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This article is not about the concept of interpretation used in mathematical logic. For other uses of "interpretation", see the disambiguation page.

Interpretation is the process establishing, either simultaneously (known as simultaneous interpretation) or consecutively (known as consecutive interpretation), oral or gestural communications between two or more speakers who are not able to use the same set of symbols (see interpreting). By definition it is available as a method only in those cases where there is a need for interpretation - if an object (of art, of speech, etc.) is obvious to begin with, it cannot draw an interpretation. In any case the term interpretation is ambiguous, as it may refer to both an ongoing process and a result.

Interpretation is a term used in informal education settings to describe any communication process designed to reveal meanings and relationships of cultural and natural heritage through first hand involvement with an object, artifact, landscape or site. This is primarily known as heritage interpretation.

An interpretation can be the part of a presentation or portrayal of information altered in order to conform to a specific set of symbols. This may be a spoken, written, pictorial, mathematical, sculptural, cinematic, geometric or any other form of language. Complex meanings may be evoked where the reader consciously or unconsciously cross-references the text by situating it within broader frames of experience and knowledge.

There are three things that allow interpretation to occur, and these are all interlinked and interdependable: the writer, the text and the reader. Through the act of interpretation the reader is the one creating meaning; the meaning of the text intended by the writer is potentially overlooked or ignored. The reader produces meaning by participating in a complex of socially defined and enforced practices. Interpretation is an active process of producing values and meanings, a process that always occurs within specific cultural and political contexts, directly linked to the world in which the reader lives.

The purpose of interpretation would normally be to increase the possibility of understanding, but sometimes, as in propaganda or brainwashing, the purpose may be to evade understanding and increase confusion.

Consecutive interpretation (interpreting) - a type of conference interpretation when the translator waits for the speaker to finish and then translates the latter's utterance consecutively - it could be of any length - within a reasonable limit so that not to distract the listener (s).

C. i. can be of a dialogue type - when the statement is short enough (without taking notes) or with using interpreters' notes - when the utterances are long enough for the memory to absorb the information and provide adequate result.

The main difficulty in C. i. Is that the information is dematerialised (that is not available on a carrier - paper, display, screen etc.) but exists only in the form of sound wave. Books: "Applied Theory of Interpretation and Note-Taking" Andrei Chuzhakin, Mir Perevoda 1-7 (same author). Also: [1].

• "Applied Theory of Interpretation and Note-Taking" Andrei Chuzhakin, "Mir Perevoda 1-7" (same author), [2].
• Barry, P 2002, Beginning theory: an introduction to literary and cultural theory, 2nd ed., Manchester University, Manchester and New York.
• Bedford Books, 1998, ‘Critical approaches’, viewed 2 May 2006, [3].
• Blazer, A 2005, ‘Interpretive theory: the new criticism to the present’, viewed April 24, 2006, from [4].
• Constable, J 2000, ‘I. A. Richards’, viewed 2 May 2006, [5].
• Cox, S 2005, ‘Foundations study guide: literary theory’, viewed 2 May 2006, [6].
• Eagleton, T 1996, Literary theory: an introduction, 2nd ed., Blackwell, Oxford.
• Fuery, P & Mansfield, N 2000, Cultural studies and critical theory, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, South Melbourne.
• Hancher, M 1970, ‘The science of interpretation, the art of interpretation’, MLN, vol.85, no.6, pp.791-802, (online JSTOR).
• Mailloux, S 1982, ‘Interpretation’, in F. Lentricchia & T McLaughlin (eds), Critical terms for literary study, 2nd ed., University of Chicago Press, London.
• McFly Encyclopedia, 2006, ‘Hermeneutics’, viewed April 12, 2006, from http://en.mcfly.org/hermeneutics.
• Objectivist Center, 2005, ‘Literary theory’, viewed 2 May 2006, [7].
• Scheppele, K L 1994, ‘Legal theory and social theory’, Annual Review of Sociology, vol.20, pp.383-406.
• WIT - World of Interpretation and Translation (Mir Perevoda), a series of ten manuals and textbooks on the practice and theory of oral translation Mir Perevoda.

• Hermeneutics
• Pragmatics
• Semantics
• Semeiotic
• Semiosis
• Semiotics
• Sign
• Sign relation

• Babels - an international network of volunteer interpreters for the Social Forums.
• The Hyperbole of Interpretation- A brief article on perspective associated with interpretation
• WIT - World of Interpretation and Translation (Mir Perevoda) - a personal site of Andrei Chuzhakin, a Russian expert on interpretation.