Overview of Information Technology Knowledge and Skills Necessary for Contemporary Translation

In present time, the efficient, prompt and quality performance of any form of translation largely depends on different forms of knowledge and skills relating to the various aspects and uses of information technology. In other words, in the age of extensive use and overall availability of computers and the Internet, the “classic” manner of translation, implying the use of pen, paper, gained knowledge and dictionaries, has simply become obsolete, inefficient and time-consuming. After an introduction, dealing with the basic concepts and definitions relating to translation and interpreting, an overview of IT knowledge and skills which have become necessary for a contemporary translation will be given in the central part of the paper, through the organisation of concepts and their description within larger IT-related units (hardware, software, Internet). At the end of the paper, some proposals will be introduced in terms of possible IT training and education of translators, together with the conclusions and recommendations related to the topic.