Translation and Interpretation

With increasing frequency, the distinction between “translation” (written product) and “interpretation” (oral product) is being recognized by those outside the profession. Interpreters especially are heartened when they see “Voice of Interpreter” flash on the screen during a newscast instead of “Voice of Translator.” Many scholars and practitioners (the terms are not mutually exclusive), however, choose the generic “translation” to include both oral and written product, some referring more specifically to “interpretation” as “oral translation” and to “simultaneous interpretation” as “simultaneous translation.”