To succeed globally, South African companies need to communicate with international audiences as flawlessly as a local company. Making your English content resonate in different languages such as French, Portuguese, Spanish or German may require interpretation or translation services – or both. Both translation and interpretation are methods that allow people to communicate across language barriers. Often in the translation industry in South Africa, people think that translation and interpreting are services that can easily be done by one person. You may be surprised to learn that although translators and interpreters are sometimes used interchangeably, there are important differences between the two and that both types of work require different skills.
If you’re looking to hire a language professional in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban or Cape Town, the first question you need to ask yourself is whether you need a translator or an interpreter. Read on to find out the difference between interpretation and translation in South Africa and learn what a translator does, what an interpreter does, and how you can go about finding one or the other in South Africa.
Translator or interpreter: written text or spoken word
Let’s start with the biggest difference between translators and interpreters: translators work with written text, interpreters with spoken language. So if you’ve ever watched a foreign language film on Netflix with English subtitles, you’ve seen a translator at work. But let’s say you’re watching a foreign politician on the news and their voice is dubbed into English. Then you’re hearing the work of a professional interpreter.
Now that you know the difference, let’s take a look at what translators and interpreters do to help you find the right professional for your needs.
What does a translator do?
The translator’s job is to take the meaning of the text in the source language, such as English, and accurately convey it in the target language, such as French. Professional translators help individuals or businesses make their written content available in another language. For example, a South African project manager might ask a translator to translate the content of a project proposal from one language (English) to another (French) for a client in DRC. It’s the job of a professional translator to accurately capture the content, style, tone and form of the original text and then render it in writing in the target language. Translators need to be proficient in both the source and target languages, as well as understanding the culture, context and intended audience.
Translator tools
In the age of information technology, translators often use artificial intelligence tools to produce more output in less time. Professional translators can make the translation process easier by using machine translation tools and translation memories. Translation memories are similar to a database that contains examples, sentences and phrases in both the source and target languages based on previous translations.
What does an interpreter do?
An interpreter is a person who facilitates communication between people who speak different languages. Interpreters are trained professionals with extensive linguistic and cultural knowledge who are able to interpret conversations or speeches in real time. When an interpreter is present at a conference or meeting, he or she listens to the speaker’s words and then interprets them into the target language. The interpreter strives to convey the meaning and tone of the original message as accurately as possible. Interpreters work in a variety of settings, including conferences, webinars, legal proceedings, medical appointments, business meetings and more, acting as a conduit between the parties and ensuring that communication is as clear and accurate as possible.
To do this, they must have excellent language skills, including fluency in both languages. Interpreters must also be skilled in active listening, note-taking and the ability to convey subtleties of language and culture. Especially in simultaneous interpreting, interpreters need to be quick on their feet, have a good memory and be adept at taking notes. Within seconds, they understand, digest and convey messages in another language to audiences in spoken or signed form.
Interpreter tools
Depending on the setting, interpreters use different tools to accomplish their tasks. While consecutive interpreting is often done face-to-face, simultaneous interpreting relies heavily on technology. When interpreters work from a booth in the conference venue, they often need sound booths, headsets, etc. In modern environments, interpreters use interpreting software to stream their rendition of the speech to participants on meeting platforms such as Zoom or Teams…
Need a Reliable Translation Service Provider in South Africa? Contact Us!
Frenchside offers affordable translations services in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban or Cape Town of high quality, 100% accurate, and delivered on time. We only work with native-speaking translators located in South Africa. We give our clients the advantage of having a translation service from some of the best in the industry, translators or interpreter who are professional, highly qualified, and culturally knowledgeable, and experts in different subject matters. Chat to one of our experienced project managers on 012 348 3134 / 081 347 6060 or email us your text for a no-obligation quote – info@frenchside.co.za
