Language and Cognition

Abstract

Conference interpreters use the term “translation” to describe the operation that turns a text written in one language into a text written in another language, and insist that for the oral transmission of oral messages the word “interpretation” should be used. Roughly speaking they argue on the grounds that written translation implies the translation of language, whilst oral transmission is based on cognitive memory that does not retain the fleeting passage of the phonemic, semantic or syntactic structures but implies grasping and rendering of sense. We shall see that there is much reason for this differentiation, though we do consider the basic process to be the same as in the East Germans’ use of the all embracing concept of “Translation” which covers both „Übersetzen“ and „Dolmetschen“ in their basic aspect.