In written translation the original can be read and re-read as many times as the translator may need or like.

The conditions of oral translation impose a number of important restrictions on the translator’s performance. Here the interpreter receives a fragment of the original only once and for a short period of time.

There are two main types of oral translation –consecutive and simultaneous. In consecutive translation the translating starts after the original speech or some part of it has been completed. Here the interpreter’s strategy and the final result depend to a great extend on the length of the segment to be translated. If the segment is just a sentence or two the interpreter closely follows the original speech.

In simultaneous interpretation the interpreter is supposed to be able to give his translation while the speaker is uttering the original message. This can be achieved with a special radio or telephone-type equipment. This type of translation involves a number of psycholinguistic problems, both of theoretical and practical nature.

Though these two varieties of interpretation have much in common there are substantial differences in the working environment:

In simultaneous interpretation the interpreter is much more limited in time.

In s.i. the length of the text translated is much shorter than in consecutive.