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Sight Translation Explained

Jun 13, 2024

What is sight translation?

Sight translation is the verbal or signed translation of a written text into another language.

Sight translation is a challenging task which requires exceptional focus and the ability to multitask, as the interpreter must quickly and accurately process the written content and render it fluently as spoken or signed language. The task is further complicated by the fact that written texts:

• are often linguistically complex

• contain more compound sentence structures than are typically used in spoken language

• use formal language to outline detailed concepts.

When you are employing the professional services of an interpreter to communicate with someone whose preferred language is a ‘language other than English’ (LOTE) or Australian sign language (Auslan), you may need them to understand a short form or document that is written in English. Alternatively, a LOTE speaker may have a document written in LOTE that needs to be conveyed into English for you. In either case, the interpreter can assist by sight translating the document into the other language. This document focuses on your need to have English texts sight translated into a LOTE, but the principles are the same for the other direction. NOTE: some types and lengths of document are not suitable for sight translation.

What preparation do interpreters need?
The interpreter should be given sufficient time to:
• skim the text for meaning
• check for any challenging terms and find the appropriate target language equivalents
• look up any such terms in their phone or tablet dictionary
• ask for clarification from the person providing the document
• mentally plan the best way to render long sentences and/or complex sentence constructions into segments that will be readily comprehensible to the listener / Auslan user.

How do interpreters carry out sight translation?
The interpreter will then translate the text into the other language, either verbally or into sign language, sentence by sentence as they read it.
• The interpreter may break up longer sentences into shorter ones, to enable easier comprehension by the LOTE speaker / Auslan user, but the interpreter will not simplify the text. The LOTE speaker / Auslan user absorbs the meaning of the text through the spoken word or the signed message, as they cannot understand the original written text.
• If the LOTE speaker / Auslan user does not understand something relayed to them from the text by the interpreter, they will typically ask the interpreter for clarification. The interpreter will then relay their query to you, and convey your response back to them.

The role of the interpreter is to facilitate communication, not to provide advice or clarify terms or meaning.

If you are the provider of the document, you should not leave the room during the sight translation process. This is to ensure that any questions the LOTE speaker / Auslan user has concerning the information contained in the document can be relayed to you by the interpreter, and you can answer them.

What documents are suitable for sight translation?
• Length: The ideal length of document for sight translation is 200 to 300 words (or equivalent length in other language).
• Complexity/technicality: The document should not complex or technical. For example, you should not expect an interpreter to sight translate a will.
NOTE: if the document is longer than 300 words (or equivalent length in other language) or if it is complex in nature for a LOTE speaker – it should be translated in advance by a certified translator.

Guidelines by the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT).

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