Interpreters and Translators

Interpreters and translators have always played a critical role in history. Kings in ancient Greece had interpreters alongside them. Missionaries served as interpreters between native peoples and others. Interpreters and translators have also played a critical role in the military. From the beginnings of our country, interpreters have served as guides and negotiators with the native peoples of America, as diplomats to foreign countries, and, in the case of the Navajo code talkers during World War II, even as speakers of linguistic code. This entry discusses the duties and types of interpreters and translators in the U.S. military.

Definitions

Because translators and interpreters both work to convert words from one language (called the source language) to another (called the target language), the terms are often used interchangeably. ...

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