Interpreters, Translators?
What's the difference?

Interpreters... translators... what's the big deal? They're the same thing, right? Why do translators and interpreters get so upset about using these terms interchangeably?

When I was first starting my career as a translator, I would ALWAYS correct anybody I heard use those terms incorrectly. I felt like it was my duty to point out to everyone that translators are not interpreters, nor are interpreters translators.

After having been a translator for over ten years now, I have almost given up the pursuit. For anyone that has ever paid attention to how everyone from your Grandma to the the hosts of CNN use the terms incorrectly, it can oftentimes feel like a never-ending goal.

If you open up the news, you're bound to find instances of misuse.

An sports article on Yahoo
"He storms out of the dugout, and behind him is a translator. Valentine's Japanese is good but not good enough to argue with the umpires by himself."

An article from the Montreal Gazette
"If your parents or grandparents speak a language other than English or French, please feel free to speak on their behalf or as their translator."

A New York Times article
"I turned around in the seat to watch through the rear window as some Iraqi men ran toward the explosion site, but my translator cautioned me not to move around so much: it might attract attention."

So the task seems daunting to say the least. It's almost like the crusade of Lynne Truss and her attack on bad punctuation. So next time you hear someone misuse or confuse the two terms, don't get angry. It's not worth it. The best you can do is to use the terms correctly yourself and hopefully others will catch on.

Back from interpreters translators.