Hire amateurs or qualified specialist translators and professional interpreters?

At first glance, the work of a translator or interpreter does not look complicated: Understand what you have heard or read and reproduce it orally or in writing in another language. As long as it is everyday language, this task can actually be mastered by a linguistically gifted person without any further knowledge. However, specialist translations require more than just linguistic competence: In complex specialist areas such as pharmaceuticals or technology, customers prefer to rely on verifiably qualified specialist translators and professional interpreters.

Training to become a qualified specialist translator and interpreter covers many areas

Having a good command of one or two foreign languages is only the starting point on the way to becoming a qualified specialist translator. Language skills in the relevant foreign language (e.g. French, Spanish or Russian) are of course deepened during your studies or training to become a state-certified translator or interpreter. In addition, the prospective interpreters and specialist translators receive lessons in regional and cultural studies and translation studies, among other things. Training as an interpreter for English, Italian or another language teaches the use of different modes of interpreting (e.g. simultaneous or consecutive interpreting) and the associated note-taking techniques. In addition, each student takes at least one specialisation (e.g. law or medicine). The training programme therefore teaches in-depth knowledge that self-taught translators can hardly acquire to such an extent. For this reason, most clients prefer to entrust their translations to specialist translators with proven qualifications.

Another important point is the work with one's own mother tongue. A perfect command of it is of course just as essential as excellent foreign language skills in order to be able to produce accurate specialist translations. It is not enough to define yourself as a "native speaker", because in professional practice it is always a question of expressing yourself appropriately in the respective language situation and formulating foreign thoughts clearly. For this reason, German lessons are compulsory at German training centres for specialist translators and interpreters.

Qualified specialist translators and professional interpreters: Training and experience as a recipe for success

According to another view, only people who have undergone specialist training in the relevant field can translate specialist texts correctly. In concrete terms, this would mean, for example, that pharmaceutical training would be required to act as a professional pharmaceutical interpreter during a GMP inspection.

Of course, there is a kernel of truth to this view. Specialists have better knowledge in their field than mere language mediators. It is also extremely important for the specialist translator to have a perfect command of the terminology underlying each specialist field in two languages and to have sufficient specialist knowledge to understand and accurately reproduce all relevant processes and relationships. A lack of expertise on the part of the translator can have serious consequences – for example, if the incorrect technical translation of a user manual leads to complaints. This is why clients from all business sectors usually rely on qualified specialist translators or professional interpreters who can draw on sufficient experience in the relevant field. However, an additional qualification in the form of completed training in the relevant subject is not necessary. Professional interpreters and qualified specialist translators have the necessary expertise thanks to their many years of experience and in-depth knowledge gained on their own initiative. For specialist pharmaceutical translations, for example, no pharmaceutical training is required, but a fundamental understanding of the subject matter is.

On the safe side with qualified specialist translators and professional interpreters

If you want to be on the safe side with sensitive interpreting and translation projects, you should always rely on professional interpreters and verifiably qualified specialist translators. The magic formula is: completed professional training as a translator/interpreter plus specialisation and experience in a specialist field. The Nuremberg-based translation agency AP Fachübersetzungen relies on qualified specialist translators and professional interpreters to make your exacting interpreting or translation project a success!

Bild: Romain Vignes, unsplash.com