Language Interpreters and Translators

From the beginning of time there has been a need for someone to help people who speak different languages to understand each other; this is what language interpreters and translators do. I work as a freelance English-Spanish interpreter and translator. You might wonder what the difference is between interpreters and translators.

Interpreters work with spoken language. When two or more people need to communicate but don't understand each other because of language differences, the interpreter acts as an intermediary. Example: Juan and Bill need to talk about something. Juan speaks Spanish, but not English. Bill speaks English, but not Spanish. So they find an interpreter who speaks both English and Spanish to help them understand each other. Juan says something in Spanish to Bill and the interpreter tells Bill what Juan said in English. Bill replies to Juan in English and the interpreter tells Juan what Bill said in Spanish. And so the conversation can continue because of the interpreter. Professional interpreters play this role in a variety of settings in courts, hospitals, schools, businesses, government agencies, wherever language differences create a barrier to communication.

Translators, on the other hand, work with written language. They translate legal documents and agreements, books, pamphlets, Web sites, anything that is written in one language that needs to be translated into another language.

Because of the modern global economy and business and political dealings between people from different countries, there is an increasing need for interpreters and translators to facilitate communication. Many companies and individuals offer interpretation and translation services in different languages for different purposes. To be a professional interpreter or translator an individual needs to be very fluent in at least one other language besides his or her native language. This is referred to as the interpreter/translator's language pair; Spanish and English, in my case. There are courses and training programs for interpreters and translators and tests for certification in different types of interpretation and translation. One basic principle that both interpreters and translators follow is that their role is to act as a conduit for communication, adding, omitting or changing nothing in the process.

This might sound simple, but it can be difficult and challenging work, given the nuances of languages and cultural aspects of communication. For me it has been challenging, enjoyable and rewarding.