Tikrit University

College of Arts
Translation Department
M.A 1st semester
Interpretation

What we mean by simultaneous and what are the

similarities and differences between simultaneous and
translation

Prepared by

( Ahmed Jasim Irmaidh)

submitted to:

Prof. Dr. Ali Sulaiman Al Dulaimi

2021- 2022
 Introduction

Simultaneous interpreting is a mode of interpreting in which

the speaker makes a speech and the interpreter reformulates the
speech into a language his audience understands at the same
time (or simultaneously). Simultaneous interpreters work in an
interpreting booth (though they may also be using a bidule
(portable interpretation equipment without a booth) or
whispering

Translation is a mental activity in which a meaning of given

linguistic discourse is rendered from one language to another. It
is the act of transferring the linguistic entities from one language
in to their equivalents in to another language. Translation is an
act through which the content of a text is transferred from the
source language in to the target language (Foster, 1958). The
language to be translated is called the source language (SL),
whereas the language to be translated into or arrived at is called
the target language (TL). The translator needs to have good
knowledge of both the source and the target language, in
addition to a high linguistic sensitivity as he should transmit the
writer's intention, original thoughts and opinions in the
translated version as precisely and faithfully as possible

History of simultaneous interpretation

Simultaneous interpretation is one of the newest types of

translation, appearing only in the 1920s. Credit for the invention
of simultaneous interpretation is given to American
businessman Edward Filene. The earliest equipment for
simultaneous interpretation (microphones, earphones and
switching equipment) was manufactured by IBM.

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In the USSR, simultaneous interpretation was first employed in
1928 at the 6th Comintern Congress.
In the U.S., President Eisenhower’s interpreter Leon Dostert
pioneered the development of simultaneous interpretation
technology. In 1946, he organized a demonstration of the
technique at a UN meeting. This new approach became widely
popular due to its efficiency. Later, all the UN bodies switched
over from consecutive to simultaneous interpretation. The
Security Council is the only UN body in which both consecutive
and simultaneous interpretation are used.
The real need for simultaneous interpretation became evident
during the Nuremberg Trials in 1945-1946, in which the
English, French, Russian and German languages were used.
Simultaneous interpretation not only significantly reduced the
time needed for the trials, but also improved the accuracy of the
translations.
The 1960s heralded in-depth studies of simultaneous
interpretation theory and practice, which made it possible to
develop a technological base, one of the fundamentals for a
well-arranged event that employs interpreters. Intellectual and
economic progress, which is conducive to global business
expansion, destined the dynamic development of simultaneous
interpretation services, both on a national and global scale.

Early History of Translation

The word ‘translation’ comes from a Latin term which means

“to bring or carry across”. Another relevant term comes from the
Ancient Greek word of ‘metaphrasis’ which means “to speak
across” and from this, the term ‘metaphrase’ was born, which
means a “word-for-word translation”. These terms have been at
the heart of theories relating to translation throughout history
and have given insight into when and where translation have
been used throughout the ages.

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It is known that translation was carried out as early as the
Mesopotamian era when the Sumerian poem, Gilgamesh, was
translated into Asian languages. This dates back to around the
second millennium BC. Other ancient translated works include
those carried out by Buddhist monks who translated Indian
documents into Chinese. In later periods, Ancient Greek texts
were also translated by Roman poets and were adapted to create
developed literary works for entertainment. It is known that
translation services were utilised in Rome by Cicero and Horace
and that these uses were continued through to the 17th century,
where newer practices were developed.
It is argued that the knowledge and findings of Greek academics
was developed and understood so widely thanks to the
translation work of Arabic scholars. When the Greeks were
conquered, their works were taken in by Arabic scholars who
translated them and created their own versions of the scientific,
entertainment and philosophical understandings. These Arabic
versions were later translated into Latin, during the Middle
Ages, mostly throughout Spain and the resulting works provided
the foundations of Renaissance academics.

Similarities between simultaneous interpretation and

translation

1 - The language:
Both the translator and the interpreter deal with two different
languages which are the source language and the target
language.

2 - The message:
Both translation and simultaneous interpretation role is to
overcome the language barrier between people by conveying a
message, content or meaning by translating words and the entire
context from one language to another, so that this
communication can take place.

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3 - Qualifications and skills:
Although both translation and interpretation are two different
linguistic fields in the nature of performance and practice, both
require a degree of professional qualifications, skills and
experience that cannot be waived.

Differences between simultaneous interpretation and

translation

1 - Translation focuses on written content:

First, let's define both terms:

Translation: a written transfer of the meaning of a foreign text.

simultaneous interpretation: oral transmission of the meaning of
a foreign speech. Language consists of both written and oral
components and each translation of the two previous types
focuses on a single component, translators focus on written
content and an understanding of the cultural norms of relevant
societies, while interpreters focus on conversation and broad
linguistic knowledge.

2 - Translation is not simultaneous translation

When a translator begins translating content, he or she will use a
professional translation application, and a series of reference
books before beginning the exact transfer process. Translators
use their knowledge and research to understand the cultural and
linguistic differences of the source target countries so that they
can write a better translation, and of course this process takes
much longer than the time of the interpreter, who conveys the
meaning of the speech instantly.

3 - Translators do not have to be fluent in their second language

Translators usually translate into their mother tongue, and they

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are not required to draw upon a wealth of vocabulary for
interpretation, and although they are not fully proficient in
speaking the second language, they often write better than native
speakers, and interpreters must have perfect fluency in
conversations.

4 - Translations require more accuracy.

Think about your oral and written sentence structure, and there
is a
possibility that your oral structure is grammatically incorrect.
Effective oral communication does not require the same
grammatical accuracy as written communication, and the same
principle applies to interpreters and translators.
Interpreters instantly translate phrases and expressions between
two languages, leaving plenty of room for inaccuracies,
Otherwise, translators have more time to analyze the text and
search for the best transfer of meaning, and as a result, written
translations tend to be more accurate than simultaneous
translations.

5 - Translators do not attend live events.

If you have ever watched an international hearing, you may
have noticed that there are politicians who wear headphones and
professionals who speak quickly. These people are interpreters,
not translators; You will most likely find interpreters at
conferences, business meetings, courtrooms, and police stations.
It is in these places that interpreters are essential to successful
communication and the perfect completion of the work.

Professionals written translation do not attend live events, but

you will find them in quiet offices, surrounded by references
and professional translation applications, and they are not in the
field to be a bridge for direct communication, but their written
copies act as an indirect means of communication that connects
them to a wider audience.

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6 - Translators use a cultural knowledge base
Translators may use a dictionary to find suitable terms during
the translation process, while the interpreter is close to
memorizing the dictionary, and this linguistic knowledge helps
him to perform his knowledge much more quickly.

Rather than studying vocabulary, translators are likely to study

differences in written style or cultural implications of particular
symbols; In order to obtain a high-quality translation that
renders the original work its due with regard to its orientation to
the target region, professional translators must have a deep
understanding of the cultural traditions prevailing in the region.

Conclusion: -
There is no universally standardized language for people to use
when transacting globally, so whether you need to address a
foreign entity for a personal matter or you have a global
business targeting a foreign audience you may need to
communicate effectively in other languages (mother tongue),
and at Although both translation and interpretation are both
fields designed to help you communicate effectively and
professionally with people who have a language barrier, there
are some differences between them, and in this paper we've
covered those points, we hope by now you understand the
difference between the nature of translation and interpretation.
The work of an interpreter is similar and different from
translation, and you can use this material to determine the scope
of your needs. Do you need technical translation or certified
translation, or do you need to communicate with clients
speaking foreign languages orally? Perhaps you may need
translation to get your message across to your target audience,
or you may need interpretation in a business meeting or the like
to talk with foreign people.

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References

https://translationjournal.net/October-2017/definition-of-translation.html

https://www.stepforward.ru/eng/the-history-of-simultaneous-translation/

https://www.kwintessential.co.uk/blog/general-interest/the-history-of-translation

https://blog.targem-app.com/%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA
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https://engaztranslate.com/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%AC
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