Author: Dr. Uzoma Patience Agwu & Dr. Adeyemi, Roheemat Ọlabimpe
Date: 20/02/2026
This article explores the convergences and divergences between translation and interpretation as two central practices of linguistic mediation. While both disciplines share the common purpose of transferring meaning across languages and cultures, they differ significantly in their modalities, constraints, and professional demands. Drawing on theories from translation studies (Nida’s dynamic equivalence, Venuti’s domestication and foreignization, Vermeer’s Skopos theory, Toury’s descriptive translation studies) and interpreting studies (Gile’s Effort Model, Pöchhacker’s disciplinary autonomy, Rozan’s note-taking techniques), the study conducts a comparative analysis of practical cases in diplomatic, legal, and commercial contexts. Findings reveal that translation privileges precision, documentary support, and deferred revision, whereas interpretation requires immediacy, memory, stress management, and oral adaptability. The article argues that conflating these practices risks undervaluing specialized skills and producing inadequate training frameworks. It recommends clearer academic curricula, differentiated professional recognition, and integrated language policies to strengthen both disciplines as complementary tools of intercultural communication.
Keywords: Cognitive Constraints, Fidelity, Intercultural Communication, Interpretation, Translation.
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