I went to a seminar a couple of days ago about interpreting for domestic abuse cases in the courts. I made a comment/question but found myself floundering. It is the scariest place for interpreters to go, accuracy and spirit do not always go hand in hand. It is exactly in that no-man's-land where you will find me.
I wrote this to the coordinator of the seminar today. I've been in this field for almost 9 years. This email is going out to about 30 people
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Hola,
I really enjoyed the seminar, it was informative and well-presented.
The point I was struggling to make was basically about that "grey" area that we often find ourselves in. I understand the reluctance to talk about this openly, it is an especially hard subject to broach and still come across as a credible representative of our profession. I wrote the following a couple of months ago:
I take great pride in the quality of attention that I give providers and patients, yet I realise that it's like the old adage "the more I know, the less I know". The more aware I become of the dynamics of the patient/provider interaction I'm involved in, the more the subtle shifts become glaring. When a patient tells me something they don't want the doctor to hear it's easy to know what to do, but to pick up on a hesitation, turn of phrase, choice of words, body language, pause, conveying every and any detail of their presence in the room becomes an ever-growing challenge. OK, so we shouldn't get too obsessed with finding meaning where none is intended, but my question remains, "does greater experience and expertise permit a smoother transmission of surface meaning, or does one delve deeper? Both? Discussion over.
What of mentally-ill patients? Am I inviting a very certain insanity into my psyche!? In our team of 10 interpreters I would volunteer for the difficult, challenging, confusing cases because of my fascination with that edge, that border between sanity and insanity, light and dark, intention and expression.
As an example: The presentation of the (health care) provider is crucial, merely "transferring" information is not enough. I do not mean that modification of the message is necessary, but our stance (subtle or blatant) toward the provider can make a huge difference in, for example, how much faith the patient has in them. Without faith, compliance is highly unlikely. The patient may well feel they wasted their time and money and though the diagnosis and treatment plan could have been spot-on, the outcome is uncertain if the patient [senses the interpreter doesn't subscribe to the provider's opinion. So their condition worsens. Likewise, if the interpreter lets slip a mere hint of judgment or disbelief towards the patient, then the patient will most likely censor their story, leaving out any contentious projections, which may well hold the key to understanding their condition.
What is remarkable to me, is that an intense, profound interview can hinge on a moment of distraction or emotional response on the part of the interpreter. I'm talking about split-seconds, the intricacies of self-control. Details? YES! For the majority, for the millions of people that have no clue what we do, it is pointless. Yet, time and again, glazed looks, or awkward silence are the response from fellow professionals] felt unacknowledged or if the interpreter's stance cast doubt on the provider's ability. This is barely the tip of the iceberg...
I am also aware of how I have little or no practical knowledge of the court setting, but in a discussion about domestic abuse, intense emotions naturally arise and personal bias (e.g. good intentions) can be very damaging. Some day I would like to hear (more) experienced interpreters discuss this. Of course, the answer is always going to be the same, to remain neutral, but what of spirit? Spirit?
