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Are there any interpreters/translators on TSR?

What’s your experience like interpreting/translating etc

That's a very open-ended question so if there's anything you're particularly trying to pin down, you'll get better answers by being more specific.

While the umbrella skill set is being able to convert what's being said or written in one language into another, there are huge differences between the two. Many translators and interpreters do a bit of both but most will have a preference for one or the other.

For myself, I much prefer translating to interpreting. I have always been good with the written word and I like the challenge of being able to hash and re-hash a translation to get it as "perfect" as it can possibly be. I like the feeling of being in control, which doesn't happen in interpreting, so I find interpreting to be much more stressful.

In interpreting you need to be almost equally strong in the foreign language as you are in your native language, as many interpreters have to translate both ways. You need to have extremely good listening skills too because you would not always be in a situation where you can ask the person speaking if they would mind repeating what they just said. And you need to be a very confident speaker. So, for interpreters, you need to be able to think fast and not succumb to pressure. It's a good choice for adrenaline junkies.

I hope that helps to some extent. If there's anything more specific you'd like to know, please feel free to ask.