Interpreter (communication)

Interpretation or interpreting is oral translation of speech or sign from a language into another. Translation studies is the systematic study of the theory, description and application of interpretation and translation.

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 either simultaneously in "real time" or consecutively when the speaker pauses after completing one or two sentences.

The interpreter's objective is to convey every semantic element as well as tone and register and every intention and feeling of the message that the source-language speaker is directing to target-language recipients (except in summary interpretation, used sometimes in conferences)

For written speeches and lectures, sometimes the reading of pre-translated texts is used.

The terms interpretation and translation are commonly used interchangeably but are not synonymous. Interpretation describes immediate conversion of source (oral or text) orally (or by sign language), whereas translation is the conversion of source (recorded oral, sign or text) to text. The primary practical distinction is that, in translation, the translator has more time to consider the output and may access resources (dictionaries, glossaries, etc.) in that process. These ought not to be confused with transliteration which, in contrast, seeks to render the sound of one language into the script or form of another with no attendant interpretation or translation of meaning, e.g. a spoken Chinese dialect written using alphabetic characters or spoken English represented in a signed form of English, Signed Exact English, not ASL.

In a legal context, such as court interpretation, where ramifications of misinterpretation may be dire, accuracy is paramount. Teams of two or more interpreters, with one actively interpreting and the second monitoring for greater accuracy, may be deployed.

Translators have time to consider and revise each word and sentence before delivering their product to the client. While live interpretation's goal is to achieve total accuracy at all times, details of the original (source) speech can be missed and interpreters can ask for clarification from the speaker. In any language, including sign languages, when a word is used for which there is no exact match, expansion may be necessary in order to fully interpret the intended meaning of the word.

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