1.1 Introduction As humans, we have been communicating since our existence. In the context of this communication, translating and interpreting have co-existed. Today, translating and interpreting are widely popular and seem to form part of societies across the globe even in countries where the large majority of the population knows only one language. Before we begin our discussion of the historical development of the fields, it is important to clarify that translation and interpretation are different activities – even though they have some overlap. Unfortunately, the two have been used interchangeably by some individuals, probably due to their similarities. As a task, translation is defined here as the process in which a written text in the source language is converted in written form into a target language. On the other hand, interpreting is the process in which a person hears language input or sees signed language in a source language and converts it either simultaneously or consecutively. If the message is interpreted simultaneously, this implies that an interpreter must deliver the target message while another individual is producing language. If the message is interpreted consecutively, the interpreter will convey the message after a segment is provided by the speaker, who will pause until the interpreter finishes the previous segment. According to Steiner (1975), a person performs a translation every time that they receive a message from another person – without its needing to be in another language. Steiner argued that translation processes are involved in speaking-listening and writing-reading and that a similar line of thought applies to interpreting. Therefore, both translation and interpreting are as old as language (and humans) itself. Tiselius (2010) reminds us that “Cicero in ancient Rome spoke highly of his interpreter and the services the interpreter did for him. In the Ottoman empire interpreters were called dragoman and their role was not just interpreting but also acting as guides, go-betweens, and door openers to the Ottoman empire. The Ottoman empire also had sworn court interpreters” (para. 2). In ancient times, commercial transactions in small villages needed one person who would be in charge of converting a message from a source language into a target language. The first bilingual texts were found by the 18th century bce.
