What does it take to be an interpreter?

06 October 2005

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I'm always impressed when I see someone standing behind the President, interpreting a foreign visitor's comments into his ear. What talent it takes to translate one language into another -- listening and speaking at the same time! You can't pick up a dictionary. And you can't just spit out words like a robot. The interpreter's job is to convey meaning. And since a lot of meaning is expressed by tone of voice or the nuance of words and phrases, his job is far more than translating word for word.

And what responsibility! Imagine the defendant in a court case who doesn't speak the language of the judge. If an interpreter gets it wrong, will justice be done? Not everyone can move easily between two languages, but somebody better know how. The "somebody" is -- or should be -- a professional interpreter.

The same holds true for translators; and here I'm defining interpreter as someone who deals with spoken language and translator as someone who deals with the written word. Think about how important the choice of words or phrases is in, let's say, a business contract. Or on the famous "hotline" between the White House and the Kremlin, which is not -- as many people think -- a bright, red telephone on the President's desk. It's an encrypted high-speed data link, providing a written, rather than a spoken, message -- and requiring a translator, rather than an interpreter.

So what does it take to be a professional translator or interpreter? And let me emphasize the word "professional." Because knowing two languages isn't enough. It's just a starting point. Beyond skill in a second language, an interpreter needs to know the two cultures involved, the use of slang or dialects of the languages, and the subject matter to be interpreted.

And if she's good at it, she'll have an exceptional memory -- and a lot of training in the art of interpreting.

A translator needs somewhat different skills. But again, strong knowledge of two languages is just the beginning, because translating can get very complicated. There's the question of technical terms. Lawyers file writs of mandamus. Physicians treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The terminology can be pretty daunting, and for translation you need to understand what it means. Because, like interpreting, translation isn’t about words. It's about what the words are about. Simply looking things up in a dictionary isn't enough. Not even close.

So how do you get into the profession? Well, it's best if you've already had training in the field you specialize in, maybe engineering, medicine or finance. It probably helps to be born somewhere like Belgium, where virtually everyone grows up with two or more languages. But if you're bilingual or close to it, the rest is mostly a matter of training and practice. You'll need a minimum of a master's degree -- two years in the US; 3 years or more in Europe. And you'll have on-the-job internships before you're turned loose on society. Then the final step is certification by an organization like the American Translators Association.

Yes, it takes some time. But translation and interpreting are exciting and often lucrative careers. The language services industry is valued at $11 billion in the U.S. alone. And with the birth of the European Union, with easy movement of people, products and ideas across borders, there's huge demand for certified interpreters in Europe. Training programs for translators and interpreters are on the rise all over the world -- and that's a good thing, because there are severe shortages of qualified interpreters and translators in every field.

There have been interpreters for as long as people have spoken different tongues; and translators for as long as there has been writing. Contrary to the myth that everyone speaks English, as the world grows smaller, we need translators and interpreters more than ever before.

That's the linguistic thought for today, which comes from Kevin Hendzel, national spokesman for the American Translators Association. And this is the Five-Minute Linguist at the College of Charleston, in cooperation with the National Museum of Language. Visit our website at www.cofc.edu/linguist. And keep in mind that wherever you are, and whatever you do... language makes a difference.

Comments

Posted by: Chris at October 9, 2005 02:11 PM