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If you are fluent in more than one language you might qualify to join an elite workforce. Interpreters and translators are needed for providing interpreting and translation services in business, government, the military, the media, social services, the judicial system, in travel and tourism – anywhere the cultures intersect. Simply speaking a second language is not sufficient however. Employers in these various fields look first for people with college degree and foreign language majors.
One use for which the need for these professionals is growing rapidly is the interpretation for medical and legal information in hospitals and legal settings especially in the inner cities with large immigrant populations. The opportunities can be exciting with interpreter jobs that take you to top level meetings and exotic destinations or you could work at home translating operating manuals. The need for precision is paramount as you are the link between those who wish to convey information and those who need to understand it. The immediacy of the interpreter’s performance requires certain skills, knowledge and abilities that translators do not need and not always have. That is why not all translators can be interpreters. Sensitivity to how cultural differences affect communication can help you get the message across and avoid embarrassing glitches for you and the translation agency you are working with.
On the other side, assuming there is no pressure, translators can look up terms in a host of dictionaries, explore usage and other language variables online, find synonyms that may be more suitable to a particular context, consult colleagues, and polish the translation until they are satisfied that it is the best final product they can deliver. I hope you now have a better understanding of differences between interpreter vs translator.
