Difference Between Interpretation & Translation Service
Your business should be able to communicate with international audiences as smoothly as a local company would to succeed globally. In order to resonate your content in native language of the market you may need interpretation services, or translation and localization services or may be both.
The major differences between translation and interpretation are found in the medium and skill set of each service- translators translate the written word while interpreters translate spoken language orally. The similarity is that both interpreter and translator need deep cultural and linguistic understanding with expert knowledge of subject matter so that they can communicate clearly.
Realizing the distinctions between these closely related linguistic fields is important when you select the service you need since both the terms are often cited interchangeably.
Interpretation
Interpretation is a service which takes place in the moment. Either in unison with or simultaneously or immediately after the original speech is delivered live, without any help from dictionaries, scripts or other reference materials. The job of professional interpreters include transposing the source language within context, while preserving its actual meaning but need to rephrase colloquialisms, idioms and other culturally-specific references such that the target audience can understand. Experience, a good memory, and quick reflexes are the main resources of an interpreter.
Translation
Most professional translators use computer-aided tools in their work which is perhaps the biggest difference between interpreters and translators. This requires converting the source content to a file type which is easy to work with, by application of a translation memory (TM) to the text for automatically translating anything the tool has translated before, and the gaps are filled in from scratch. The translators can refer to glossaries and translation style guide templates for ensuring quality as the translator goes through each section of text. Lastly they send the translation to another linguist for proofreading, and then convert the final written document back to its original format ensuring the closest possible match.
Translators must be able work on any information in written form: print, websites, video subtitles, software and multimedia.
Which service do you need?
The differences between interpretation and translation are quite big. Here are some important points for considering which service is best suited for a project.
Format– Translation services are text-based while interpretation handles spoken language in real-time.
Delivery – The process of interpretation can occur in person, over the phone, or via video as it takes place on the spot. On the other hand, translation may take place long after the source text is created. This offers translators sufficient time for utilizing technologies and reference materials to produce accurate, high-quality translations.
Accuracy – Interpretation needs a little bit lower level of accuracy compared to translation. For instance some of the original speech may be left out of the target language, hence it is challenging to achieve perfection in a live setting though Interpreters aim for perfection. But translators get a lot of time to review and edit written text for accuracy.
Direction – You can say that the task of interpreters is a bit challenging since they must be fluent in both the source and target language, and they instantaneously need to translate in both directions without the help of reference materials. But professional translators work in one direction i.e. to their own mother tongue typically.
You’re now ready to explore each in line with specific translation services requirements since you know the difference between translating and interpreting. A translation and interpretation services provider can match your requirements to professionals with skills and knowledge perfect for each project.
