| Interpreting has been an integral part of business for | | | | other disciplines such as government initiative that |
| many years and never more has interpreting been | | | | require involvement from other countries as in the EU |
| needed as it has in the past two decades with | | | | for instance. Conference interpreting also covers |
| mobility in the world and the need for communication. | | | | medical, legal, environmental engineering fields to |
| Interpreting is different from translation as it deals | | | | name just a few, and therefore, it is important for |
| with the spoken word in the here and now, whilst | | | | the interpreter to have a substantial knowledge of |
| translation deals more predominantly with the written | | | | each discipline so that he/she will understand and |
| word and takes place over a period of time. | | | | translate the language that is unique to each discipline. |
| Interpreting therefore has a more specific and crucial | | | | It is usual for conference interpreters to work in |
| time dependency so that the translation of meaning | | | | pairs or in teams, particularly when there is a fast |
| may not always be accurate if the pace of the | | | | pace involving a fair amount of stress. The attendees |
| process is particularly fast. Whilst translation is | | | | of the conference will wear an earpiece or |
| generally the name used for the conversion of | | | | headphones and will listen to the interpreter. This is |
| language to language in the written word, the use of | | | | called simultaneous interpreting meaning exactly what |
| translation is used to describe what happens during | | | | it says, the interpreting is undertaken at the same |
| the course of interpreting i.e. that the interpreter is | | | | time as the person speaking and goes along with the |
| translating what is being said. | | | | pace of the conference. The drawback of this kind |
| There are various forms of interpreting from | | | | of interpreting is that, due to the pace, some |
| telephone interpreting to face to face interpreting. | | | | meaning may be lost. However, it allows the meeting |
| Telephone interpreting - this is not an ideal means of | | | | to travel at pace and does not hinder that pace. |
| communication but telephone interpreting can be | | | | Consecutive interpreting - consecutive interpreting is |
| useful as a matter of urgency. A business link from | | | | mostly face to face and involves the interpreter |
| one country to another may well use translators or | | | | listening to the speaker. He/she then relays what has |
| travel to either country for important business | | | | been said to the listener who will then reply. The |
| meetings where they are likely to use a face to face | | | | interpreter will then relay the answer to the speaker, |
| interpreter. However, this costs money and it would | | | | and so on. It is easy to see that this type of |
| not make economical sense for flights and hotel bills | | | | interpreting is time consuming. The listening skills |
| to be incurred for something which is a minor detail | | | | required for any interpreter are crucial, but in addition |
| that can be dealt with on the telephone. The | | | | to this the interpreter must have patience and be |
| interpreter will be involved in a three way | | | | prepared for the interview to take some time. Once |
| conversation and, certainly, the good listening skills all | | | | the interview commences, the interpreter is there for |
| interpreters should possess will come into play. | | | | the duration so must take into account the nature of |
| Simultaneous interpreting - simultaneous interpreting is | | | | the business to be undertaken. A preliminary |
| usually used for conference interpreting and is being | | | | discussion should take place to discuss the possible |
| widely used by most large business corporations and | | | | time limits of the interview. |