Answering Questions about Translation
Questions about Translation What’s the difference between an interpreter and a translator? An interpreter translates spoken words, almost always in real-time, as a conversation happens. A translator, by contrast, translates written words, and often of a language either old, very difficult or, in Bible translation, newly written down. Why can’t anyone who is bilingual be a translator? Most bilinguals will serve as an amateur interpreter at some point in their lives, for a mother at a parent meeting, for a new employee to learn the ropes, or when traveling with a friend. Professional interpreters, such as at the United Nations, and most translators, on the other hand, are people who train for years, learning their trade, just like those studying to become a pilot or electrician. What other skills are needed to become a translator? The Institute of Translation and Interpreting says to “be a professional translator,...