There’s a common misconception that interpreters and translators do the same thing. Well, guess what? Their jobs complement each other, but they aren’t the same. Interpreters typically don’t translate and translators typically don’t interpret.
So, if you’re in the market for language translation services help or looking for a job in the industry, it’s helpful to understand the commonalities and differences between these two critically important jobs.
Interpreters and Translators Do Different Jobs
Translators render the written word from one language to another. Their work consists of translating what in many cases is complex, contextual, or nuanced text in novels, medical records, legal agreements, website content, and all types of documentation.
Interpreters work with words that are spoken or signed. Interpreters can work on-site or remotely, facilitating conversations between two or more people who speak different languages. This includes sign language interpreters for individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing. They interpret testimony in courts and in government hearings, conversations between medical professionals and patients in hospitals, dialogue between service agents and customers, and more.
Related: Our Burning Questions about Interpreters Are Finally Answered [Part 1]
Interpreters and Translators Possess Different Skills and Talents
While there are professionals who can handle the rigors that both interpreting and translating jobs entail, more often, a linguist will specialize in either one job or the other. That’s because each job requires a distinct toolkit of skills and talents.
A Translator’s Toolkit:
Translators must be skilled writers. The job requires precise knowledge of a language’s grammar and vocabulary. Translators work with dictionaries and translation memories (i.e., a translation database used for consistency and to quickly recall previously translated phrases and terms) to find the best way to render a sentence into another language.
Translators, like professional writers, often specialize in certain subject areas, such as medicine, finance, government, technology, and science. Specialization requires an in-depth knowledge of the subject and its terminology in both the source and target languages.
An Interpreter’s Toolkit:
Interpreters must be highly skilled oral communicators and fluent multilingual speakers. But interpreters must also be able to capture and effectively communicate the style and tone of the speaker, while accounting for differences of culture, dialect, and setting.
Interpreters need to be highly accurate while concentrating on speed and delivery in real time. They also need to have good memory retention and note-taking skills. Similar to translators, interpreters can specialize in certain subject areas, like medical or legal, which requires in-depth knowledge of the subject and its terminology in both the source and target language.
How Interpretation and Translation Complement Each Other
Here’s a real-world example of how an interpreter and a translator might work together in a hospital setting to provide critical care for a patient.
In the U.S., if a patient’s primary language is something other than English, an interpreter, either in person or remotely through a telephone or video, will help them and their doctor communicate. But the patient’s medical care doesn’t abruptly end once they leave the hospital. Once they leave the hospital, a patient is often given prescriptions, a discharge summary, and written directions for care. This is where a foreign-language translator steps in. A translator provides a translation of these items from English to the patient’s preferred language so the patient has the accurate medical information they need communicated in the language they understand.
Interpretation, Translation, and More. If You’ve Got Language Services Needs, We’ve Got Your Solution.
From industry-leading over-the-phone and video interpreting services to professional translation, language assessments, and more, CLI is here to provide practical, seamless language services to help bridge the language gap between you and your patients, clients, and customers. Contact us so that we can answer your questions and help steer you on the right path.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some commonalities between translators and interpreters?
Translators and interpreters share several core skills and professional traits:
- Language expertise: Both must be fluent in at least two languages and have a deep understanding of grammar and vocabulary.
- Cultural competence: They need to grasp not only the words but also the context, tone, and cultural subtleties of both languages.
- Accuracy and neutrality: They must convey meaning faithfully and without bias, whether in written or spoken form.
- Confidentiality: Both are often bound by ethical standards to maintain privacy and confidentiality, especially in legal, medical, or education contexts.
- Specialized knowledge: Many develop expertise in specific fields, like legal, medical, or technical language.
Are language translators or language interpreters in higher demand?
It depends on the industry and region. Generally, interpreters—including ASL interpreters—are in higher demand in the healthcare, legal, and government sectors, especially for in-person or remote real-time communication (e.g., telehealth, immigration hearings, etc.).
Translators are in steady demand for written content, such as legal documents, medical records, technical manuals, and websites.
The rise in remote interpreting (VRI and OPI) has accelerated demand for interpreters, especially in the U.S., where regulatory requirements (like for hospitals under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Section 1557 of the ACA) mandate access to qualified interpreters.
What if I have the need for both a language translator and an interpreter?
If you need both services, work with a language services provider (LSP) or agency that offers both services. There are LSPs that just specialize in one or the other (usually translation agencies), so make sure the ones you’re vetting offer the services you need in the languages you need them in.
