Moving from translation to interpreting
Thread poster: Nicholas Isard
Nicholas Isard
Nicholas Isard  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 15:45
Member (2020)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Apr 27, 2020

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone has made the move from translating to interpreting. Just out of curiosity, I have just interpreted one of the videos provided by the EU for interpreting practice (one classed as 'very advanced') and found it surprisingly easy. I've been translating full time for the past 8 years and have lived in Spain for 10. I'd say my aural comprehension of Spanish is 95%+.

Has anyone else done this? I really just ask out of interest as I h
... See more
Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone has made the move from translating to interpreting. Just out of curiosity, I have just interpreted one of the videos provided by the EU for interpreting practice (one classed as 'very advanced') and found it surprisingly easy. I've been translating full time for the past 8 years and have lived in Spain for 10. I'd say my aural comprehension of Spanish is 95%+.

Has anyone else done this? I really just ask out of interest as I have a few colleagues from university who have sat the EU and UN exams and thoroughly love it (not that I don't really enjoy translating).

Also, does anyone do both? Obviously not at an institutional level, but as a freelancer?

Cheers,
Nick

[Edited at 2020-04-27 18:41 GMT]
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Yaotl Altan
 
Angie Garbarino
Angie Garbarino  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:45
Member (2003)
French to Italian
+ ...
Phone interpretation? Apr 27, 2020

I ask because to be an interpreter in person now is not possible in most areas of the world let alone in Spain.

[Edited at 2020-04-27 18:49 GMT]


 
Liviu-Lee Roth
Liviu-Lee Roth
United States
Local time: 10:45
Romanian to English
+ ...
Angie & Nicholas, Apr 27, 2020

I do both, although I started with interpreting and about five years later I added translation. In my opinion, they complement each-other; translation improves your vocabulary, while interpretation helps you think fast in order to find the right word or sentence. I work in a very narrow, highly specialized field of criminal law doing both interp & trans. (over 25 years experience).

Considering the current situation, remote interp is widely used (telephonic, video on different apps -
... See more
I do both, although I started with interpreting and about five years later I added translation. In my opinion, they complement each-other; translation improves your vocabulary, while interpretation helps you think fast in order to find the right word or sentence. I work in a very narrow, highly specialized field of criminal law doing both interp & trans. (over 25 years experience).

Considering the current situation, remote interp is widely used (telephonic, video on different apps - Skype, Zoom, Bluejeans, just to name a few).

Stay healthy,
lee
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Angie Garbarino
 
Natalia Potashnik
Natalia Potashnik  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:45
English to Russian
+ ...
Certification Apr 27, 2020

You will be asked to provide certificates that you successfully completed an interpretation course. Interpreting is different from translation where experience is often a substitute for formal education.

I do both. It is phone interpreting, of course. Did 2 online courses - community and medical interpreting. The agencies that I work for also asked me to take their own tests before hiring me.

By the way, real life interpreting is not easy but it is a separate topic.... See more
You will be asked to provide certificates that you successfully completed an interpretation course. Interpreting is different from translation where experience is often a substitute for formal education.

I do both. It is phone interpreting, of course. Did 2 online courses - community and medical interpreting. The agencies that I work for also asked me to take their own tests before hiring me.

By the way, real life interpreting is not easy but it is a separate topic.

[Edited at 2020-04-27 20:14 GMT]
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Lingua 5B
Lingua 5B  Identity Verified
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 15:45
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
You tested your skill by interpreting a video? Apr 28, 2020

Have you ever done any interpreting in a real situation, it’s much different than simulated situation. Are you talking about consecutive or simultaneous?

Angie Garbarino
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:45
Member (2008)
Italian to English
The other way Apr 28, 2020

Nicholas Isard wrote:

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone has made the move from translating to interpreting. Just out of curiosity, I have just interpreted one of the videos provided by the EU for interpreting practice (one classed as 'very advanced') and found it surprisingly easy. I've been translating full time for the past 8 years and have lived in Spain for 10. I'd say my aural comprehension of Spanish is 95%+.

Has anyone else done this? I really just ask out of interest as I have a few colleagues from university who have sat the EU and UN exams and thoroughly love it (not that I don't really enjoy translating).

Also, does anyone do both? Obviously not at an institutional level, but as a freelancer?

Cheers,
Nick


I did it the opposite way: moving from interpreting to translating. For many years I did both, working in my profession as an architect in Italy and the UK, on large complex projects involving different disciplinary teams in technical discussions and contractual negotiations. I found the interpreting work very stressful because I was doing it in both directions (Italian/English/Italian) whilst also acting as part of the architecture team. Interpreting in both directions means that you are speaking continuously without a pause, switching from one language to the other. It was very stressful and often went on all day.

As soon as the opportunity arose, I extricated myself from interpreting and decided to focus on translating only. Much better.

[Edited at 2020-04-28 07:45 GMT]


Angie Garbarino
 
Lingua 5B
Lingua 5B  Identity Verified
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 15:45
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
Very bad management. Apr 28, 2020

Tom in London wrote:

Nicholas Isard wrote:

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone has made the move from translating to interpreting. Just out of curiosity, I have just interpreted one of the videos provided by the EU for interpreting practice (one classed as 'very advanced') and found it surprisingly easy. I've been translating full time for the past 8 years and have lived in Spain for 10. I'd say my aural comprehension of Spanish is 95%+.

Has anyone else done this? I really just ask out of interest as I have a few colleagues from university who have sat the EU and UN exams and thoroughly love it (not that I don't really enjoy translating).

Also, does anyone do both? Obviously not at an institutional level, but as a freelancer?

Cheers,
Nick


I did it the opposite way: moving from interpreting to translating. For many years I did both, working in my profession as an architect in Italy and the UK, on large complex projects involving different disciplinary teams in technical discussions and contractual negotiations. I found the interpreting work very stressful because I was doing it in both directions (Italian/English/Italian) whilst also acting as part of the architecture team. Interpreting in both directions means that you are speaking continuously without a pause, switching from one language to the other. It was very stressful and often went on all day.

As soon as the opportunity arose, I extricated myself from interpreting and decided to focus on translating only. Much better.

[Edited at 2020-04-28 07:45 GMT]


Who managed your interpreting flows? A consecutive interpreter should have a pause each 30-45 mins while simul. interpreters switch each 20-25 minutes, and they always work in pairs. To me it sounds like you were doing simul. whispering by the way you described it. It seems somebody was saving money as in that case two interpreters should have been used.

Unfortunately, these kinds of situations are common. Clients rarely provide briefing in advance, they come unprepared, they do not adjust their speech pace to a meeting run through an interpreter, etc etc. That's why I said a real situation is different to interpreting a simulated training video.

[Edited at 2020-04-28 13:28 GMT]


Liviu-Lee Roth
 


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