Interpreters and Translators Love Language

What else does it take to make a good interpreter or translator?
Chin Communications, as a specialist Chinese translation and interpreting company, presents some useful background about this profession and some hints about how to engage and work with an interpreter/translator

As a prerequisite to be an interpreter or translator, a love of language might seem obvious, but it is the first and foremost requirement for someone practising as an interpreter and/or translator. Let's face it, among those of us educated in English-speaking countries, who loved or was good at English, particularly writing, as a subject?

Do you know the difference between an interpreter and a translator? We often hear reports on the ABC news where a speech is 'through a translator'. Interpreting is oral and translation is written; and as you can see, even the ABC gets this wrong occasionally. This article hopes to provide some useful background about the translating and interpreting profession and some hints on how to go about engaging and working with an interpreter and translator.

Obviously, to succeed, an interpreter/translator must be bilingual, however, the opposite is not necessarily true: a born and bred bilingual will still need two things to become a translator. First, the skills and experience necessary for translation and interpreting, and second, the knowledge of the field in which he or she will work. In addition an understanding of the nuances and subtleties of language and cultural awareness (two cultures). People assume that any bilingual person can undertake translation or interpreting, indeed this idea permeates even the highest levels of government and private organisations. Many such bodies around the world use bilingual personnel as interpreters or translators even though these people have no formal training in the area. The belief that translation and interpretation are synonymous and readily performed by any willing bilingual person is a misconception.

Most interpreters and translators have university-level language training in their second languages. Very few translators have no language training at all. Translators also generally have lived in the countries where their languages are spoken.

Interpreting

An interpreter has to 'translate' verbally on the spot, without dictionaries or time to think. There are two types of interpreting: simultaneous and consecutive. The interpreter has to be able to think quickly and clearly, to have vocabulary and terminology on the tip of the tongue, and to work very well under pressure. Simultaneous interpreting involves sitting in a sound-proof booth with headphones, listening to a speaker while at the same time rendering the speech into the other language. There is no time to weigh up variant translations or to recall particular figures of speech; any delay will mean the rest of the utterance is lost.

Consecutive interpreting, as the name suggests, means the speaker pauses after every few minutes for the interpreter to work. Note-taking is imperative and if you ever see an interpreter not taking notes, warning bells should sound. Would you be able to repeat everything that was said after a few seconds let alone a few minutes?

How to Achieve Quality Interpreting

If you are working with an interpreter, it is helpful to brief him/her in advance and if possible provide details on what will be said, copies of any presentation material, past translations and anything else that will help the interpreter fully prepare. Also ascertain the level of interpreting assignments previously undertaken by the interpreter and experience across particular subject areas. They should be accredited through NAATI and belong to, in Australia's case - AUSIT - the profession's association (see below). When working with an interpreter, speak directly to the client/s and always use the first person. For example, use 'How are you?' rather than 'Ask him how he is'. Don't engage in conversations with the interpreter to the exclusion of your client, and speak in small chunks.

Translation

Translation is a science and an art and translations may affect your image and the success of your business and thus should be entrusted to experienced professionals. Because a lot of translation is country-specific, a translator resident in your country will already have the relevant terminology, sector specific knowledge, and cultural familiarity, not to mention experience to produce the best quality translation. The translator can build up expertise and terminology related to your business, and if other needs arise in line with business development, the same person may then be able to take on any interpreting needs, leading to a smoother relationship and improving the likelihood of success.

Like linguists, translators have to be capable of discerning subtleties and nuances in their languages, researching terminology and colloquialisms, and handling new developments in their languages; they also have to be sensitive to the cultural and social differences which exist in their languages.

A difficult problem is when there is something in one language that doesn't exist in the other. Financial instruments, legal procedures, government and business structures, and so on vary from nation to nation and culture to culture. Although standard glossaries exist for the most commonplace of these, translators are usually dealing with new material and information, so it might be necessary to create something, or leave the term in the source language and put in a translator's note, explaining what the term means. A translator who is local can overcome many such gaps in both the source and target languages.

Qualified translators are best equipped to do the work: they translate every day, they have a library of dictionaries and other resources available; because they translate all the time, they are fast and accurate and can utilise the latest technology to generate electronic files compatible with a client's needs and if changes are required in the future, the document can be easily and cost-effectively changed. Qualifications and accreditation should ensure that the translator is a professional who takes the quality and ethics of his/her profession very seriously.

Advice on Achieving a Quality Translation

Consider the purpose of the translation and the intended audience. For example, there are two versions of written Chinese and the audience will provide a key to the translator as to which version to use. See Chinese Language Please Explain for more information. Provide the translator with any terminology lists or glossaries that are available. If you have been working with the same translator for some time, he/she will have developed this and be adding value to your business. Provide details concerning style and formatting and discuss particular requirements. Consider how to pass the work to the translator: email, system compatibilities; discuss the required output: hard copy, electronic - what file type and, of course, agree to a deadline. Be aware that without Chinese software or fonts installed on your system, you may not be able to read Chinese characters, however other file types may be able to be generated which will display.

Pay attention to the source document. A translation will only be as good as the source document. Translators render information from one language to another. They do not rewrite the original, they do not improve its style or content, they do not insert their own clever ideas or original phrases. They translate! In particular check spelling and punctuation; as with interpreting, avoid colloquialisms and puns, amplify abbreviations and acronyms; re-read the source document and remove any ambiguities.

Translators/Interpreters are often privy to secret information, be it financial plans of a company, a patent, or the details of a new product launch. Professional translators have to keep this kind of information to themselves, regardless of whether or not they are asked to sign a confidentiality agreement. Professional accreditation and membership of the relevant society are good steps to take to ensure your secrets are safe.

Some Terminology

Source language: the language of the original text being translated.
Target language: the language that the text is being translated into.
NAATI: The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. In Australia, the only accepted professional qualification for practising interpreters and translators is NAATI accreditation. This may be obtained by completing a NAATI-approved course at an Australian institution or by passing an examination through the NAATI testing system. NAATI accredits translators in one or both directions, for example translating from Chinese into English; from English into Chinese, or both. Two separate examinations must be passed to achieve both directions. For most languages Professional Level (previously level 3) accreditation is the minimum standard required. NAATI website.
AUSIT: The Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators. This is the national association for the Interpreting and Translating profession. It is fully independent and sets standards for the profession having established a code of ethics; it also runs professional development training and works to advance the status of the profession in Australia. AUSIT website.

To see what happens when a translation does not go according to plan, see Bloopers; more information: translation; interpreting

More information about working with interpreters and translators is available on our web site FAQ and Understanding Interpreting.

For a look into the technology of computer translation programs, see Would You Trust a Computer with Your Translation?

For a brief introduction to the Chinese Language: Chinese Language - Please Explain

Chin Communications is a specialist Chinese interpreting and translating company. Managing Director, Charles Qin, works at senior levels as a Conference Interpreter and Translator for government and business in Australia and China. For more information consult About Us; or email us: info@chincommunications.com.au.