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Poll: How comfortable are you switching between translation and interpreting tasks?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Apr 25

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How comfortable are you switching between translation and interpreting tasks?".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 00:11
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I only do one of the two Apr 25

I'm a translator, not an interpreter.

neilmac
 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 01:11
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Apr 25

I haven't done any interpreting for ages. The two activities are not always compatible and I'd find interpreting too demanding/stressful nowadays.

Luis M. Sosa
WolfgangS
Maria Laura Curzi
 
Lieven Malaise
Lieven Malaise  Identity Verified
Belgium
Local time: 01:11
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
NA Apr 25

I only translate.

By the way, in Belgium interpreting requires a university degree and is basically only for the happy few: you start in a translation university programme and, after a year or 2, only the ones with a certain level are allowed to continue as interpreter. At least that's how it was in my days.
 
Daryo
Daryo
Local time: 00:11
Serbian to English
+ ...
When you first translate Apr 25

When you first translate the papers that are going to be discussed then are the interpreter at the meeting(s) where they are being discussed, and then translate 'the final version' - then there is nothing easier than 'switching between translation and interpreting'. Piece of cake!

But that's hardly the 'usual situation'.

Translation and interpreting require different skill sets AND more importantly different mindsets (or call it psychological constitution or ... not su... See more
When you first translate the papers that are going to be discussed then are the interpreter at the meeting(s) where they are being discussed, and then translate 'the final version' - then there is nothing easier than 'switching between translation and interpreting'. Piece of cake!

But that's hardly the 'usual situation'.

Translation and interpreting require different skill sets AND more importantly different mindsets (or call it psychological constitution or ... not sure what would the best term). BTW language teaching is a third 'world apart'. Tried it, not for me!

Only a minority will happily do both, most interpreters I know do not have the slightest interest in translating and I know a number of very good translators who don’t want to go anywhere near interpreting. And a few who were railroaded into interpreting when no else was available and said 'NEVER AGAIN' (see the part about psychological constitution). ▲ Collapse


Cilian O'Tuama
Christine Andersen
 
Cilian O'Tuama
Cilian O'Tuama  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 01:11
German to English
+ ...
NEVER AGAIN Apr 26

Daryo wrote:

I know a number of very good translators who don’t want to go anywhere near interpreting. And a few who were railroaded into interpreting when no else was available and said 'NEVER AGAIN'


Interpreters have my utmost respect.

Many moons ago I was coerced/persuaded by respected colleagues to do an interpreting job between a US phone company and German market researchers. I had zero experience/ambitions at interpreting. They felt confident I’d manage. I failed. Halfway through the job I wanted to crawl out on my knees and go home in shame without payment. But they paid me. Hats off to good interpreters!

Christine Andersen
 
Lingua 5B
Lingua 5B  Identity Verified
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 01:11
English to French
+ ...
There is Apr 26

Cilian O'Tuama wrote:

Daryo wrote:

I know a number of very good translators who don’t want to go anywhere near interpreting. And a few who were railroaded into interpreting when no else was available and said 'NEVER AGAIN'


Interpreters have my utmost respect.

Many moons ago I was coerced/persuaded by respected colleagues to do an interpreting job between a US phone company and German market researchers. I had zero experience/ambitions at interpreting. They felt confident I’d manage. I failed. Halfway through the job I wanted to crawl out on my knees and go home in shame without payment. But they paid me. Hats off to good interpreters!


Yes, there’s a reason interpreting training/schools take 4 years.

Re. the question, I was doing it all the time, but my volume of interpreting projects was fairly low (in freelancing). As soon as you know what you are doing and are trained, it’s fine.

Daryo
 


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Poll: How comfortable are you switching between translation and interpreting tasks?






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