Translation glossary of most commonly used phrases in the profession
A language
The interpreter’s dominant language, into which he or she is competent to interpret professionally. Usually, but not always, this is the interpreter’s native language.
Accreditation
A formal process for evaluating the competence of a translator, which may include examinations, a review of education and experience, etc., conducted by a professional association, such as the American Translators Association.
Accredited translator
A translator who has received accreditation from a professional association, such as the American Translators Association.
Acoustic insulation
A measure of the amount of noise transmitted from a conference room to an interpretation booth, from an interpretation booth to a conference room, and from one interpretation booth to another adjacent booth.
The difference in sound pressure levels between an interpretation booth and the room where it is set up, or between two adjacent booths. The sound pressure levels are measured in octave bands, both in the booths and the room.
Active languages
(1) The language or languages into which an interpreter is competent to interpret professionally.
(2) The term is also used in meetings & conventions to mean the target languages into which interpreting is provided. For example, in a convention where all presentations are to be given in English and interpretation is provided into Spanish, French, and Russian, these three would be the active languages, while English would be the passive language.
Advertising translator
Although there are translators and companies that specialize in translating advertisements, the practice is not recommended. Advertising should not be translated, but rather adapted to the target language.
Audience
Strictly speaking, in a meeting or convention, it refers to the listeners, or end users of an interpretation. However, it is commonly also used to refer to the readership, or end users, of a translation.
Audiovisual company
A company that provides audiovisual equipment for meetings, conventions, and special events. Some of these companies may also rent interpretation equipment as a sideline. Since their main business is not interpretation, they neither have the expertise required to design the best simultaneous interpretation configuration, nor the best equipment for every job.
B language
Language other than the interpreter's dominant language, in which he or she has native language competence and into which he or she is competent to interpret professionally. An interpreter may have one or more B languages.
Back translation
A translation of a translation. It is a common misconception that the quality of a translation can be judged by having a second translator translate a translated text back into its source language. In fact, the opposite is true; the worse the translation, the closer the back translation will adhere to the original. The reason for this is that a bad translation normally follows very closely the wording of the original, but not the meaning. The best examples of this are the word-for-word translations produced by the different online machine translation tools, such as Babel Fish.
Background information
Documentation relating to the subject matter of the source text for a translation (articles, books, manuals, etc. written on the subject), or the topic of discussion for an interpretation (copies of speeches from previous or similar conferences, etc.) Translators and interpreters need to make use of a great deal of background information in order to produce acceptable work.
Interpretation booths are divided into fixed, which are built into some conference rooms, and mobile, which are set up and dismantled wherever needed, typically in hotels and convention centers. There can be huge differences in the quality of mobile booths. While some companies do have booths that comply with ISO 4043, often what passes for a booth is nothing more than a flimsy shield that affords almost no sound insulation.
Broker
A translation or interpretation broker is a person that is not a qualified translator or interpreter and acts as middleman between freelancers, interpretation equipment companies, and clients. Usually, they "source out" freelance translators and interpreters from the many online directories and pay bottom dollar for their services, while charging the client as much as, or more than, a reputable translation company would.
C language
The source languages from which an interpreter is competent to interpret professionally. Interpreters may have several C languages.
Certified court interpreter
A person who has passed an examination to assess competency to interpret during court proceedings. In the US, although the requirements for certification of court interpreters vary according to the jurisdiction, they generally do not demand a high level of competence.
In the US, there is no national interpreter certification program (other than for Federally Certified Court Interpreters), although various agencies attempt certification procedures, with varying degrees of success.
Certified translation
In the US, a certified translation is one where the translator has signed an oath before a notary public certifying the accuracy and correctness of the translation, as well as the fact that he is qualified to make such a certification.
Since in the US, there are no restrictions as to who can or cannot be a translator, anyone willing to swear that he or she is qualified to translate into and from a language pair can certify a translation.
Certified translator
There is no such thing, contrary to the claims made by countless "certified translators" who advertise on the web and the yellow pages, as there is no official certification program for translators in the US. Next time someone claims to be a "certified translator," ask who certified him.
Civil law countries
Countries where all law is created by the enactment of legislatures, as opposed to England and the United States (common law countries), where case law and precedents are an integral part of the legal system.
It takes a highly skilled legal translator to translate legal documents from a civil law country into the language of a common law country and vice versa, since many of the legal concepts do not have exact parallels.
Common law countries
England and the United States, where case law and precedents are an integral part of the legal system, as opposed to civil law countries.
It takes a highly skilled legal translator to translate legal documents from a civil law country into the language of a common law country and vice versa, since many of the legal concepts do not have exact parallels.
Translation using software that manages dictionaries and user-defined glossaries. When the program encounters previously translated words and phrases, it suggests a translation and the translator decides whether to accept or reject it.
Conference interpretation
Interpretation (oral translation of a speech) during a conference or convention. Although most conference interpretation is simultaneous interpretation, the two terms are not synonymous. Sometimes conferences may also involve consecutive interpretation.
A person who translates written text intended for use during a conference, or generated during a conference (such as conference proceedings, etc.) Sometimes the term is erroneously applied to a conference interpreter.
Confidentiality
For translators and interpreters, professional confidentiality is absolute. It goes into effect the moment the translator or interpreter is given access to the client's information and remains in effect until his or her death. It applies in all cases, with no exceptions. Some countries have laws granting client-translator and client-interpreter confidentiality the same status as is enjoyed by physicians and lawyers.
Consecutive interpretation
Oral translation of speech into another language, after the speaker speaks. The interpreter takes notes while the speaker talks and then delivers the interpretation while the speaker is silent. No equipment is used. Often used in business meetings, negotiations, and press conferences.
Consecutive interpreter
An interpreter who listens while the speaker speaks and then interprets while the speaker pauses. The interpreter providing consecutive interpretation sits, either at the same table as the speaker, or at separate table, and speaks, either into the same microphone, or a separate microphone, so that everyone in the room can hear. The interpreter may take notes while he or she listens.
Consecutive interpreting
The process of orally translating speech into another language, after the speaker speaks. The interpreter listens and takes notes while the speaker talks and then delivers the interpretation while the speaker is silent. No equipment is used. Often used in business meetings, negotiations, and press conferences.
Content
Language conveys meaning through both, form and content, and they must both be transferred into parallel and equivalent language in order to produce a translation.
The process of providing interpretation in a court setting or during court-related proceedings, such as depositions.
Court interpreter
Interpreter who provides interpretation in a court setting or during court-related proceedings, such as depositions. Court interpreters usually work for county, state, and federal courts, but may also work for attorneys.
Not to be confused with legal interpreters, who typically provide interpretation for continuing legal education and bar association conferences, and have a much higher level of competence.
Desktop publishing
An impressive term for the formatting of a translation to match the original. Translators and translation companies normally offer this service. Sometimes a charge may apply for languages that use other alphabets, such as Cyrillic, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, etc.
Dialect
What constitutes a dialect and what to do about it is one of the most misunderstood concepts in translation, perhaps second only to the "native speaker" syndrome (the pernicious idea, promoted by some language schools, that being a native speaker qualifies a person to translate).
Every major language has regional and class variations, but more importantly, every language also has clear standards and guidelines for correct and incorrect grammar and usage.
Although there may be times when it is appropriate to write in a regional or class dialect (targeted advertising comes to mind), business communications (and this includes technical writings, contracts, legislation, financial statements, etc.) must always be written in standard language.
Dominant language
This term has two distinct meanings:
(1) the language of primary competence, the language that a person knows best, which may or may not be the person’s native language. For example, in the case of immigrants educated primarily (or exclusively) in the US, although their native language may be other than English, their primary language competence is in English, not in their native language.
(2) the language spoken by the dominant class, the recognized standard of correct grammar and usage. Some examples would be "the King's English," "New York Times English", the Spanish prescribed by the Real Academia, etc. The more usual term for this is standard language.
Earbud
Earbuds are small, lightweight earphones that sit in the outer part of the ear. Click here for more information.
Earphone
Earphones are lightweight variations on the headphone, designed to fit on, in, or around the ear. They are more comfortable and portable than headphones and can cover one or both ears. Click here for more information.
Editing
A thorough editing of your source text is one of the factors that can help to improve a translation. Above all:
Make sure your source text is clear and at the appropriate reading level. A translator cannot change your original; all he or she can do is translate it into its equivalent language. Remember: Garbage in, garbage out.
Avoid culture-specific metaphors and figures of speech. Spare your translator the task of searching for equivalent language to "step up to the plate", "easy as pie", and "good egg."
Eliminate all word puns. Words do not translate; thoughts do. I'll never forget the man who wanted to export industrial refrigeration equipment to South America and couldn't understand why his logo with a polar bear and the words, "Bear us in mind for your refrigeration needs," just wouldn't translate.
Equipment
The quality of a simultaneous interpretation depends largely on the quality of the equipment available to the interpreter. The quality of the booth, field of vision, headphones, microphones, sound quality, etc. are integral components of the simultaneous interpretation services. Click here for more information.
Equipment company
A company whose primary business consists of supplying various types of equipment for meetings and conventions. As a sideline, they usually also "source out" interpreters who may, or may not be competent, but who will surely not be able to do their best work since the equipment people know nothing of interpretation and can offer them neither guidance nor supervision.
Equivalence
The concept that translation or interpretation must strive to transfer meaning from one language to its equivalent in another, taking into consideration the class, culture, profession, etc. of both the source and the target text or speech.
Equivalent language
The language of the equivalent time period and class or profession in the other language. For example, if the source text is an article published in a US medical journal, and the target language is Spanish, the equivalent language would be the language used in medical journal articles published in Spanish-speaking countries at around the same timeframe as the original.
Escort interpreter
An interpreter who travels with an individual or small delegation during technical, state visits, trade shows, etc., usually performing whispering interpreting or wireless interpreting.
Federally Certified Court Interpreter
A court interpreter who has passed the examination to assess competency to interpret during federal court proceedings, given under the Court Interpreters Act of 1978.
Not to be confused with a legal interpreter, who is a highly qualified simultaneous interpreter with knowledge of comparative law and the legal systems of civil law countries and common law countries and a much higher level of competence.
Financial interpretation
Financial interpretation is the interpretation, usually at a meeting or convention, of speeches dealing with financial topics, such as banking, accounting, finance, etc.
Financial interpreter
A highly skilled interpreter with extensive knowledge of finance, banking, accounting, etc. who interprets at meetings and conventions dealing with these topics.
A fixed booth is an interpretation booth that is built permanently into some conference centers, as opposed to a mobile booth, which can be assembled and disassembled and is set up in meeting rooms when needed. See also ISO Standards for Fixed Booths.
FM interpretation equipment
Interpretation equipment that transmits sound over FM radio frequencies. FM systems consist of a transmitter and a receiver. The advantages of FM interpretation systems are their ease of installation, reliability, and wide range. In cases where secrecy is desired, the wide range can be a disadvantage, as a person with a receiver tuned to the proper frequency can sometimes hear perfectly from as far away as 1000 yards or more, even from a different building. Radio frequency systems are also more susceptible to radio interference than IR systems.
Form
Language conveys meaning through both, form and content, and they must both be transferred into parallel and equivalent language in order to produce a translation.
Freelance interpreter
Self-employed interpreter, who works for a variety of clients on a per-meeting basis. Often specializes in one or more particular fields, such as legal, financial, medical, or technical.
Freelance translator
Self-employed translator, who works for a variety of clients on a per-project basis. Often specializes in one or more particular fields, such as legal, financial, medical, or technical.
Globalization
In the context of translation, it refers to the process of adapting products or services to the global market. It can include redesigning technical specifications, packaging, labels, etc. to conform to the legal & regulatory requirements of the target countries.
It can also refer to the legal, regulatory, and technical changes put into effect by countries in an effort to adapt themselves to the requirements of their trade partners.
Glossary
Glossaries are essential tools for translators, but must never be considered substitutes for translating competence. A good glossary will make a good translator better, but it is of little help to a poor translator. Glossaries should be generated by the translators or translation companies, sometimes with the assistance of the client.
Headphone
Simultaneous interpretation equipment includes a variety of headphones and earphones; some for the interpreters, others for the participants.
Headset
Any of various types of participants' headset-receiver sets. Sometimes the term "headset" is used to refer to headphones or earphones. A headphone or earphone needs to be connected to a receiver in order for the participant to be able to tune in to the proper channel and hear the interpretation.
Hybridization
(1) The assimilation of foreign terms into a language (2)The intermingling of the legal systems of common law and civil law countries as a consequence of globalization.
Idiomatic translation
A translation that conveys the meaning of the original, or source text, by using equivalent language and the forms and structures of the target language, in order to produce a translation that reads like an original.
Infrared interpretation equipment
Interpretation equipment that uses infrared emissions to transmit sound. Infrared systems require an emitter, a modulator, and receivers. They are less susceptible to radio interference than FM systems, but they require a clear line of sight between the emitter and the receiver and are very susceptible to light. They are recommended for meetings where secrecy is important, as the interpretation cannot be heard outside of the emitter's well-defined radiation pattern.
International bid
The translation of an international bid is a very complex process that must be managed as a multipart translation. For a US company, it must begin with the translation into English of the RFP. Many companies have been disqualified from the bid process by cutting corners and having a bilingual employee translate the RFP, only to find out later that the person did not understand the RFP as well as he may have thought.
Just as an international bid is normally prepared by three distinct departments in a company (legal, financial, and technical), so must its translation be done by legal, financial, and technical (or medical, if applicable) translators.
Internationalization
In the context of translation, it refers to the process of adapting products or services to the international market. It can include redesigning technical specifications, packaging, labels, etc. to conform to the legal & regulatory requirements of the target countries. Sometimes the term is used to refer to the process of designing and producing products and services which are as culturally and technically neutral as possible, so that they can be easily marketed worldwide.
Interpretation
The oral translation of spoken language. Interpretation can be simultaneous (at the same time and same rate of speech as the speaker) or consecutive (the speaker speaks, then pauses while the interpreter interprets, then speaks again).
Interpretation booth
Interpretation booths are divided into fixed, which are built into some conference rooms, and mobile, which are set up and dismantled wherever needed, typically in hotels and convention centers. There can be huge differences in the quality of mobile booths. While some companies do have booths that comply with ISO 4043, often what passes for a booth is nothing more than a flimsy shield that affords almost no sound insulation.
Interpretation broker
A person who is not an interpreter, but acts as middleman between clients, freelancers, and equipment companies. Interpretation brokers normally subcontract interpretation by bits and pieces to the lowest bidder and has little or no knowledge of how all the pieces fit together.
Interpretation equipment
Equipment used in simultaneous interpretation. Simultaneous interpreting requires (1) appropriate equipment for the interpreters. This includes, at a minimum interpreters headphones, microphones, amplifiers, control consoles, and a booth (fixed or mobile) that meets ISO standards of sound insulation, dimensions, air quality, and accessibility. It may also include risers, video monitors, and other equipment, depending on the venue or application; and (2) appropriate equipment for the participants. This includes transmitters, receivers, headphones or earphones, and any other equipment required by the venue or particular application. Click here for more information.
Interpretation equipment company
A company whose primary business consists of supplying interpretation equipment for meetings and conventions. As a sideline, they usually also "source out" interpreters who may, or may not be competent, but who will surely not be able to do their best work since the equipment people know nothing of interpretation and can offer them neither guidance nor supervision.
Although some interpretation equipment companies have excellent equipment and technicians, their scant knowledge about interpreters and lack of a comprehensive approach to the interpretation service makes them a poor choice for large or important meetings.
Interpretation team
A simultaneous interpretation team is made up of two, or sometimes three interpreters, depending on the language and various other factors.
The essential qualities of an interpretation team are competence, teamwork, and mutual assistance. Since members must complement one another's skills, the selection of team members is extremely important and must be based on a thorough knowledge of each member's strengths and weaknesses, as well as of the specific demands of the subject matter and target audience of the meeting.
Interpreter
A person who translates spoken language orally, as opposed to a translator, who translates written language
Interpreter booth
Interpretation booths are divided into fixed, which are built into some conference rooms, and mobile, which are set up and dismantled wherever needed, typically in hotels and convention centers. There can be huge differences in the quality of mobile booths. While some companies do have booths that comply with ISO 4043, often what passes for a booth is nothing more than a flimsy shield that affords almost no sound insulation.
Interpreter console
Any of a number of different devices, such as the IC-1 or the Interpreter Desk used by simultaneous interpreters to control the interpreter's microphone and headphones. As a minimum, an interpreter console must include a volume control for the interpreter's headphones, a switch to turn the microphone on and off, and a mute or cough button that the interpreter can press to turn off the microphone momentarily.
Interpreter control center
The name given by Williams Sound Corporation® to the interpreter console it manufactures and sells. Also known as IC-1.
Interpreter equipment
Equipment used by the interpreters, as opposed to the equipment used by the participants. This includes, interpreters' headphones, microphones, amplifiers,control consoles, and a booth (fixed or mobile) that meets ISO standards of sound insulation, dimensions, air quality, and accessibility. It may also include risers, video monitors, and other equipment, depending on the venue or application. Click here for more information.
Interpreter neutrality
The concept that establishes that the interpreter’s job is to convey the meaning of the speaker’s discourse and under no circumstances may he or she allow personal opinion to tinge the interpretation.
Interpreting
The process of translating spoken language orally, as opposed to translating, which deals with written language.
IR interpretation equipment
Interpretation equipment that uses infrared (IR) emissions to transmit sound. Infrared systems require an emitter, a modulator, and receivers. They are less susceptible to radio interference than FM systems, but they require a clear line of sight between the emitter and the receiver and are very susceptible to light. They are recommended for meetings where secrecy is important, as the interpretation cannot be heard outside of the emitter's well-defined radiation pattern. Click here for more information.
Standards defined by the International Organization for Standardization, which are named as ISO + a number.
The work of preparing International standards is normally carried out through ISO technical committees. each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
Draft International Standards adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an International Standard requires approval by at least 75% of the member bodies casting a vote.
Publication as an International Standard requires approval by at least 75% of the national bodies casting a vote.
Source: International Organization for Standardization, AIIC.
Source: International Organization for Standardization, AIIC.
ISO Standards for Mobile Booths
Are set forth in ISO 4043-Mobile booths for simultaneous interpretation. This standard was prepared at the request of the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC) and the Joint Service Interpretation-Conferences (JSIC) of the European Commission (EU). Its purpose is to define optimal conditions for simultaneous interpretation using mobile booths. It adapts ISO 2603 to booths that must be set up and dismantled in facilities not equipped with fixed booths.
Source: International Organization for Standardization, AIIC.
The ability to read, write, and speak a language at the level of a college-educated native speaker. Although language competence is a basic requirement of translation competence, it is not a criterion for judging a person’s ability to translate. Translation competence requires much more than simple language competence.
A business set up for the purpose of teaching foreign languages. Many language schools profit from the popular misconception that being fluent in or a native speaker of a language qualifies a person to translate. Language schools usually offer the lowest quality translations.
A legal interpreter is not to be confused with a court interpreter. Legal interpreters are highly skilled interpreters with an extensive knowledge of comparative law who interpret at continuing legal education seminars, bar association conventions, etc.
A translator with extensive knowledge of comparative law who specializes in international contracts, licenses, franchises, legislation, and other international legal documents. It takes a highly skilled legal translator to translate legal documents from a civil law country into the language of a common law country and vice versa, since many of the legal concepts do not have exact parallels.
Literal translation
Translation that closely follows the form of the source text. Because language derives a great deal of meaning from its form, a literal translation distorts meaning and often reads as nonsense. See also word-for-word translation.
Literary translator
A translator who specializes in the translation of fiction, such as novels and poetry.
Localization
One of the most overused words of the last few years. In the context of translation, it usually refers to the process of adapting software to the specific language, technical standards, laws, and requirements of the target market, as for example, translating screen texts, help files, etc.
Machine translation
Machine translation refers to any kind of translation performed by translation software, hand-held translators, and online translators, such as Babel Fish. Machine translation is extremely poor in quality, since it cannot provide for the complexities of the source and target languages. It is useful for obtaining a general idea about the content of a text and deciding whether to have it translated by a human translator. For more on this topic, see How Well Does Computer Translation Work?
Medical interpretation
Interpretation during medical conventions, continuing medical education seminars, medical equipment demonstrations, teaching of new surgical procedures, etc.
Medical interpreter
A highly skilled interpreter with knowledge of medical procedures and specialties, who interprets during medical conventions, continuing medical education seminars, medical equipment demonstrations, teaching of new surgical procedures, etc.
Not to be confused with health care interpreters, who interpret for patients during consultations with health care personnel.
Medical translation
Translation of medical texts, such as research, medical devices, medical equipment manuals, books, patents, etc.
Medical translator
A translator who specializes in the translation of medical texts, such as research, medical devices, medical equipment manuals, books, patents, etc.
Mobile booth
Amobile boothis an interpreting booth that can be assembled and disassembled and which is set up in meeting rooms when needed, as opposed to a fixed booth, which is built permanently into some conference centers. See also ISO Standards for Mobile Booths.
Mobile simultaneous interpreting
Interpretation using a small wireless transmitter. The interpreter whispers into a microphone attached to the transmitter and the participants listen through headphones attached to receivers.
The advantage of this system is that it is mobile and can handle more participants than whisper interpretation. The disadvantages, as for whisper interpretation, are that it does not permit sound isolation or amplification, and it is very taxing for the interpreter. It is designed for touring trade shows, factories, plants, etc. It can also be used for brief presentations, press conferences, etc. See also simultaneous interpreting without a booth.
It is crucial for a translation with multiple components to be approached and managed as an integrated whole. See more about this topic in Multipart Translations.
Native language
The first language learned by a person, which may or may not be the person’s dominant language or language of primary competence. Native speakers can have a grossly inadequate knowledge of their native language, particularly when they have been brought up and educated in a country where a language other than their native language is spoken.
Native language competence
Oral and written command of a language equivalent to that of a person born, educated, and living in the country where that language is spoken.
Native speaker
A person who speaks the first language he or she learned, which may or may not be the person’s dominant language or language of primary competence. Native speakers can have a grossly inadequate knowledge of their native language, depending on their education and the country where that education was obtained.
For example, a person born in Mexico who immigrated to the United States as a child and received all his education here, is a native speaker of Spanish but will have a very limited knowledge of that language; his dominant language will be English.
Neutrality
In the context of translation, it refers to the concept that establishes that the translator’s or interpreter’s job is to convey the meaning of the source text or speaker’s discourse, and under no circumstances may he or she allow personal opinion to tinge the translation or interpretation.
Over-the-ear headset
These are actually earphones with a plastic loop that hooks around the ear. Please click here for more information.
Passive languages
The languages from which an interpreter is competent to interpret professionally. The term is also used in meetings & conventions to mean the languages from which interpreting is provided.
For example, in a meeting where all presentations are given in English and interpretation is provided into Spanish, French, and Russian, English is the passive language and Spanish, French, and Russian the active languages.
Per-word rate
Industry standard for assessing cost of a translation. The per-word rate can be quoted based on the source word count (original text) or the target word count (translated text). Since there can be enormous differences in source and target word counts, depending on the languages involved, when comparing estimates for a translation be sure that the per-word rates you are comparing specify either source or target text.
Project Manager
(1) In a translation company, this is the person responsible for total translation project management. (2) In international companies, this title is sometimes given to the person who supervises in-house translators, hires freelancers, and manages translations.
Proofreading
When typesetting a translated text, it is advisable to let the translator who performed the translation proofread the typeset document, especially when the text is written in a language foreign to the typesetter.
Radio frequency interpretation equipment
Interpretation equipment that transmits sound over radio frequencies, usually called RF. RF systems consist of a transmitter and a receiver. The advantages of RF interpretation systems are their ease of installation, reliability, and wide range. In cases where secrecy is desired, the wide range can be a disadvantage, as a person with a receiver tuned to the proper frequency can sometimes hear perfectly from as far away as 500 yards , or more, even from a different building. Radio frequency systems are also more susceptible to radio interference than infrared interpretation equipment. Click here for more information.
Receiver
A radio receiver or infrared receiver used to tune into the interpretation. They are just like small pocket radios, except that they are wired to operate only in the specific frequencies assigned to the interpretation equipment. In order to hear, the interpreters' equipment must be operational and a headphone or earphone must be plugged into the receiver.
Relay
In simultaneous interpretation, this refers to interpreting from an interpretation, not directly from the speaker, and it is used when an interpreter does not know the language of the speaker.
This is how it works: The first interpreter interprets into his target language. The second interpreter listens to the first interpreter and interprets into her target language. Click on the link to see a drawing of a common relay configurations.
Relay harms quality, increases the risk of errors, and slows down the interpretation. For this reason, except in the case of rare languages, simultaneous interpreters hired for a meeting or convention must be able to interpret from all of its source languages.
Revising
Reading a text to identify errors, inconsistencies, incorrect grammar and punctuation, poor or inappropriate style, and, in the case of a translation, conformance with the source text, and making appropriate changes and corrections to the text. In general, the number of revision stages is proportional to the demands on the text quality: a translation intended for publication may, for example, be revised by the translator and by one or two third parties (e.g. the author, a subject expert, a second translator, an editor), whereas an internal memo may not require any revision after translation. (What exactly revising and editing entail and how they differ is the subject of much debate. What is important is that the person commissioning the work communicates clearly what is expected of the editor.)
RF interpretation equipment
Interpretation equipment that transmits sound over radio frequencies, usually called RF. RF systems consist of a transmitter and a receiver. The advantages of RF interpretation systems are their ease of installation, reliability, and wide range. In cases where secrecy is desired, the wide range can be a disadvantage, as a person with a receiver tuned to the proper frequency can sometimes hear perfectly from as far away as 1000 yards, even from a different building. Radio frequency systems are also more susceptible to radio interference than infrared interpretation equipment. Click here for more information.
Seminar interpretation
At one time, seminar interpretation referred to consecutive interpretation during seminars. Now it simply refers to any interpretation during a seminar, which may be consecutive, although it rarely is. Therefore, when we talk of seminar interpreting, we are usually referring to simultaneous interpretation in a seminar setting.
Seminar interpreter
Someone who performs seminar interpretation (which see above).
Sight translation
The oral translation of a text. One example would be when a consecutive interpreter at a press conference is handed a prepared statement in English and asked to read it aloud, in the target language.
Simultaneous interpretation
The oral translation of spoken language into another language, at the same time and at the same rate of speech as the speaker.
Simultaneous interpretation equipment
Simultaneous interpreting requires (1) appropriate equipment for the interpreters. This includes, at a minimum interpreters headphones, microphones, amplifiers, control consoles, and a booth (fixed or mobile) that meets ISO standards of sound insulation, dimensions, air quality, and accessibility. It may also include risers, video monitors, and other equipment, depending on the venue or application; and (2) appropriate equipment for the participants. This includes transmitters, receivers, headphones or earphones, and any other equipment required by the venue or particular application.
Simultaneous interpretation equipment company
A company whose primary business consists of supplying interpretation equipment for meetings and conventions. As a sideline, they usually also "source out" interpreters who may, or may not be competent, but who will surely not be able to do their best work since the equipment people know nothing of interpretation and can offer them neither guidance nor supervision.
Although some interpretation equipment companies have excellent equipment and technicians, their scant knowledge about interpreters and lack of a comprehensive approach to the interpretation service makes them a poor choice for large or important meetings.
Simultaneous interpretation team
A simultaneous interpretation team is made up of two, or sometimes three interpreters, depending on the language and various other factors.
The essential qualities of an interpretation team are competence, teamwork, and mutual assistance. Since members must complement one another's skills, the selection of team members is extremely important and must be based on a thorough knowledge of each member's strengths and weaknesses, as well as of the specific demands of the subject matter and target audience of the meeting.
Simultaneous interpreting without a booth
There are some situations and venues where simultaneous interpretation can be done without a booth. Depending on the needs of the meeting, we may use tabletop transmitters or wireless transmitters. The most common examples of simultaneous interpreting without a booth are
Site visits, trade shows, factory tours, poster sessions, etc. where the participants and interpreters are on the move.
Brief meetings (for example, lunch or dinner speeches)
Small meetings with ten or fewer participants (for example, board of directors or committee meetings)
Since working without a booth is much more strenuous for the interpreters, the same requirements as for a simultaneous interpretation team apply.
Simultaneous interpreter
A person who translates speech orally into another language at the same time and at the same rate of speech as the speaker. Simultaneous interpreters must have, not only simultaneous interpreting competence (training, skill, and experience in interpreting from the source to the target language), but also a thorough knowledge of the source material in both the source and target languages.
Simultaneous interpreting
The process of translating speech orally into another language at the same time and at the same rate of speech as the speaker.
Simultaneous translation
There is no such thing. A translation is done in writing; an interpretation orally. If your supplier doesn't know the difference between translation and interpretation, this is one of the Red Flags & Warning Bells that your meeting is in trouble.
