| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | Poll: Do you have two separate words for "interpreter" and "translator" in your language(s)? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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norwegianblue 
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:56
English to Polish
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| two words and yet one word | Oct 6, 2011 |
In Polish it's a bit funny - the word is 'Tłumacz', which can mean either. To distinguish between the two, you need to provide a description, i.e Tlumacz pisemny (translator in writing) or 'tłumacz ustny' (oral translator). You can also say 'tłumacz kabinowy' (booth translator/interpreter), which of course refers to conference interpreters.
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Translator - Орчуулагч
Interpreter - Хэлмэрч
| | | | | And there is a missing term... | Oct 6, 2011 |
Usually "translator" implies written L1 into written L2. Meanwhile "interpreter" implies spoken L1 into spoken L2. There is "sight translation" (are there "sight translators"), viz. written L1 into spoken L2.
However, how should we call spoken L1 into written L2... See more Usually "translator" implies written L1 into written L2. Meanwhile "interpreter" implies spoken L1 into spoken L2. There is "sight translation" (are there "sight translators"), viz. written L1 into spoken L2.
However, how should we call spoken L1 into written L2?
I often see posts here with transcription jobs from L1 into L2. A monoglot transcriber can't do it. This requires a half-interpreter and half-translator.
If it's merely to get a translated transcript of an audio recording, any translator and interpreter should be able to do it. However if the intent is to have a video soundtrack translated for either dubbing or subtitling, this requires a specialist, not often the same one (i.e. these are two different specialties).
I don't know any language that has a name for these...
audiotranslator? videodubtranslator? videosubtranslator?
Maybe German would assemble these together anyway. ▲ Collapse
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In Ukrainian there is only one word "перекладач", if not to consider that an adjective can be added in front.
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Patricia Charnet
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:56
Member (2009)
English to French
Interlangue wrote: ... but that does not mean the general public uses both or makes a difference  In the long run, I am afraid French will only use "traducteur" and forget all about "interprète" when speaking about languages, keeping the latter only for music.
true but notice that we have interprétariat and interprétation the first for the profession of language interpreter and the second for the musical or theatre player or actor.
I reckon we should reserve interprète for the language interpreter and coin interprétateur for the other role of doing an interprétation
after all in English they use interpreting and interpretation too.
French speakers from Québec and French speakers in Africa have no problem coining new words, and it's about time that we do the same in Europe for European French instead of leaving the purists have the upper hand all the time
[Edited at 2011-10-06 12:26 GMT]
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 21:56
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Translator = ÜbersetzerIN (UebersetzerIn)
Interpreter = DolmetscherIN
Translator, the commonly used word for both by the public, traditionally includes the written as well as the spoken "translation". So does the final exam.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 21:56
Spanish to English
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Steven Capsuto wrote:
In English, the word "translator" has traditionally referred to both written and spoken translators. In other words, excluding our professional jargon, "interpreter" is a subset of "translator" in any kind of natural English.
Totally agree, the general public don't really make the distinction. I personally call boothwork (simultaneous) translation and reserve "interpreting" for face-to-face spoken translation, usually between two parties or groups.
| | | | Williamson
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:56
Flemish to English
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| The view of the public | Oct 6, 2011 |
Sandra Petch wrote:
One person even said, "Oh yeah, I speak English, I could do your job." (On a side note, a Hungarian woman told me she could never be a translator as she had "too much personality"!). * Sigh *
Which is the general view of the public of translation:
All you need is a knowledge of a foreign language, register on a translator's website and defend the "native-only dogma", because of lack of ability to translate both ways.
Background and education is of no importance.
The view of the public of interpreting : A wow-feeling and the interpreter is seen as a kind of language-magician.
Face-to-face interpreting, escort interpreting, court-interpreting or corporate interpreting are not considered relevant experience when taking part in competitions at international institutions. Only proven consecutive and simultaneous booth interpreting are relevant experience.
BTW. In Dutch, it are two words: vertalen (translating) and tolken (interpreting).
[Edited at 2011-10-06 19:33 GMT]
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Williamson
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:56
Flemish to English
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| The view of the public | Oct 6, 2011 |
Sandra Petch wrote:
One person even said, "Oh yeah, I speak English, I could do your job." (On a side note, a Hungarian woman told me she could never be a translator as she had "too much personality"!). * Sigh *
Which is the general view of the public of translation:
All you need is a knowledge of a foreign language, register on a translator's webiste and defend the "native-only dogma". Background and education is of no importance.
The view of the public of interpreting: A wow-feeling and the interpreter is seen as a kind of language-magician.
If you call a simultaneous interpreter a booth translator, he or she would not be too happy about that.
There is a difference between translation and interpreting an AVE (Spanish high speed train) speaker rattling on and on about a specialised subject without taking into consideration that there is an interpreter, who has to convey the message in another language.
Face-to-face translation is not considered relevant experience when taking part in interpreter competitions at international institutions.
| | | | Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 21:56
English to French
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patriciacharnet wrote:
true but notice that we have interprétariat and interprétation the first for the profession of language interpreter and the second for the musical or theatre player or actor.
For the record (Petit Robert):
1. definition of interprétariat = "fonction, carrière d'interprète"
2. definition of interprétation = a) "action d'interpréter oralement un énoncé oral; son résultat" - b) "manière de jouer (une oeuvre dramatique, musicale) => excécution." - c) "action d'expliquer, de donner une explication claire; son résultat" - d) "action de donner une signification aux faits"
| | | | samah A. fattah
Egypt
Local time: 22:56
Member (2009)
English to Arabic
+ ...
Hi
Two terms contain the "translator" word
مترجم فوري
مترجم تحريري
The literally Translation of the two terms
Oral or immediate translator for" interpreter"
written translator for" translator"
Samah
| | | | | Two words, not everybody uses them | Oct 6, 2011 |
Interlangue wrote: ... but that does not mean the general public uses both or makes a difference In the long run, I am afraid French will only use "traducteur" and forget all about "interprète".
Although Spanish has "traductor" e "intérprete", most people believe call translators those who translate what people says in press conferences. Interpreters are not widely known, at least for the general public. At the same time, when you explain somebody what a translator really do, people seem to be disappointed :S
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norwegianblue wrote:
In Polish it's a bit funny - the word is 'Tłumacz', which can mean either. To distinguish between the two, you need to provide a description, i.e Tlumacz pisemny (translator in writing) or 'tłumacz ustny' (oral translator). You can also say 'tłumacz kabinowy' (booth translator/interpreter), which of course refers to conference interpreters.
Hehe, in Serbian "Tumač" means literally interpreter, though it's most often used in phrase "sudski tumač" meaning court/sworn translator and interpreter
| | | | Angelina Kovaleva
United States
Local time: 12:56
Member (2011)
Russian to English
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| English and Russian | Oct 6, 2011 |
In my native language, yes, "translator" and "interpreter" are 2 separate words of course... But in my non-native language, Russian (the one I translate from), there is only one word, переводчик, so you have to use the adjective for "written (письменный)" if you want to specify a translator, and "verbal (устный)" if you want to specify an interpreter.
| | | | Nesrin
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:56
English to Arabic
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| "Word" vs "term": The question should be phrased differently | Oct 6, 2011 |
I imagine that many languages, like Arabic for example (and as I can see from the norwegianblue's comment, Polish), don't have two separate words for translator and interpreter, however there is a way of distinguishing both, e.g. "oral translator" = translator. That doesn't mean that the notion of an interpreter isn't known, but that the language simply makes a different distinctions in meaning.
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