History of Interpretation and Translation

Ancient Times

2600 BCE

Interpreting is known to exist since ancient times despite the limited existing information sources in
this field.  The first mention of this profession dates back to the third millennium A.C. and is found in
many inscriptions on the Elephantine Princes’ funeral monuments. Interpreters were known to be
used in Egypt and in the Persian Empire and there are hieroglyphics that prove this. Interpreting also
existed in Greece and Rome.

Interpreting during the Interwar Period

1 CE

As we have already mentioned, the League of Nations (LN) was formed as a result of the Paris
Peace Conference.  Once again, the co-official languages of this organization were English and
French, which meant that if speakers wanted to express themselves in a third language, they had to
provide their own interpreters.

The Nuremberg Trials

1 CE

The Nuremberg Trials were held in Nuremberg, Germany, between 1945 and 1946, after the end of
World War II, where the countries participating were Great Britain, the United States, France and the
Soviet Union. The consequent linguistic diversity, accentuated by the presence of German, would
prove to be an important obstacle for communication during the trials.

The History of Simultaneous Interpretation

1 CE

Interpretation is the rendering of one spoken or sign language into another spoken or sign
language, such as Spanish to French, English to Arabic, or American Sign Language to English.
Translation Excellence offers a number of interpretation services, including Court certification
Interpretation, simultaneous interpretation, consecutive interpretation, web and video
interpretation, and phone interpretation.

Second half of the 20 th  Century

1 CE

The profession has evolved considerably since the end of World War II.  One of the most significant
changes is the steady advance of simultaneous interpreting which surpassed consecutive
interpreting, in spite of the reluctance of veteran interpreters, who considered simultaneous
interpreting to be a threat to their status and position. Indeed, it is evident that simultaneous
interpreting hinders the interpreter’s view and may cause him to feel like his job is very mechanical.

Modern Age

1500

During the Modern Age, interpreters in Spain played an important role in the great discoveries of the
15 th  and 16 th  centuries. It should also be noted that already established rules existed from the 16 th  and
17 th centuries onwards for interpreters living on the American continent, while the first Royal Order
applicable to the Iberian Peninsula did not appear until 1783.

The Appearance of Conference Interpreters

1914

According to Baigorri in his book La Interpretación de conferencias: el nacimiento de una
profesión. De París a Nuremberg, interpreting as a profession experienced an important qualitative
leap at the beginning of the 20 th  century with the appearance of a new figure: the conference
interpreter, a mode that arose from the geopolitical circumstances of that period in World War I
(19141918).

Middle Ages

3000

Interpreting in the Middle Ages was developed in translation schools like the School of Translators in
Toledo, in which they frequently produced oral versions of their translations. During the Crusades, the
intervention of interpreters became necessary to the point that there are experts that consider this
moment as the birth of modern diplomatic interpreting. These interpreters were given the
name dragomen.