interpreting interpretation

xinyi1356

xinyi1356

Senior Member
Shanghai
Chinese
We usually say “translation and interpreting”? Why we can’t say translation and interpretation or translating and interpretation? What is the difference? Thank you!
 
    • Interpretation refers to the act of interpreting in a much broader sense of the verb, i.e. just coming to a conclusion about what you think something means, or presenting such a conclusion to others. Here 'interpret' is a transitive verb.

    Interpreting refers to the act of interpreting in a very precise sense, i.e. receiving aural input in one language and producing oral output in another. Here 'interpret' is usually an intransitive verb (although not always).

    Interpretation simply doesn't describe what it is that an interpreter does.
     
    Translating is the action of writing a translation. E.g. "Today I am translating a letter - my job is translating."
    A translation is a written version in another language. "This book is a translation from the French."
    Interpreting is the action of transforming spoken words into another language. "I had an interpreting job at a woodyard last week."
    An interpretation is (usually) an alternative version of a text or a viewpoint. "What's your interpretation of Canada's action in objecting to SIRTES?"

    There is a slight degree of overlap between translation and translating; there shouldn't be an overlap between translating and interpreting, but many people are ignorant.

    [Cross-posted.]
     
    Keith Bradford said:
    Interpreting is the action of transforming spoken words into another language. "I had an interpreting job at a woodyard last week."
    Click to expand...
    Dear Keith Bradford,

    When you said "another language," did you mean from one language to another, i.e. from English to Spanish? --> If this is the case, then I think "interpreting" is very similar to "translating"

    Or did you mean from spoken to written words?

    I'm not quite sure.

    Thank you in advance!
    VK
     
    VK007 said:
    ... When you said "another language," did you mean from one language to another, i.e. from English to Spanish? --> If this is the case, then I think "interpreting" is very similar to "translating". Or did you mean from spoken to written words? ...
    Click to expand...
    Its similar but not very similar. Some excellent translators can't interpret at all because they need to consider carefully and check words in a dictionary. Some excellent interpreters can't translate because they've never learnt to spell in the target language... in some cases there's not even a written form of one of the languages.

    Transferring from spoken to written words is called "taking dictation"!
     
    Did you read #3? "Interpreting is the action of transforming spoken words into another language." If you speak Thai to me, and I speak the meaning of that in English to another person, then I am interpreting Thai into English.

    (Alas, I don't know how to do that! :()
     
    Keith Bradford said:
    Some excellent interpreters can't translate because they've never learnt to spell in the target language... in some cases there's not even a written form of one of the languages.
    Click to expand...

    My doubt is that why does "translate" necessarily involve WRITING in the target language?
    In other words, why can't I ORALLY translate into the target language?

    However, according to translate verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com, I SPOKE to him through my friend who TRANSLATED from Arabic into English.
     
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