, there are also two different worlds. Consecutive interpretation consists of the speaker giving one or more sentences in the source language and making a pause for the interpreter to give the other parties the message in the target language. Its counterpart is  

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simultaneous interpretation, in which the speaker does not pause. The interpreter must work quickly to interpret the words to the listener. This is often accomplished with the use of headsets and microphones, so the speakers do not drown each other out.

Interpretation services is an ancient and storied profession, requiring fluency in both the source and the target language, and experience in the interpreter’s area of focus. Interpretation services involve complex skills used under pressure, whether over the phone or in person.