Qualifications Required for Interpreting:
The interpreter must be exceptionally fluent in the languages that he or she
interprets, and his or her speech must be free of any objectionable accent or
impediment. At the very least, the aspiring interpreter should be well and
broadly educated and almost bilingual, with a fairly long period of residence
abroad being almost indispensable. Practical experience in several specialized
fields is helpful and a knowledge of political science and economics is
important.
Knowledge of language is only one prerequisite. The other is a genuine aptitude
for interpreting, which is by no means synonymous with being bilingual. A
surprising number of bilingual persons cannot listen to a speech or a statement
in one language and then repeat clearly and precisely in another language the
ideas that have just been presented. Simultaneous interpreting requires an
additional skill of listening intently to one language while speaking another
language at the same time.
Escort Interpreting:
Escort interpreters accompany visiting delegations or individuals and interpret
for them in generally informal situations. There are more escort interpreters
than conference interpreters because more languages are in demand for escort
interpreting. The temporary assignments in this field are just as uncertain and
sporadic. Escort interpreting should not be viewed as a permanent career or as
a sole means of livelihood; while the work is extremely interesting and
educational and can be most rewarding as a contribution to international
understanding, most people eventually tire of the frequent and even constant
travel involved.
Conference Interpreting:
Opportunities in the field of conference interpreting (generally known as
simultaneous interpreting) are fairly limited. The United Nations has a staff
of some 98 interpreters, all of whom are required to know extremely well at
least two and preferably three of the UN conference languages, which are
Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. The next largest group
of interpreters in a national or international organization in the United
States (not including the Armed Forces) is in the State Department. The State
Department normally has 50 or so linguists on its interpreting and translating
staff, of whom 20 or so are primarily interpreters. The World Bank,
International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States, INTELSAT, also
hire a small number of interpreters on full-time basis in national and
international agencies. Vacancies are few and far between, with many applicants
applying for each opening.
The free-lance conference interpreting field in the United States is made up of
experienced interpreters, who compete for the opportunity of interpreting at
international conferences on scientific, economic, political, and other
subjects. Except for the very few best known and most experienced interpreters,
who are frequently multilingual rather than merely bilingual, free-lancing as a
conference interpreter is, therefore, rather an uncertain occupation.
Practically the only languages used in international conferences in the United
States are English, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
Qualifications Required for Translating:
Translators of written documents are in greater demand than interpreters in
both national and international agencies as well as in private industry. The
United Nations has 250-300 translators; the State Department has about
one-tenth that number; most international agencies and some United States
agencies have smaller translating staffs.
Most translator positions require the ability to translate from several foreign
languages into English, or to write (advertising copy; technical
specifications; or diplomatic, informal, or scientific material, for example)
in a foreign language at an educated native level. A broad background of
education and experience is required to translate documents on many diverse
subjects.
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