proposta de traballo "work areas for translators and interpreters"

Translators and interpreters can work in the public sector (as national, European or international civil servants), in the private sector (as employees of commercial companies, translation agencies, etc.) and in community groups and voluntary organisations.

Translators and interpreters either work in-house as salaried employees or are self-employed as freelances. It is also possible to work as both a translator and an interpreter.

There are many types of translation: 'general', financial, legal, technical (medical, scientific, computers, etc.), literary, marketing material, news reports.

Translation does not always mean writing out the full text. Translators are often asked to produce written summaries of long documents or to give a quick verbal translation, so that the client can identify which passages in a lengthy document need translating word for word, or just get the general gist of the text.

Web translation is increasingly important in today's multimedia society. Texts for the web must be short, easy to read and drafted in a web-friendly style. Web translation often involves editing the original text.

Not to mention ... film subtitles, adverts, patents, software and computer games, cartoon strips.

The translator's job often involves other skills too, such as revision and editing, project management, prospecting for business and the ability to manage a company.

Conference interpreters are trained for three main types of work:

Consecutive interpreting: the interpreter sits with the delegates, listens to the speech and renders it at the end, in a different language, generally with the aid of notes. Although nowadays consecutive interpreting has been largely replaced by simultaneous, it is still useful for certain kinds of meetings (working lunches, field trips, etc.).

Simultaneous interpreting: the interpreter works in a sound-proofed booth with at least one colleague. The speaker in the meeting room talks into a microphone, and the interpreter listens in through a headset and repeats the message into a microphone almost simultaneously. The delegates in the meeting room select the channel offering the language of their choice.

Whispering: this is a form of simultaneous interpreting in which the interpreter sits (or stands) between the delegates and interprets directly into the listener's ear, in most cases without using any form of interpreting equipment.

Conference interpreters have to work in all kinds of situations: committees and conferences, discussions between heads of state, prime ministers, etc., business meetings and trade

negotiations.

Interpreters are often called into courts, hospitals, police stations, immigration offices, etc. This is known as 'public service interpreting'. In many countries it requires special qualifications because of the highly sensitive nature of the work. The Interpretation DG is currently looking at training needs for legal interpreters.

Sign-language interpreting: at conferences and meetings, interpreting between spoken languages and sign languages, used by the hearing-impaired community all over the world, is usually provided in simultaneous mode.

Not to mention ... TV and radio interviews, internet chats, videoconferences.

NOTE: ‘conference interpreter’ is a job title indicating a high level of skill. Conference interpreters don’t just work at conferences – they’re trained to work in all kinds of situations.

extract and picture from Translation and interpreting: Languages in action (2009) European Commission, pp. 10-11