TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING

COLEGIO TECNICO PROFESIONAL NATANIEL ARIAL MURILLO

AGUAS ZARCAS, SAN CARLOS.

Modality: COMMERCE AND SERVICES SECTION                   

Technical Field: Ejecutivo para Centros de Servicios             

Course: TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING                             Level: XII

Teacher: Olger Francisco Soto Castro

TRANSLATION & INTERPRETING

To: 12^th Grade Students

I & II Terms

Translation and Interpreting

Translation - Definition

Translation is an activity comprising the interpretation of the meaning of a text in one language—the source text— and the production of a new, equivalent text in another language—the target text, also called the translation.  Traditionally, translation has always been a human activity, although attempts have been made to automate and computerize the translation of natural language texts—machine translation—or to use computers as an aid to

translation—computer-assisted translation.  The goal of translation is to establish a relationship of equivalence between the source and the target texts (that is to say, that both texts communicate the same message), while taking into account a number of constraints. These constraints include context, the rules of grammar of the source language, its writing conventions, its idioms and the like. 

Etymology: From the Latin, "transfer"

So, What's the Difference?

Translators work with written texts and interpreters work with live, spoken language. You

don't hire an interpreter to give you an English version of a Spanish document. You don't

hire a translator to attend a conference, hook up some headphones and a microphone

and render one spoken language into another -- live (known as simultaneous interpreting).

An interpreter must listen to both languages at a quick, sometimes even feverish pace, and speak in both directions as well. Interpreters have to be quick on their feet and translate a large amount of information over a short period of time.

Translators, on the other hand, have more time to create the translation over a longer time frame. On the downside, however, they are not allowed the same leeway for mistakes as an interpreter.

Translators have to have a vast vocabulary, good writing skills and a fluency to write in the desired language. This is why there is a tendency to write from the secondary language to the native language, but this is not always so. Symmetrical bilingualism is rare, but that is a subject of another article.

·         Three types of written translation:

1.      intralingual translation - translation within the same language, which can involve rewording or paraphrase.

2.      interlingual translation - translation from one language to another.

3.      intersemiotic translation - translation of the verbal sign by a non-verbal sign, for example music or image.

TRENDS IN TRANSLATION

·         The art of translation is as old as written literature and in some parts of the universe translations could be traced back to second millennium BCE. Though translators largely remained obscure and subordinate to the authors, the Copyright Act of 1911 allowed that translators to own copyright in their work with the permission of the author.

·         The quality of the translations have considerable gone up over a period of time as these days translators are from academics background who are concerned about the quality of their work and the effects of these on the target culture. Philological knowledge of the translators was never a factor in measuring the value of a translation.

·         However when translators with limited proficiency in one or both the languages are involved it might result in the inadvertent usages of idioms from the source language to the target language. This might result in the importing of new words and usages from the source language to the target language. Thus translators have played a crucial role in the evolution of literary styles and languages. With the development of the internet and various translation tools, translation quality has increased many a time in recent times and at present most of them work with technical inputs and texts.

·         Translation has had a social impact as it enabled the foreign texts to reach mass readerships. Whenever circulation exceeded beyond the readership, the best texts of foreign literature will be selected often at the costs of native contemporary works. The editors with repute would make sure that these non translational books reach the class rooms all over the country. For instance, the Gowans and Gray series of '100 Best Poems' in English, French, Spanish, and German remained in print for many decades since its original print

 WORD-FOR-WORD TRANSLATION: in which the SL word order is preserved and the words translated singly by their most common meanings, out of context. Word by word translation translates each word or phrase that it understands, but does not take grammar into account. Word by word translators are generally not as effective as automatic or machine translators, but still can be very useful, for instance as a translation aid.

      

Example: “A ella le gusta mucho el cuento de Tatamundo”= To her pleases much the

story of tatamundo  

a) La soledad me da miedo___________________________________________

b) Me da mucha hambre_____________________________________________

c) Va a llover temprano______________________________________________

d) Ayer hizo mucho calor_____________________________________________

 LITERAL TRANSLATION: in which the SL grammatical constructions are converted to their Nearest equivalents, but the lexical words are again translated singly, out of context.  Literal translation, or directed translation, is the rendering of text from one language to another "word-for-word" (Latin: "verbum pro verbo") rather than conveying the sense of the original.

Example: “A ella le gusta mucho el cuento de Tatamundo”= The story of tatamundo

pleases her greatly.

a) El chico hizo locuras_____________________________________________

b) Los politicos hacen chorizo________________________________________

c) No quiebra ni un plato____________________________________________

d) ¡Nada que ver!__________________________________________________

 FAITHFUL TRANSLATION: it attempts to produce the precise contextual meaning of the original within the constraints of the TL grammatical structures. 

Example: “A ella le gusta mucho el cuento de Tatamundo ”= she likes the story by

Tatamundo very much

a) Ella se sacó un 100 en el examen_______________________________________

b) Los chicos estudian mucho para el examen_______________________________

c) Las tardes de otoño son  muy bellas_____________________________________

d) Ella cumplirá 15 el próximo martes______________________________________

SEMANTIC TRANSLATION: which differs from 'faithful translation' only in as far as it must take more account of the aesthetic value of the SL text. 

Example: “A ella le gusta mucho el cuento de Tatamundo ”=She really likes the

tatamundo’s story.

a) El sol alumbro esta mañana___________________________________________

b) Cada mañana te veo venir_____________________________________________

c) Mandales mis saludos a Ana____________________________________________

d) Despedite de tus abuelos_______________________________________________

 ADAPTATION TRANSLATION: which is the freest form of translation, and is used mainly for plays (comedies) and poetry; the themes, characters, plots are usually preserved, the SL culture is converted to the TL culture and the text is rewritten.

 Example: “A ella le gusta mucho el cuento de Tatamundo ”=She’s mad about

tatamundo’s story.

a) Me encanta la leche de vaca____________________________________________

b) Ese chico es muy buena gente___________________________________________

c) Aguanteme un toque__________________________________________________

d) Mejor ni venga, esta aburrido___________________________________________

 FREE TRANSLATION: it produces the TL text without the style, form, or content of the original. 

 Example: “A ella le gusta mucho el cuento de Tatamundo ”=The girl thinks

tatamundo’s tale rocks  

a) duro de matar_____________________________________________________

b) El hombre es un poco torpe___________________________________________

c) La muchacha está bien guapa__________________________________________

d) El auto está muy elegante_____________________________________________

 IDIOMATIC TRANSLATION: it reproduces the 'message' of the original but tends to distort nuances of meaning by preferring colloquialisms and idioms where these do not exist in the original. 

 Example: “A ella le gusta mucho el cuento de Tatamundo ”=Tatamundo’s story make

the girl nuts   

a) Tal palo, tal astilla____________________________________________________

b) Con la plata baila el mono______________________________________________

c) El que madruga, come pechuga_________________________________________

d) Amigos en la buenas y malas____________________________________________

 COMMUNICATIVE TRANSLATION: it attempts to render the exact contextual meaning of the original in such a way that both content and language are readily acceptable and comprehensible to the readership. 

 Example: “A ella le gusta mucho el cuento de Tatamundo ”=She likes Tatamundo’s tale

a lot

a) Es mejor tarde que  nunca______________________________________________

b) Llamame después del almuerzo__________________________________________

c) Uno nunca sabe sobre las chicas_________________________________________

d) La gente entra y sale despavorida ________________________________________

Translation Process

Translation must take into account a number of constraints, including context, the rules of grammar of the two languages, their writing conventions, their idioms and the like. Consequently, as has been recognized at least since the time of the translator Martin Luther, one translates best into the language that one knows best (or ones mother/native language).

Traditionally translation has been a human activity, though attempts have been and are being made to computerize or otherwise automate the translation of natural-language texts (machine translation) or to use computers as an aid to translation (computer-assisted translation).

Perhaps the most common misconception about translation is that there exists a simple "word-for-word" relation between any two languages, and that translation is therefore a straightforward and mechanical process. On the contrary, historical differences between languages often dictate differences of expression. Hence, source and target texts may differ significantly in length.

There has been debate as to whether translation is an art or a craft. We believe it is both. On one hand, translation is an art, though one that is teachable. On the other hand, translators, mostly those who work on technical, business or legal documents, regard their profession as a craft — one that can not only be taught, but that is subject to linguistic analysis and that benefits from academic study.

Most translators will agree that the situation depends on the nature of the text being translated. A simple document, e.g. a product brochure, can often be translated quickly, using techniques familiar to an experienced translator. By contrast, a newspaper editorial, a political speech, a research paper/report or a book on almost any subject will require not only the craft of good language skills and research technique, but a substantial knowledge of the subject matter, a cultural sensitivity, and a mastery of the art of good writing.

The translation process, whether it is for translation or interpreting, can be stated simply

as: 

1.      Decoding the meaning of the source text, and

2.       Re-encoding this meaning in the target language. 

To decode the meaning of a text the translator must first identify its component "translation units", that is to say the segments of the text (which may be a word, a phrase

or one or more sentences), to be treated as a cognitive unit.

Behind this seemingly simple procedure lies a complex cognitive operation. To decode the

complete meaning of the source text, the translator must consciously and methodically

interpret and analyse all its features. This process requires thorough knowledge of the

grammar, semantics, syntax, idioms and the like of the source language, as well as the

culture of its speakers. 

The translator needs the same in-depth knowledge to re-encode the meaning in the target

language. In fact, often translators' knowledge of the target language is more important,

and needs to be deeper, than their knowledge of the source language. For this reason,

most translators translate into a language of which they are native speakers. 

In addition, knowledge of the subject matter being discussed is essential.

In recent years studies in cognitive linguistics have been able to provide valuable insights

into the cognitive process of translation. 

Some popular idioms

A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush

"Dan has asked me to go to a party with him. What if my boyfriend finds out?" Reply:

"Don't go. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

A Chip On Your Shoulder

"What's bothering that guy?" Answer: "Nothing; he's just got a chip on the shoulder."

A Drop In The Bucket

"I'd like to do something to change the world but whatever I do seems like a drop in the

bucket."

A Fool And His Money Are Easily Parted

Example: "Her husband can't seem to hold onto any amount of money; he either spends it

or loses it. A fool and his money are easily parted."

A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned

"I'm going to give you $20 but I want you to put it in the bank; a penny saved is a penny

earned!"

A Piece Of Cake

"Do you think you will win your tennis match today?" Answer: "It will be a piece of cake."

A Shot In The Dark

"That was such a difficult question! How did you get it right?" Reply: "I just took a shot in

the dark."

A Slap On The Wrist

"He should be in jail for what he did, but he got off with just a slap on the wrist."

A Slip Of The Tongue

"Be careful talking to the police tomorrow; one slip of the tongue could get us into big

trouble."

A Taste Of Your Own Medicine

"It looks like she got a taste of her own medicine."

A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

"Don't trust the salespeople at that store; they are all wolves in sheep's clothing!"

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

"Don't tell me how to do this; show me! Actions speak louder than words."

Add Fuel To The Fire

"I would like to do something to help, but I don't want to add fuel to the fire."

Against The Clock

"We worked against the clock all day to get this report done by 5PM."

All Bark And No Bite

"The new manager threatened to fire me but I know he won't do it; he is all bark and no

bite."

All Greek

"Did you understand what he just said?" Reply: "Nope. It was all Greek to me."

All In The Same Boat

"We can't fight against each other; we need to work together. We're all in the same boat!"

All That Glitters Is Not Gold

"Be careful when shopping for your new car; all that glitters is not gold!"

All Thumbs

"Hey! You are pouring my coffee on the table!" Reply: "Oh, I'm so sorry! I have been all

thumbs today."

An Arm And A Leg

"Be careful with that watch; it cost me an arm and a leg."

As Blind As A Bat

"Without his glasses, my father is as blind as a bat."

Barking Up The Wrong Tree

"I have been trying to solve this math problem for 30 minutes but I think I've been barking

up the wrong tree."

Beating Around The Bush

"If you want to ask me, just ask; don't beat around the bush."

Better Late Than Never

"Sorry I was late for the meeting today; I got stuck in traffic." Answer: "That's okay; better

late than never."

Between A Rock And A Hard Place

"I'd like to help you but I am stuck between a rock and a hard place."

Birds Of A Feather Flock Together

"Look; the volleyball players are eating at the same table together, as always." Answer:

"Birds of a feather flock together."

Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

"I thought I could finish this report within one month, but it looks like I have bitten off

more than I can chew."

Bite Your Tongue

"Whenever that professor says something I don't like, I have to bite my tongue."

Blood Is Thicker Than Water

"When my best friend and my brother got in a fight I had to help my brother; blood is

thicker than water."

Burning The Candle At Both Ends

"Ever since this new project started I have been burning the candle at both ends. I can't

take much more of it."

Burning The Midnight Oil

"Our son has been working hard preparing for his final exams!" Answer: "Yes, he's been up

each night burning the midnight oil."

Call It Off

"Tonight's game was called off because of the rain."

Can't Cut The Mustard

"Bob dropped out of medical school; he couldn't cut the mustard."

Come Hell Or High Water

"Will you be at the family reunion next year?" Answer: "Yes- we'll be there, come hell or

high water!"

Cross Your Fingers

"Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best!"

Cry Over Spilt Milk

"Let's not go crying over spilt milk."

Don't Count Your Chickens Until They're Hatched

"Next Friday I will be able to pay you back that money I owe you." Answer: "I won't be

counting my chickens..."

Don't Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth! When you buy your own beers you can decide what

brand you want."

Don't Put All Your Eggs In One Basket

"The best way to gamble is to only bet small amounts of money and never put all your

eggs in one basket."

Drastic Times Call For Drastic Measures

"Sales have been slow and we had to let go three of our employees; drastic times call for

drastic measures."

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining

"I found a new job after all and I like this one much better than the last!" Answer: "You

see, every cloud has a silver lining."

Finding Your Feet

"Don't worry about it. We will help you while you are finding your feet."

Fixed In Your Ways

"Sometimes it is hard to accept that your parents are fixed in their ways."

From Rags To Riches

"My uncle is a real rags to riches story."

Get Over It

"I was very sick yesterday, but I got over it quickly."

Get Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed

"Don't start yelling at me just because you got up on the wrong side of the bed."

Haste Makes Waste

"You should always take your time when doing your taxes and check your numbers very

carefully; haste makes waste."

Have No Idea

"I can't find my keys. I have no idea where I put them."

He Lost His Head

"Okay- I'll tell you what happened. But don't lose your head."

Head Over Heels

"I have been head over heels about my girlfriend since the day I met her."

If It's Not One Thing, It's Another

"First the car broke down, and now I can't find my keys! If it's not one thing, it's another!"

In And Out

"I know this city in and out."

In Over Your Head

"Go ahead and lead the meeting today; I'll help you out if you get in over your head."

In The Dark

"Did you know that today was her birthday?" Answer: "No, I was in the dark."

In The Heat Of The Moment

"Sorry about what I said; I got caught up in the heat of the moment."

Keep An Eye On Him

"I have to run to the bathroom. Can you keep an eye on my suitcase while I am gone?"

Labor Of Love

"Taking care of this dog is a labor of love."

Let The Cat Out Of The Bag

"Bob didn't tell anyone that he was sick, but his wife let the cat out of the bag."

Never Bite The Hand That Feeds You

"We have been your best customers for years. How could you suddenly treat us so rudely?

You should never bite the hand that feeds you."

Not A Chance

"Do you think you will be able to finish your report by five o'clock today?" Answer: "Not a

chance. I'll be busy in meetings all day."

Off Limits

"Guns are off limits within New York City."

Off On The Wrong Foot

"Let's try to start on time tomorrow and get off on the right foot."

On The Fence

"Has he decided whether he will take the job yet?" Answer: "No, he's still on the fence."

On The Same Page

"Before we make any decisions today, I'd like to make sure that everyone is on the same

page."

On Top Of The World

"What a great time we had that night; we were on top of the world!"

On Your Last Leg

"I would be glad to sell you my car, but I must tell you that it is on its last leg."

On Your Mind

"You have been on my mind all day."

One For The Road

"Bartender- I'll have one more whiskey for the road."

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

"I meant to read that book, but as soon as I put it down, I forgot about it." Answer: "Out of

sight, out of mind."

Out Of The Blue

"Why did she do that?" Answer: "I have no idea. It was completely out of the blue."

Out Of Your Element

"He is a great tennis player on the hard courts, but he is out of his element on grass."

Out On The Town

"Do you want to join us tonight? We're going out on the town."

People Who Live In Glass Houses Should Not Throw Stones

"Look at what time it is... you are late again!" Answer: "Hey, how often are you not on

time? People who live in glass houses should not throw stones."

Practice Makes Perfect

"You see how quickly you are getting better at the piano! Practice makes perfect!"

Practice What You Preach

"Good managers always lead by example and practice what they preach."

Protest Too Much

"Do you think he is telling the truth?" Answer: "I think he protests too much."

Pulling Your Leg

"I want to ask you a question and I would like an honest answer; no pulling my leg."

Put Your Best Foot Forward

"I want you to get out on that field and put your best foot forward!"

Put Your Foot In Your Mouth

"Let's all be very careful what we say at the meeting tomorrow. I don't want anyone

putting their foot in their mouth."

Rome Was Not Built In One Day

"It is taking me a long time to write this computer program." Answer: "Rome was not built

in one day."

Shake A Leg

"They are waiting outside in the car; let's shake a leg!"

Sick As A Dog

"I heard you were uncomfortable yesterday." Answer: "Uncomfortable? I was as sick as a

dog!"

Skeletons In The Closet

"I had only known her for one week. How could I know what skeletons she had in her

closet?"

Start From Scratch

"How are you going to build your business?" Answer: "Just like everyone else does:

starting from scratch."

The Best Of Both Worlds

"My wife and I bought one house in Paris and one in New York; it gives us the best of both

worlds."

The Bigger They Are The Harder They Fall

"Are you worried that he might be too strong?" Answer: "No I'm not. He is big, but the

bigger they are, the harder they fall."

The Devil Is In The Details

"I can sketch a basic outline of the plan for you and it may look very simple, but the devil is

in the details."

The Early Bird Catches The Worm

"I always arrive at work 30 minutes early; the early bird catches the worm!"

The Ends Justify The Means

"I agree with your goal, but the ends do not justify the means."

The Pros And Cons

"I've considered the pros and cons and I've decided: it is going to be expensive, but I still

want to go to college."

The Sky Is The Limit

"After I graduate from business school, the sky's the limit!"

Third Wheel

"You two go on ahead without me. I don't want to be the third wheel."

Tie The Knot

"Did you hear about Dan and Jenny? They finally decided to tie the knot!"

To Err Is Human, To Forgive Divine

"I will never forgive my mother for what she has done!" Answer: "Don't be angry at her.

To err is human, to forgive divine."

Turn Over A New Leaf

"I'm turning over a new leaf; I've decided to quit smoking."

Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right

"That boy pushed me yesterday and I am going to get him back today!" Answer: "No you

are not! Two wrongs do not make a right."

Two's Company; Three's a Crowd

"Why did you have to bring your sister? Two's company; three's a crowd!"

Up Against

"We have been up against stronger opponents in the past."

Variety Is The Spice Of Life

Example: "We were originally planning to go to Mexico on our vacation this year - like we

did last year - but we decided to go to Egypt instead. Variety is the spice of life!"

Water Under The Bridge

"Aren't you still angry about what he said?" Answer: "No, that was a long time ago. It's all

water under the bridge."

Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve

"My brother always lets you know how he feels; he wears his heart on his sleeve."

What They Don't Know Won't Hurt Them

"Don't tell your father what happened; what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

When In Rome, Do As The Romans Do

"Are you sure we should eat this with our hands?" Answer: "Why not? All of these people

are eating it that way. When in Rome, do as the Romans do!"

When Pigs Fly

"Would you ever take her on a date?" Answer: "Sure- when pigs fly!"

With Your Back Up Against The Wall

"I'm sorry I can't help you; I've got my back up against the wall."

Without A Doubt

"Are you going to watch the game tomorrow?" Answer: "Without a doubt!"

Word Of Mouth

"Where did you hear about that?" Answer: "Just word of mouth."

You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover

"He dresses in plain clothing and drives an ordinary car. Who would know he is the richest

man in town? You can't judge a book by its cover!"

Measuring success in translation

As the goal of translation is to establish a relationship of equivalence between the source

and the target texts—that is to say, both texts communicate the same message—while

taking into account the various constraints placed on the translator, a successful

translation can be judged by two criteria: 

1. Faithfulness: Also called fidelity, that is the extent to which the translation

accurately renders the meaning of the source text, without adding to it or

subtracting from it, and without intensifying or weakening any part of the

meaning. Fidelity is the only quality component which cannot be assessed with any degree of precision without referring constantly to the source-language speech.

 

2. Transparency: That is the extent to which the translation appears to a native

speaker of the target language to have originally been written in that language,

and conforms to the language's grammatical, syntactic and idiomatic conventions. 

_________________________________________________________________________

Translates the following passage. Do not forget “Faithfulness” or “Transparency”

aspects when doing it.

José María Tijerino is in a precarious situation. His birth country, Nicaragua, is accused of

“invading” his adopted Costa Rica, where he holds the office of public security minister. That means he’s in charge of protecting Costa Rica from Nicaragua should the dispute escalate along the Río San Juan. While the conflict with Nicaragua has tested Tijerino’s allegiance to the country that pays his salary, his political actions in recent weeks have caused many Ticos to wonder if he truly understands their country’s proud and historical nonmilitary stance. Earlier this month, Tijerino announced that Costa Rica would take steps to boost security measures along the border, including constructing heliports at three sites near the Río San Juan, dispatching more police to the area and training a national defense team to respond to future threats.“The invading army must know that if they keep doing what they’ve been doing so far, there is a force that will be there to confront them,”

Tijerino said, cautiously referring to Nicaraguan troops on the disputed Isla Calero, near the mouth of the Río San Juan, without mentioning them by name. 

_______________________________________________________

Translation problems

Translation is inherently a difficult activity. Translators can face problems which make the

process even more difficult, such as: 

Problems with the text 

The source text not being the final text, and being redrafted during the translation

process 

 Illegible text 

 Misspelt text 

 Incomplete text 

 Poorly written text 

 Missing references in the text (e.g. the translator is to translate captions to missing

photos) 

Language problems 

 Dialect terms and neologisms 

 Unexplained acronyms and abbreviations 

 Unreasonably obscure jargon 

 Other 

Translation is a challenging activity and there are few difficulties that appear during translation process so every language describes the world in different way and has its own grammar structure, grammar rules and syntax variance. During this process, the following are the most particular problems:

·         Problems of ambiguity: these originate from structural and lexical differences between languages and multiword units like idioms and collocations.

·         Problems of grammar: there are several constructions of grammar with rules that are poorly understood.

·         Problems of language: these include idiom terms and neologisms, slang difficult to understand, respect to punctuation conventions and proper name of people, organizations and places.

·         Problems of source text: These are illegible text, spell incorrectly.

It can easily be seen that languages differ from one to another in terms of many ways and not just in grammar subjects. For example, small words are hard to translate and the meaning of common words depends on context. Besides, some words are untranslatable when one wishes to remain in the same grammatical category that is why translators face up with many problems.

Another problem is that translators have a hard time to convey the same meaning to the other languages, for example: Translations of literature, poems and songs are impossible to express their same meanings in another language. So these texts need to be familiar with the two languages, translation process is not only to translate the words, but also to find ones that rhyme as well.

Keep in mind, lack of vocabulary knowledge cause certain problems for those reason translators need an in-depth knowledge of two languages to translate advanced texts and avoid using dictionary that many times make this process very boring. The last problem is that translators will encounter complex grammar structures that they must interpret correctly.

The most hazardous part of literal translations is regional variations of definition. The same word can mean a dozen different things in any given language. Or one thing can have a dozen different words for it. We call a pack of cigarettes a pack of cigarettes. Western Canadians call it a deck of smokes. Try this sometime, if you can get three or four people of different generations its even better, lay a dollar bill on the table and have everyone think of all the different names theyve ever heard for it. You'll be surprised. Buck, single, one, greenback, frogskin, etc etc etc. Now, think of someone new to English hearing "I don't give a rats - - -" They might ask why anyone would give that part of a rat. And what is the value, symbolic or monetary of a single rats patoot? The main problem is that even two people who speak the same language may not be saying the same thing. What if your translator learned his English in Hong Kong or Calcutta or Dublin?

Techniques to overcome translation problems

There are certain techniques to eliminate translation problems, such as: back translation, consultation and collaboration with other people and pre-testing or piloting such as interviews.

• Back translation: one of the most common techniques used to look for equivalents through:
• The translation of items from the source language to the target language.
• Independent translation of these back into the source language.

It can be helpful to identify semantic errors in translations but in some cases back translation create new problems and spend time-consuming procedure, and it might require more than one person (or a dictionary) to achieve good results.

• Consultation with other people: It involves discussions about the use and meaning of words with bilingual people around a table to make decisions about the best terms to use.
• Interviews or questionnaires or any kind of tests: these are used to eliminate translation-related problems.

For many translators, combining some of the above techniques is the best and most efficient way to deal with translation problems because when using multiple methods, the weakness of one method can be supplied by the strengths of another technique.

Specialized types of translation

Any type of written text can be a candidate for translation, however, the translation

industry is often categorized by a number of specializations. Each of these specializations

has its own challenges and difficulties. An incomplete list of these specializations includes: 

Administrative translation, Commercial translation, Computer translation, Economic

translation, Financial translation, General translation, Legal translation, Literary

translation, Medical translation, Pedagogical translation, Pharmaceutical translation,

Scientific translation, Scholarly translation, Technical translation.

TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES

Direct Translation Techniques

Direct Translation Techniques are used when structural and conceptual elements of the

source language can be transposed into the target language. Direct translation techniques

include:

 Borrowing

 Calque

 Literal Translation

Borrowing Translation

Borrowing is the taking of words directly from one language into another without

translation. Many English words are "borrowed" into other languages; for example

software in the field of technology and funk in culture. English also borrows numerous

words from other languages; abbatoire, café, passé and résumé from French; hamburger

and kindergarten from German; bandana, musk and sugar from Sanskrit. Many of the other words borrowed from eastern countries during the Middle Ages were the names of products (Arabic lemon, Persian musk, Semitic cinnamon, Chinese silk) and placenames (like damask, from Damascus).  

Borrowed words are often printed in italics when they are considered to be "foreign".

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List as many borrowing words you know are used in Spanish as you can:

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Calque Translation (also Known As: "Loan translation" in English, calco in Spanish.)

A calque or loan translation is a phrase borrowed from another language and translated literally word-for-word. You often see them in specialized or internationalized fields such as quality assurance (aseguramiento de calidad, assurance qualité taken from English). Examples that have been absorbed into English include standpoint and beer garden from German Standpunkt and Biergarten; breakfast from French déjeuner (which now means lunch in Europe, but maintains the same meaning of breakfast in Québec). Some calques can become widely accepted in the target language (such as standpoint, beer garden and breakfast and Spanish peso mosca and Casa Blanca from English flyweight and White House). The meaning other calques can be rather obscure for most people, especially

when they relate to specific vocations or subjects such as science and law. Solución de

compromiso is a Spanish legal term taken from the English compromise solution and

although Spanish attorneys understand it, the meaning is not readily understood by the

layman. An unsuccessful calque can be extremely unnatural, and can cause unwanted

humor, often interpreted as indicating the lack of expertise of the translator in the target

language.

Examples:

Another English calque from Spanish is "moment of truth," from el momento de la verdad, a bullfighting term. Examples of Spanish calques from English include hombre rana ("frogman"), alto el fuego ("cease-fire"), lavaplatos ("dishwasher"), luna de miel ("honeymoon"), salvaje Oeste ("wild West"), disco duro ("hard disk") and banco de datos ("data bank").

Write some calques you know

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Literal Translation

A word-for-word translation can be used in some languages and not others dependent on

the sentence structure: El equipo está trabajando para terminar el informe would

translate into English as The team is working to finish the report. Sometimes it works and

sometimes it does not. For example, the Spanish sentence above could not be translated

into French or German using this technique because the French and German sentence

structures are different. And because one sentence can be translated literally across

languages does not mean that all sentences can be translated literally. El equipo

experimentado está trabajando para terminar el informe translates into English as The

experienced team is working to finish the report ("experienced" and "team" are reversed).

Write sentences that can be translated without changing anything of both sentences

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OBLIQUE TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES

Oblique Translation Techniques are used when the structural or conceptual elements of

the source language cannot be directly translated without altering meaning or upsetting

the grammatical and stylistics elements of the target language.

Oblique translation techniques include:

 Transposition

 Modulation

 Reformulation or Equivalence

 Adaptation

 Compensation

Transposition Translation

This is the process where parts of speech change their sequence when they are translated

(blue ball becomes boule bleue in French). It is in a sense a shift of word class.

Grammatical structures are often different in different languages. He likes swimming

translates as Er schwimmt gern in German. Transposition is often used between English

and Spanish because of the preferred position of the verb in the sentence: English often

has the verb near the beginning of a sentence; Spanish can have it closer to the end. This

requires that the translator knows that it is possible to replace a word category in the

target language without altering the meaning of the source text, for example: English

Hand knitted (noun + participle) becomes Spanish Tejido a mano (participle + adverbial

phrase).

 

 Change the sentences and point out its changes

 La equipo ganador celebro su triunfo: ________________________________________

 La calle de Guatemala: ____________________________________________________

 El bestial animal ataco a los asustados jóvenes: _________________________________________________________________________

 Cuando llegue allá, no había nadie en la casa sola: _________________________________________________________________________

 No llego nadie a la competencia: ____________________________________________

Modulation Translation

Modulation consists of using a phrase that is different in the source and target languages

to convey the same idea: Te lo dejo means literally I leave it to you but translates better asYou can have it. It changes the semantics and shifts the point of view of the source

language. Through modulation, the translator generates a change in the point of view of

the message without altering meaning and without generating a sense of awkwardness in

the reader of the target text. It is often used within the same language. The expressions esfácil de entender (it is easy to understand) and no es complicado de entender (it is not

complicated to understand) are examples of modulation. Although both convey the same

meaning, it is easy to understand simply conveys "easiness" whereas it is not complicated

to understand implies a previous assumption of difficulty that we are denying by asserting

it is not complicated to understand. This type of change of point of view in a message is

what makes a reader say: "Yes, this is exactly how we say it in our language".

Change these phrases into TL –like-phrases without losing their meaning

 No quiero nada __________________________________________________________

 Es facil de mostrar________________________________________________________

 No quiere ayudarme? _____________________________________________________

 Yo le ama, pero el no me ama _______________________________________________

Reformulation or Equivalence Translation

Here you have to express something in a completely different way, for example when

translating idioms or advertising slogans. The process is creative, but not always easy.

Would you have translated the movie The Sound of Music into Spanish as La novicia

rebelde (The Rebellious Novice in Latin America) or Sonrisas y lágrimas (Smiles and Tears in Spain)?

Match the movie name in English and its reformulation in Spanish 

1) Un sueño imposible	(        )	a) Desde mi cielo
2) Law abiding citizen	(        )	b) Origen
3) Inception	(        )	c) En tierra hostil
4) Due date	(        )	d) A blind side
5) Kick ass	(        )	e) Incredible pero falso
6) The hurt locker	(        )	f) Listo para machacar
7) The invention of lying	(        )	g) Un ciudadano ejemplar
8) The lovely bones	(        )	h) Salidos de cuentas

1= d ,    2 = g ,    3 = b ,    4 =h,    5 = f,    6 = c,    7 = e, and   8= a

  

Adaptation Translation

Adaptation occurs when something specific to one language culture is expressed in a

totally different way that is familiar or appropriate to another language culture. It is a shift

in cultural environment. Should pincho (a Spanish restaurant menu dish) be translated as

kebab in English? It involves changing the cultural reference when a situation in the source

culture does not exist in the target culture (for example France has Belgian jokes and

England has Irish jokes).

Look for adaptations to the following words

Empanadas=_________________________    Bocas=________________________

Tacos de futbol=______________________    Media naranja=__________________

Chiles (chistes)Rojos=__________________    Canas del pelo=__________________

Tomar una decisión=__________________    “rayos”=________________________

Compensation Translation

In general terms compensation can be used when something cannot be translated, and

the meaning that is lost is expressed somewhere else in the translated text. Peter Fawcett

defines it as: "...making good in one part of the text something that could not be

translated in another". For example, many languages have two forms of the second

person pronoun, namely an informal form and a formal form. This is known as T-V

distinction, found in French (tu vs. vous), Spanish (tú/vos vs. usted), Russian (ты vs. вы),

Dutch (jij vs. u), Bengali (aapni vs. tumi vs. tui) and German (du vs. Sie), for example, but

not contemporary English. Hence, to translate a text from one of these languages to

English, the translator may have to compensate by using a first name or nickname, or by

using syntactic phrasing that are viewed as informal in English (I'm, you're, gonna,

dontcha, etc.), or by using English words of the formal and informal registers, to preserve

the level of formality.

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Translate this passage, compensate some words carefully

Usted comprende la importancia del respeto al dirigirse con otras personas. Si vos tenés la

intención de hablar con alguien de tu edad, habla con ellos sin problema. 

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As Louise M. Haywood from the University of Cambridge puts it, "we have to remember

that translation is not just a movement between two languages but also between two

cultures. Cultural transposition is present in all translation as degrees of free textual

adaptation departing from maximally literal translation, and involves replacing items

whose roots are in the source language culture with elements that are indigenous to the

target language. The translator exercises a degree of choice in his or her use of indigenous

features, and, as a consequence, successful translation may depend on the translator's

command of cultural assumptions in each language in which he or she works".

If you are interested in reading further on the subject, please refer to Peter Fawcett,

Translation and Language, St. Jerome, Manchester, 1997 (especially Chapter 4 on

Translation Techniques).

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Activities: translate the following text. Take into account all aspects discussed before. 

Me llamo Jonathan Ballestero Mejía y mi correo es "jonabm1980@costarricense.cr"

Soy un fiel oyente del Manicomio desde hace muchos años, manejo bus y por lo tanto

tengo la oportunidad de escuchar el programa a diario y completo. A mi gusto el mejor

humorista del programa es Rigoberto seguido por Kawas y Alejandro Quirós. Son buenos y

es indiscutible que "medfor" "gallina" y "Karoline" son rajadísimos, "Cástulo" es buenísimo y "scorpio" genial, según mi gusto "enemilson" y "chito pitt" no son tan buenos; el primero porque solo playadas y no cambia la hablada de siempre y el segundo porque no

es tan gracioso. "Tina" y "beto" son muy buenos personajes y complementan

formidablemente con los demás, aportan muy buen humor y ya uno como oyente se

identifica con ellos. Pero el que no sé que hace ahí es Alex Costa, no discuto que sea un

profesional y que además sea una excelente persona, pero sus personajes son un total

relleno sin gracia ni espontaneidad. El tal "elton" es un paquetazo, salió de un personaje

que él hacía en teatro y que causaba mucha gracia, pero que a la hora de tenerlo frente a

un micrófono se convierte en un segundón a la par de los personajes de sus compañeros y

sus únicas y casi escasas ocurrencias graciosas son relativas a un personaje homosexual. El

tal "pipique" es de los personajes mas tontos y sin gracia que algún humorista tico haya

inventado, no aporta humor para nada y sobresale su falta de creatividad; esto se hace

muy evidente si notan que lo único que hace es hacerle segundas a los temas y

comentarios de sus compañeros pero de una forma absurda y fastidiosa. Su otro

personaje (y él mismo lo deja ver cuando lo critican) es el tal papá de "wendy" en los

"Valesa" y de este mejor no comento nada (solo basta con oirlo) porque es tan

insignificante que no hay nada para comentar sobre eso. Ya para terminar, pongan

cuidado y verán que "goripiño" siempre llega tarde al programa y no se nota para nada,

pero si solo dejamos a Carlos (que es buenísimo) con Alex Costa notarán que

practicamente el aporte de humor fluye y corre por las ocurrencias de Carlos, que por su

experiencia sabe como entretener al público con solo hablar, porque "juanka" en

un "humorista radial" que lamentablemente no causa gracia (aunque en teatro es bueno).

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So, What's the Difference?

Translators work with written texts and interpreters work with live, spoken language. You

don't hire an interpreter to give you an English version of a Spanish document. You don't

hire a translator to attend a conference, hook up some headphones and a microphone

and render one spoken language into another -- live (known as simultaneous interpreting).

An interpreter must listen to both languages at a quick, sometimes even feverish pace, and speak in both directions as well. Interpreters have to be quick on their feet and translate a large amount of information over a short period of time.

Translators, on the other hand, have more time to create the translation over a longer time frame. On the downside, however, they are not allowed the same leeway for mistakes as an interpreter.

Translators have to have a vast vocabulary, good writing skills and a fluency to write in the desired language. This is why there is a tendency to write from the secondary language to the native language, but this is not always so. Symmetrical bilingualism is rare, but that is a subject of another article.

The term and the concept of "interpreting".

Language interpretation is the facilitating of oral or sign-language communication, either

simultaneously or consecutively, between users of different languages. The process is

described by both the words interpreting and interpretation.

Interpreting happens whenever two people or two groups of people do not share a common language but need to or want to communicate with each other in order to conduct business or share information and ideas. When people who are deaf (and who use sign language) and people who are not deaf (and who use a spoken language) want or need to talk to one another, that’s when interpreters do their work.

An interpreter is a person who converts a thought or expression in a source language into

an expression with a comparable meaning in a target language in "real time". The

interpreter's function is to convey every semantic element (tone and register) and every

intention and feeling of the message that the source-language speaker is directing to

target-language recipients.

Interpreters must understand the meanings and intentions expressed in one language (the source language) and then express those meanings and intentions in the other language (the target language). In order to do this, interpreters have to have a high level of fluency in each language. Most of the time interpreters work simultaneously, which means expressing what someone just said while at the same time focusing on what someone is saying right now. Sometimes interpreters work consecutively, which means listening until someone has completed an idea and then interpreting that idea. Interpreters also have to follow a professional Code of Conduct; one of its most important tenets is to maintain confidentiality. This means keeping private whatever happens in the interactions that are interpreted.

Interpreting is a very challenging and rewarding career especially for those who enjoy the way languages work, enjoy the way that people use language to get things done and enjoy playing an important role in helping people interact with each other.

Modes when Interpreting

Simultaneous Interpreting Mode

Interpreting while the delegate is speaking

The interpreter works in a soundproofed booth with at least one colleague. The speaker in the meeting room speaks into a microphone, the interpreter receives the sound through a headset and renders the message into a microphone almost simultaneously. The delegate in the meeting room selects the relevant channel to hear the interpretation in the language of his/her choice.

In (extempore) simultaneous interpretation (SI), the interpreter renders the message in the target-language as quickly as he or she can formulate it from the source language, while the source-language speaker continuously speaks; a spoken language SI interpreter, sitting in a sound-proof booth, speaks into a microphone, while clearly seeing and hearing the source-language speaker via earphones. The simultaneous interpretation is rendered to the target-language listeners via their earphones. Moreover, SI is the common mode used by sign language interpreters, although the person using the source language, the interpreter and the target language recipient (since either the hearing person or the deaf person may be delivering the message) must necessarily be in close proximity. 

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Activity: sit in trios, one reads the following information in Spanish, another person

translates into English. The third person would check if the translation is acceptable.

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Bienvenido a Costa Rica ! Localizada en América Central rodeado

por el océano Pacífico y el mar Caribe, es un lugar mágico.

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Costa Rica se caracteriza por la impresionante belleza de sus paisajes y sus maravillosas

áreas protegidas.

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Clima: El clima de Costa Rica es agradable todo el año, con más calor en las zonas costeras.

Las temperaturas en las zonas montañosas no son frías , especialmente durante el día,

dando una sensación de "eterna primavera". La temperatura promedio anual ronda entre

los 31.7°C en la costa a los 16.7°C en el interior. La época lluviosa (o "verde") va de mayo a noviembre, con casi nulas lluvias de diciembre hasta abril.

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El país: Costa Rica se caracteriza por su belleza escénica impresionante, su sistema ya

consolidado de áreas protegidas, la estabilidad social y política, alto nivel educativo y

eficiencia y calidad de sus servicios.

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Todo esto se ofrece en un territorio de sólo 51 mil kilómetros cuadrados, rodeado por los

océanos Atlántico y Pacífico, separados por apenas tres horas en vehículo o 45 minutos

por avión.

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Turismo: El hecho de que Costa Rica recibe más de un millón de turistas por año, no es

casualidad. Nuestro país, localizado en América Central, es un lugar que parece que ha

sido creado en forma mágica. Mientras sólo cubre el 0,03% de la superficie total del

planeta, alberga aproximadamente un 6% de la biodiversidad mundial.

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Consecutive Interpreting Mode

Interpreting after the speaker has finished.

In consecutive interpreting (CI), the interpreter speaks after the source-language speaker

has finished speaking. The speech is divided into segments, and the interpreter sits or stands beside the source-language speaker, listening and taking notes as the speaker progresses through the message. When the speaker pauses or finishes speaking, the interpreter then renders a portion of the message or the entire message in the target language. Consecutively-interpreted speeches, or segments of them, tend to be short. Fifty years ago, the CI interpreter would render speeches of 20 or 30 minutes; today, 10 or 15 minutes is considered too long, particularly since audiences usually prefer not to sit through 20 minutes of speech they cannot understand.

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Now change roles. Then one person reads and pauses, the other person translates part

by part. 

History

Costa Rica was inhabited by an estimated 400,000 Indians when Columbus explored it in

1502. The Spanish conquest began in 1524. The region grew slowly and was administered

as a Spanish province. 

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In 2000, Costa Rica and Nicaragua resolved a long-standing dispute over navigation of the

San Juan River, which forms their shared border.

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In May 2003, several national strikes took place, by energy and telecommunications

workers over privatization and by teachers over their salaries. 

Whispered Interpreting Mode

Whispered Simultaneous Interpreting

The interpreter is seated or standing among the delegates and interprets simultaneously directly into the ear of the delegates.

Whispered interpretation can be used only for very few delegates sitting or standing close together. It is used mainly in bilateral meetings or in groups where only a few delegates do not share a common language.

Whispering is often used instead of consecutive in order to save time. Sometimes, the whispering interpreter will use a headphone in order to get the best possible sound from the original speaker.

In whispered interpreting (chuchotage, in French), the interpreter sits or stands next to the small target-language audience while whispering a simultaneous interpretation of the matter to hand; this method requires no equipment, but may be done via a microphone and headphones if the participants prefer. Chuchotage is used in circumstances where the majority of a group speaks the source language, and a minority  (ideally no more than three people) do not speak it.

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Now a person read a passage. The rest of the class sits in pairs, one person translate to

the other what the lecturer is reading.

LA CLAVE DEL EXITO

¿Es usted de las personas que ha soñado con descubrir la clave del éxito?

Quizás ud. sea una de las muchas personas a las que nunca nadie le ha enseñado como tener éxito en su vida y seguramente es por eso que hasta ahora no lo ha logrado... ó ha escuchado de la clave del éxito, pero no sabe como ponerla en práctica. 

En cualquier caso, no se preocupe, es normal no conocer la clave del éxito ni saber como

ponerla en práctica, porque ese tema no se enseña en las escuelas ni en las universidades.

Si los padres no lo saben, tampoco se lo pueden enseñar a sus hijos.

Si la gente que le rodea está viviendo en el fracaso, seguramente tampoco lo conocen y

por lo tanto es imposible que puedan transmitírselo.

Entonces, quienes conocen esos principios son obviamente los que tienen éxito. Sin embargo aquellos que gozan de un éxito permanente muchas veces no están dispuestos a enseñarles a otros. Algunos sí están dispuestos, pero no hay fracasados que pregunten o quieran aprender. 

Lo incongruente es que los fracasados se creen inteligentes, listos y hasta sabios; entonces... ¡¡cómo uno que se cree sabio va a pedir consejos ó ayuda, si ya lo sabe todo!!

En pocas palabras: la mayoría de la gente no sabe cuál es la clave del éxito, por eso la mayoría fracasa. Sólo el 5% de la gente alcanza el éxito; el 95% permanece en el fracaso.

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Relay Interpreting Mode

Interpreting between two languages via a third

When a delegate speaks in a language not covered by an interpreter in an active language booth, this booth can "connect" (audio link) to another booth that does cover this language and "take the relay" of that. The interpreter works via another language without a perceptible loss of quality.

Relay interpreting is usually used when there are several target languages. A source language interpreter interprets the text to a language common to every interpreter, who then render the message to their respective target languages. For example, a Japanese source message first is rendered to English to a group of interpreters, who listen to the English and render the message into Arabic, French, and Russian, the other target languages. In heavily multilingual meetings, there may be more than one "intermediate" language, i.e. a Greek source language could be interpreted into English and then from English to other languages, and, at the same time, it may also be directly interpreted into French, and from French into yet more languages. This solution is most often used in the multilingual meetings of the EU institutions.

Liaison Interpreting Mode

Liaison interpreting involves relaying what is spoken to one, between two, or among many

people. This can be done after a short speech, or consecutively, sentence-by-sentence, or

as chuchotage (whispering); aside from notes taken at the time, no equipment is used. For example: an interpreter accompanies a person or a delegation on a tour, on a visit, or to a meeting or interview.

TYPES OF INTERPRETING

Conference Type

Conference interpreting is the interpretation of a conference, either simultaneously or consecutively, although the advent of multi-lingual meetings has consequently reduced the consecutive interpretation in the last 20 years.

Conference interpretation is divided between two markets: the institutional and private. International institutions (EU, UN, EPO, et cetera), holding multi-lingual meetings, often favour interpreting several foreign languages to the interpreters' mother tongues. Local private markets tend to bi-lingual meetings (the local language plus another) and the interpreters work both into and out of their mother tongues; the markets are not mutually exclusive.

Judicial Type

See also Legal translation. Judicial, Legal, or Court Interpreting, occurs in courts of justice,

administrative tribunals, and wherever a legal proceeding is held (i.e. a police station for

an interrogation, a conference room for a deposition or the locale for taking a sworn

statement). Legal interpreting can be the consecutive interpretation of witnesses' testimony for example, or the simultaneous interpretation of entire proceedings, by electronic means, for one person, or all of the people attending.

Depending upon the regulations and standards adhered to per state and venue, court interpreters usually work alone when interpreting consecutively, or as a team, when interpreting simultaneously. In addition to practical mastery of the source and target languages, thorough knowledge of law and legal and court procedures is required of court interpreters. They often are required to have formal authorization from the State to work in the Courts — and then are called certified court interpreters.^[4] In many jurisdictions, the interpretation is considered an essential part of the evidence. Incompetent interpretation, or simply failure to swear in the interpreter, can lead to a mistrial.

 

Escort Type

In escort interpreting, an interpreter accompanies a person or a delegation on a tour, on a visit, or to a meeting or interview. An interpreter in this role is called an escort interpreter or an escorting interpreter. This is liaison interpreting.

Medical Type

Medical interpreting is a subset of public service interpreting, consisting of communication, among medical personnel and the patient and his or her family, facilitated by an interpreter, usually formally educated and qualified to provide such interpretation services.

The medical interpreter must have a strong knowledge of medicine, common medical procedures, the patient interview, the medical examination processes, ethics, and the daily workings of the hospital or clinic where he or she works, in order to effectively serve both the patient and the medical personnel. Moreover, and very important, medical interpreters often are cultural liaisons for people (regardless of language) who are unfamiliar with or uncomfortable in hospital, clinical, or medical settings.

Public Sector Type (community interpreting)

Also known as community interpreting, is the type of interpreting occurring in fields such as legal, health, and local government, social, housing, environmental health, education, and welfare services. In community interpreting, factors exist which determine and affect language and communication production, such as speech's emotional content, hostile or polarized social surroundings, its created stress, the power relationships among participants, and the interpreter's degree of responsibility — in many cases more than extreme; in some cases, even the life of the other person depends upon the interpreter's work.

Sign language Type

When a hearing person speaks, an interpreter will render the speaker's meaning into the sign language used by the deaf party. When a deaf person signs, an interpreter will render

the meaning expressed in the signs into the spoken language for the hearing party, which is sometimes referred to as voice interpreting or voicing. This may be performed either as simultaneous or consecutive interpreting. Skilled sign language interpreters will position themselves in a room or space that allows them both to be seen by deaf participants and heard by hearing participants clearly and to see and hear participants clearly. In some circumstances, an interpreter may interpret from one sign language into an alternate sign language.

Most interpreters have had formal training, in an Interpreter Training Program (ITP). ITP lengths vary, being available as a two-year or four-year degree or certificate. There are graduate programs available as well.

Media Type

By its very nature, media interpreting has to be conducted in the simultaneous mode. It is provided particularly for live television coverages such as press conferences, live or taped

interviews with political figures, musicians, artists, sportsmen or people from the business circle. In this type of interpreting, the interpreter has to sit in a sound-proof booth where ideally he/she can see the speakers on a monitor and the set. All equipment should be checked before recording begins. In particular, satellite connections have to be double checked to ensure that the interpreter's voice is not sent back and the interpreter gets to hear only one channel at a time. In the case of interviews recorded outside the studio and some current affairs programme, the interpreter interprets what he or she hears on a TV monitor. Background noise can be a serious problem. The interpreter working for the media has to sound as slick and confident as a television presenter.

Main language and communication Interpretation problems

The main language and oral communication difficulties face by advanced students of interpretation are: memory, note-taking and listening, followed in less proportion are fidelity and unfamiliar topic.

Even memorizing a half dozen words would distract the interpreter, whose attention is already divided between listening to his own words, and those of the speaker... his memory does not store the words of the sentence delivered by the speaker, but only the meaning those words convey. (Seleskovitch, 1978, 30-31) 

Many interpreters regard consecutive as the most difficult mode of interpreting because it is so hard to retain all of these aspects of the source language message, particularly when a question or answer is very lengthy or is not entirely coherent like an unfortunate fact of life in court interpreting. Memory is such an important language and oral communication problem in interpreting specially in consecutive.

A good domain of the language or vice versa determines the performance in interpretation.

Errors inconsecutive interpretation occurs because the interpreter was not using good listening skills. For example, if one becomes bogged down in details and fail to grasp the overall meaning of a passage, that one will not be able to recall it correctly. If one is distracted by an unfamiliar word, or an emotional reaction to vulgar language or incorrect usage, that one may stop listening to the rest of the passage and will not be able to recall it accurately.

Accidental error detection: which takes place when sometimes a Segment heard in the target-language speech does not seem plausible to the listener, hence the inference that the interpreter made an error.

Note-taking, is another problem for interpreters either taking very few notes, writing down only names and numbers, or taking copious notes.

To solve some problems in interpreting:

1-The interpreter illustrates the value of focusing on keywords as an aid to memory. Whether y the interpreter writes down these words or make a mental note of them, they help organize the ideas into a meaningful structure that is easier to recall than a mere string of disjointed words.

2- The more coherent the original message, the more you can retain. If the interpreter is unfamiliar with the subject matter, he has more trouble remembering the message.

3- Some interpreters take very few notes, writing down only names and numbers, while other interpreters take copious notes.  The interpreter will find that with some speakers and some subject matter, he can make more notes than with others.

4- Interpretation quality implies the fidelity of the target-language speech, the quality of the interpreter’s linguistic output, the quality of his or her voice, the prosodic characteristics of his or her delivery.

5- The more coherent the original message, the more you can retain.

6- A good domain of the language or vice versa determines the performance in interpretation.

7- Interpretation quality implies the fidelity of the target language speech and the quality of the interpreter’s linguistic output. 

8- The speaker who addresses an audience for which interpretation has been requested must have a speech as clearly structured as possible considering a good quality of the interpreted speech which should be independent from the semantic, lexical, and emotional quality of the interpretation.  He or she should have a domain in memory, listening, and note-taking skills. Interpreter should also be familiar with the topic and transmit an accurate speech.