Why Translators And Interpreters Compare Themselves To Doctors And Lawyers

A professional translator and interpreter should be seen in the same way as any professional in the medical or legal profession, because ultimately all three are intertwined.

"There are cases where a translator’s or interpreter's unique choice of words and how to render a phrase saved a life, or whose special knowledge of culture prevented a legal or political disaster, or whose expertise and skills are so critical to national security, that they do not ever talk about those jobs and have in fact played a crucial role in history." -Unknown.

In the medical field, translators translate textbooks used to study medicine, the manuals used for medical consultations, and surgery equipment.

Interpreters interpret the communication between patients and doctors.

Precise translation and interpretation for a patient can mean the difference between life and death.

In the legal field, translators translate contracts and various legal documents used in and out of court.

Interpreters facilitate communication between lawyers, plaintiffs, defendants, witnesses, criminals, and the court. 

Precise translation and interpretation, for a defendant, can mean the difference between freedom, a simple fine, jail time, life in prison or even the death penalty.

What makes the profession of a translator and interpreter similar to that of a doctor or lawyer? 

There are three major common factors that these three professions share: 

1) Extensive years of study, education, and experience 2) Vast fields of expertise and specialization  3) Intellectually challenging work 

Let us examine and compare each in detail.

1.  EXTENSIVE YEARS OF STUDY, EDUCATION, AND EXPERIENCE

Doctors

Physicians and surgeons have demanding education and training requirements. 

Almost all physicians complete at least 4 years of undergraduate school, 4 years of medical school, and, depending on their specialty, 3 to 8 years on internship and residency programs.

Learning does not end when physicians complete their residency or fellowship training. 

Doctors continue to receive credits for continuing medical education and some states require a certain number of CME credits per year to ensure the doctor's knowledge and skills remain current.

Continuing medical education requirements vary by state, by professional organizations, and by hospital medical staff organizations. [1],[2]

Lawyers

A lawyer usually takes 7 years of full-time study after high school—4 years of undergraduate study, followed by 3 years of law school. 

Most states require that applicants graduate from an ABA-accredited law school, pass one or more written bar exams, and be found by an admitting board to have the character to represent and advise others. 

Lawyers who want to practice in more than one state often must take separate bar exams in each state.

After graduation, lawyers must keep informed about legal developments that affect their practices. 

Almost all states require lawyers to participate in continuing legal education either every year or every 3 years. [4] 

Translators and Interpreters

Expert and native-speaker level for one or more foreign language, can take translators and interpreters a minimum of 5-10 years of study.  

For many it is a lifetime of study because they grow up communicating in the languages in which they work.  

Most professional translators and interpreters have a four-year bachelor's degree, several years of work related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.  

Translators and interpreters obtain credentials and language degrees from colleges, universities, associations and/or other recognized language programs.

"A competent translator [and interpreter] is not only bilingual but bicultural. A language is not merely a collection of words and of rules of grammar and syntax for generating sentences, but also a vast interconnecting system of connotations and cultural references whose mastery, writes linguist Mario Pei, 'comes close to being a lifetime job'." Mario Pei, The Story of Language

Learning does not end when they become qualified or certified translators and interpreters, professional organizations also require ongoing education.  

All professionals engage in some type of ongoing education via training, special event, conference or seminar.  

Translators and interpreters never truly master the language in its entirety, because language is constantly evolving and growing, thus making them life long learners.  

Professionals learn new terms, slang words, idioms every single day.  

They are constantly improving their skills, accumulating knowledge and experience. [6],[7],[8],[9]

2.  EXPERTISE AND SPECIALIZATIONS

Below are condensed lists of the expertise fields and specializations for doctors, lawyers, translators and interpreters.

Doctors    1.   Anesthesiologists

2.    Cardiologist

3.    Coroners

4.    Dentists

5.    Dermatologists

6.    Diabetologists

7.    Emergency physicians

8.    Endocrinologists

9.    Euthanasia Doctors

10.  Gastroenterologists

11.  General Practitioners

12.  Gynecologists

13.  Hematologists

14.  Hygienists

15.  Immunologists

16.  Internists

17.  Leprologists

18.  Nephrologists

19.  Neurologists

20.  Neurosurgeons

21.  Nuclear medicine Physicians

22.  Obstetricians

23.  Oncologists

24.  Ophthalmologists

25.  Orthopedists

26.  Osteopathy physicians

27.  Otolaryngologists

28.  Parasitologists

29.  Pathologists

30.  Pediatricians

31.  Phthisiatrists

32.  Podiatrists

33.  Psychiatrists

34.  Pulmonologists

35.  Radiologists

36.  Rheumatologists

37.  Serologists

38.  Surgeons

39.  Toxicologists

40.  Traumatologists

41.  Tropical Physicians

42.  Urologists

43.  Venereologists

44.  Virologists [3] Lawyers

1.    Administrative Law

2.    Admiral Law

3.    AIDS/HIV

4.    Alternative Dispute Resolution

5.    Animal Rights

6.    Antitrust

7.    Appellate

8.    Arts

9.    Aviation Law

10.  Banking Law

11.  Bankruptcy Law

12.  Children and Youth

13.  Civil Rights/Civil Liberties

14.  Community Economic Development

15.  Communications Law

16.  Consumer Law

17.  Constitutional Law

18.  Corporate Law

19.  Criminal Law

20.  Death penalty/Prisoner's rights

21.  Disability Law

22.  Domestic Law

23.  Education

24.  Elder Law

25.  Employment/Labor

26.  Energy

27.  Entertainment/Sports Law

28.  Environmental Law

29.  Federal Indian Law

30.  Health Care Law

31.  Homeless/Housing Law

32.  Insurance Law

33.  Immigration Law

34.  Intellectual property/Computer Law

35.  International Corporate Practice

36.  International Human Rights

37.  Litigation

38.  Military Law

39.  Municipal Law

40.  Patent Law

41.  Real Estate/Zoning

42.  Securities Law

43.  Taxation

44.  Tort Law

45.  Trust Estate Law [5] Translators and Interpreters

1.    Academic 2.    Accounting/Auditing

3.    Advertising/Public Relations

4.    Aerospace Engineering

5.    Agriculture

6.    Alternative Fuels/Solar/Electricity

7.    Anatomy/Physiology

8.    Anthropology

9.    Aquaculture/Fishing

10.  Architecture

11.  Art

12.  Astronomy

13.  Automation/Robotics 14. Automotive/Mechanical

15.  Aviation

16.  Banking

17.  Banking/Financial Law

18.  Behavioral Science

19.  Bibliography

20.  Biochemistry

21.  Biography

22.  Biology

23.  Botany

24.  Building/Construction

25.  Certificates/Diplomas/Licenses

26.  Chemical Engineering

27.  Chemistry

28.  Civil and Hydraulic Engineering

29.  Civil Law

30.  Computer Hardware

31.  Computer Systems Analysis

32.  Computer Systems/Networks

33.  Corporate Law

34.  Cosmetics/Beauty

35.  Criminology/Penology

36.  Customs/Immigration

37.  Dentistry

38.  Ecology/Environmental Science

39.  e-Commerce

40.  Economics/Finance

41.  Education

42.  Electrical Engineering

43.  Electronics

44.  Emergency Services

45.  Energy

46.  Exercise

47.  Family Law

48.  Film

49.  Forestry

50.  Furniture/Household Appliances

51.  Games/Video Games

52.  Gaming/Casino

53.  Gastronomy/Culinary Arts

54.  Genealogy

55.  Genetics

56.  Geography/Cartography

57.  Geology

58.  Geophysics

59.  Glass/Ceramics

60.  Graphic Arts/Photo Imaging

61.  Health/Wellness

62.  Health care

63.  Health care Insurance

64.  History

65.  Hotel Management

66.  Human Resources

67.  Human Rights

68.  Immigration Law

69.  Immunology

70.  Industrial Engineering

71.  Information Technology (IT)

72.  Information/Library Services

73.  Insurance

74.  International Development

75.  Internet

76.  Journalism

77.  Labor Relations

78.  Law Enforcement

79.  Legal Contracts

80.  Linguistics

81.  Literature

82.  Literature-Children

83.  Literature-Fiction

84.  Literature-Poetry

85.  Literature-Theory/Criticism

86.  Machinery/Tools

87.  Marketing

88.  Materials Science

89.  Mathematics/Statistics

90.  Mechanical Engineering

91.  Medical Instruments

92.  Metallurgy

93.  Microbiology/Bacteriology/Virology

94.  Military/Weapons

95.  Mining/Minerals

96.  Multimedia

97.  Music

98.  Non-Traditional Medicine

99.  Nuclear Engineering

100.  Nutrition

101.  Oceanography

102.  Paper/Paper Products

103.  Patent/Trademarks/Copyrights

104.  Personal Injury Law

105.  Petroleum Engineering

106.  Petroleum/Natural Gas/Coal

107.  Pharmaceuticals

108.  Philosophy

109.  Photography

110.  Physical Sciences

111.  Physical Therapy

112.  Physics

113.  Plastics/Rubber

114.  Political Science

115.  Printing/Publishing

116.  Psychiatry

117.  Psychology

118.  Radio

119.  Radiology

120.  Real Estate

121.  Religion

122.  Shipping/Maritime

123.  Social Media

124.  Sociology

125.  Software Localization

126.  Sports

127.  Steel Making

128.  Stock Market/Investment

129.  Tax Law

130.  Telecommunications

131.  Television

132.  Textiles/Fashion

133.  Theater

134.  Toxicology

135.  Transportation

136.  Travel/Tourism

137.  Veterinary Medicine

138.  Website Localization

139.  Worker's Compensation

140.  Zoology/Entomology

"The complexity of the translator's task cannot be overstated; one author suggests that becoming an accomplished translator — after having already acquired a good basic knowledge of both languages and cultures — may require a minimum of ten years' experience. Viewed in this light, it is a serious misconception to assume that a person who has fair fluency in two languages will, by virtue of that fact alone, be consistently competent to translate between them." -Kasparek, 'The Translator's Endless Toil' 

3.  INTELLECTUALLY CHALLENGING WORK

Doctors

Communication skills. Physicians and surgeons need to be excellent communicators. They must be able to communicate effectively with their patients and other health care support staff.

Compassion. Physicians and surgeons deal with patients who are sick or injured and may be in extreme pain or distress. Physicians and surgeons must be able to treat patients and their families with compassion and understanding.

Detail oriented. Physicians and surgeons must ensure that patients are receiving appropriate treatment and medications. They must also monitor and record various pieces of information related to patient care.

Dexterity. Physicians and surgeons must be good at working with their hands. They work with very precise and sometimes sharp tools, and mistakes can have serious consequences.

Leadership skills. Physicians who work in their own practice need to be effective leaders. They must be able to manage a staff of other professionals to run their practice.

Organizational skills. Some physicians own their own practice. Strong organizational skills, including good record keeping, are critical in both medical and business settings.

Patience. Physicians and surgeons may work for long periods with patients who need special attention. Children and adult patients who fear medical treatment may require more patience.

Physical stamina. Physicians and surgeons should be comfortable performing physical tasks, such as lifting or turning disabled patients. Surgeons may spend a great deal of time bending over patients during surgery.

Problem-solving skills. Physicians and surgeons need to evaluate patients’ symptoms and administer the appropriate treatments. They often need to do this quickly in order to save a patient’s life. [1],[2]

Lawyers

Analytic skills. Lawyers help their clients resolve problems and issues. As a result, they must be able to analyze large amounts of information, determine relevant facts, and propose viable solutions.

Interpersonal skills. Lawyers must win the respect and confidence of their clients by building a trusting relationship, so that clients feel comfortable and share personal information related to their case.

Problem-solving skills. Lawyers must separate their emotions and prejudice from their clients’ problems and objectively evaluate the matter. Therefore, good problem-solving skills are important for lawyers, to prepare the best defense and recommendation.

Research skills. Preparing legal advice or representation for a client commonly requires substantial research. All lawyers need to be able to find what applicable laws and regulations apply to a specific matter.

Speaking skills. Lawyers are hired by their clients to speak on their behalf. Lawyers must be able to clearly present and explain evidence to a judge and jury. 

Writing skills. Lawyers need to be precise and specific when preparing documents, such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. [4]

Translators and Interpreters

"In...interpreting, it is not acceptable to omit anything from the source, no matter how quickly the source speaks, since not only is accuracy a principal canon for interpreters, but mandatory. The inaccurate interpretation of even a single word in a material can totally mislead...(Wikipedia)

Business skills. Self-employed professional interpreters and translators need general business skills to manage their finances and careers successfully. They must set fees for their services, bill customers, keep records, and market their services to build their client base.

Concentration. Interpreters must have the ability to concentrate while others are speaking or moving around them.  Simultaneous interpreting (interpreting in 'real time' while others are speaking) is an extremely complex mental task, requiring concentration far beyond what most people usually experience.  Interpreting has been compared to working as an air traffic controller.

Cultural sensitivity. Interpreters and translators must be sensitive to cultural differences and expectations among the people whom they are helping to communicate. Successful interpreting and translating is not only a matter of knowing the words in different languages but also of understanding people’s cultures.  When localizing, a translator is customizing the translation to a particular market and culture suitable and familiar to the target audience.

Dexterity. Sign language interpreters must be able to make quick and coordinated hand, finger, and arm movements when interpreting.

Interpersonal skills. Interpreters and translators, particularly those who are self-employed, must be able to get along with those who hire or use their services in order to retain clients and attract new business.

Language skills.  Interpreters and translators must have a very good knowledge, excellent command, and profound understanding of the written and spoken language, its etymology and idiomatic expressions.  The translators and interpreters function is to convey every language element, tone, register, intention, and feeling of the message from the source language to the target language.

Listening skills. Interpreters must listen carefully when interpreting for audiences to ensure that they hear and interpret correctly.  Interpreters sometimes take short notes to help recall key words or numbers.

Research skills.  Translators must deal with jobs with long, complex, and even profound series of choices which a translator must make; of not just how to render a given word, but most often a phrase or paragraph.

Speaking skills. Interpreters and translators must speak clearly in the languages they are conveying. 

Writing skills.  Interpreters and translators must be able to write clearly and effectively in the languages they translate.  A translators must be very skilled because a single source text has dozens, hundreds perhaps thousands of possible translations. [6],[7],[8],[9]

As you can see, translators and interpreters do not compare their services to the services of a doctor or lawyer; but more a comparison of the similarities in the lengthy education, numerous specializations, and the intellectually challenging nature of their profession.

Some food for thought: In certain multibillion-dollar and classified markets, translators and interpreters are paid fees higher than most working attorneys and many physicians.

Where can you find professional translators and interpreters?

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As always, thank you for reading and sharing my posts.  Please if any of my blogs inspire you, give credit where credit is due.  Let's be fair, honest and professional.  Let's help each other be great and stay great!

 Feel free to connect or email me, Carmen Arismendy.  I'm a professional Spanish interpreter-translator and founder of eLingual.Net.  I started the eLingual Network because I could not find a fair, no middleman, no job bidding, ethical, and transparent meeting place for translators, interpreters and clients online.  The website is in beta phase and by no means perfect but it's a step in the right direction.

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Updated 11.11.16

Sources

1. Requirements for Becoming a Physician. (n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/becoming-physician.page?

1. Summary: How to become a doctor. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm#tab-4

1. Category:Medical doctors by specialty. (Wikipedia). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Medical_doctors_by_specialty

1. Summary. How to become a lawyer (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/lawyers.htm#tab-4

1. Legal Specialty Areas. (Legal Authority Articles). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://www.legalauthority.com/legal-specialty-areas.php

1. Summary translator and interpreter. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/interpreters-and-translators.htm#tab-4

1. Language interpretation. (Wikipedia). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_interpretation

1. Translation (Wikipedia). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translation#Translators

1. Interpreters and Translators. (n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/27-3091.00