When language creates a barrier to communication and understanding, we need help from people who can interpret different dialects. If translation is made accessible through internet technology nowadays, it is just a matter of time when we break the boundaries set by language.
When language creates a barrier to communication and understanding,
we need help from people who can interpret different dialects.
Maybe the most difficult kind of translation job is that which is done simultaneously. The degree of fluency and skill that is demanded form translators doing simultaneous translation must be of the highest calibre. This is different from written translation, in which the person translating has ample time to ascertain the output. In simultaneous translation on the other hand, a high level of experience is required to be able to translate what the other person is talking about. The best translations require fluency in both languages to be able to translate one language to another in real time.
The importance of simultaneous translation is imminent in today’s society. In the government and in politics, clear communication between countries is achieved through clear translation.
The six official languages recognized by the United Nation meetings are Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, French, Arabic, and English, although this does not follow through that these are the only spoken dialects utilized at UN meetings. In most UN conventions, there are almost more than a hundred various languages that can be heard.
And if it is translation that we are talking about, there is no other organization which need it the most than the United Nations. Because it aims for the unity of countries in the world, there is high demand for translators in the organization that has one hundred and ninety two members. And that is surely a lot of work.
In the recently concluded general UN assembly, a translation malfunction occurred – which is not quite a usual occurrence. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, was delivering his speech to the group when moments after the opening speech, there was information that the message was translated from the written version of the speech and not translated real time. As a result, many country representatives walked out.
As technical glitches were brought about, the listeners received a headset message conveying the following: “The interpreters would like to state that they are reading from a written text translated into English”.
This means that the message of the Iranian president was not accurately presented to the congregation. Translating the speech simultaneously could bring about the emotion and power of what is being stated by the speaker. Merely making an English version of the written Iranian speech of the president does not really capture the essence of the message.
The United Nations is a vital part of the global community. If they want to achieve the global understanding that they are aiming for, they must obtain plenty of translators that are fluent in their respective language proficiencies. As we are being ushered in a new era of globalisation, the need for translation will only get bigger.
Translation service companies have now steadily climbed into the mainstream. If translation is made accessible through internet technology nowadays, it is just a matter of time when we break the boundaries set by language.
