TRANSLATORS vs INTERPRETERS
Do you know there are differences in the role of a translator and an interpreter ?
Although the primary objective of both the translator and the interpreter is to communicate information from the source language to the target language, they do not carry out their roles in the same manner.
The translator on one hand mostly works with written text. This is to say that, translators work with documents such as articles, books, website content, legal documents, medical documents, etc. Subtitling also falls under the role of a translator. When you tune in to Netflix and you select the subtitle option, in the same language or a different language, a translator made that possible. The interpreter on the other hand works with spoken language and/or sign language. In other words, their function involves speech-to-speech communication. Interpreters usually work in courtrooms, hospitals, small-scale meetings, large-scale events, etc.
As a result of the nature of the role of a translator, they work per word or per page. This gives them ample time to do more research and reflect on their translations. Unlike the translator, interpreters work by the hour/day. Therefore, they have less time for research and reflection, especially because they work in real time. In most instances, we will find that interpreters work in groups of 2 or more, while translators work individually.
Additional fun fact about a translator is that (s)he sometimes performs a function closer to that of an interpreter. This is known as onsight translation. In this case, the translator performs real time speech-to-text translation. Thus, if the source text is in language A, the translator orally translates the text directly into the target text (language B).
This is not to say that it is impossible for a translator to perform the role of an interpreter (or vice versa) but to highlight the fact that both professions are unique in their own way and require completely different skills and training to carry out their functions efficiently.
