History of Interpreting

Datos Bibliográficos

ID23715425
AutoresDörte Andres (autor de correspondencia)
Año2026
Páginas1-10
Fecha de publicación2026-04-30
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoCHAPTER
RevistaEncyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (SOURCE_BOOK)
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0509
OpenAlexW1595524493
ISBN9781405198431
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas12

In the Bible, Prov. 18:21 reads “[D]eath and life are in the power of the tongue.” These ancient words convey the fact that language is a powerful tool, upon which life and death (may) depend. Solomon was certainly not referring to interpreters but, nevertheless, interpreters work with language, and they can use words to exercise power. There are many accounts of the power of interpreters. Some of these show that the question of life or death often depended on the interpreter. Other accounts illustrate the responsibility invested in interpreters and how the right or false handling of that responsibility determined the fate of individuals and even peoples. What do we know about interpreters in history? What were their tasks? Locating historical accounts of interpreters is arduous, since accounts are few and far between and most interpreters are only mentioned in passing (Hermann, 1956; Roland, 1982; Bowen, Bowen, Kaufmann, & Kurz, 1995; Wilss, 1999; Pöchhacker, 2000; Wiotte‐Franz, 2001; Andres, 2008). Although more information is now available concerning the “Eastern world” (Kaufmann, 2005; Lung & Li, 2005; Lung, 2006), most accounts refer to the “Western world,” which is thus the focus of this entry.

Focus (optics) · Interpreter · Linguistics · Power (physics) · Programming language · Computer Science · History · Interpreting and Communication in Healthcare · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Philosophy · Translation Studies and Practices