Proteus

Interpreters have long been underappreciated and undervalued in the United States, a situation due mainly to the lack of proper identification of the level of knowledge, skill and ability needed to perform as a competent interpreter. Many people, especially monolinguals, still believe that all interpreting consists of is repeating something word-for-word in another language, which is contrary to accepted practice in the field of interpreting. In addition, there exists a callous sentiment that some people have towards immigrants in this country. Whereas women and African Americans have movements to help their cause (MeToo, Black Lives Matter), immigrants do not have such a clear path for equality. Nonetheless, recent advancements have been made in California and New York, as can be seen by comparing the court compensation policies between interpreters and other job titles. This data shines a light on how state courts have been undervaluing and underpaying for the job of court interpreting.

Compensation Policies: Federal v. State

Technology has provided a few tools for interpreters to work around the need to develop retention skills by replacing consecutive with simultaneous interpreting of recordings. It certainly gets the job done. However, professionals may consider it cheating. In any event, interpreters are losing their consecutive interpretation skills due to this reliance on tech toys. Without them, they may end up interpreting every five words and sounding like an amateur.

If you were a professional race car driver, your chances of winning would be determined by multiple factors.

You would have the luxury of an auto-manufacturer backing you up and providing you with a team to help achieve the fastest speed possible. Your team would ensure that the vehicle is optimized to perform at the highest speed it could go, making sure the engine and tires are in great condition. Not only would you need to have the best performing vehicle, but also familiarity with the track. You would spend days examining the track and preparing yourself for the curves and bumps that you may encounter. Weather conditions, mental capacity, and physical health all go into your ability to perform as well.

COVID-19 has brought a lot of things to the surface that seemed marginal before, and the future of interpreting and our ability to adapt has been tested. Right now, we are facing an unprecedented situation of forced inactivity which has very little to do with our skills, our marketing ability, or our experience as interpreters. I dare say it seems as though we’ve had to make 10 years of progress in 3 weeks. Remote platforms that didn’t seem relevant just a few short weeks ago have become the center of recent conversations among colleagues and in social media.

Many new court interpreters have trepidation to work in court; they feel intimidated by the setting and the protocol. Unfortunately, some of the fears new interpreters have are caused by the media and its depiction of court.

Shows like CSI or Law and Order are sometimes the only interactions a lay person has with the court system. As a result, people have many misconceptions about the court setting and the legal system.

I would like to point out some of these misconceptions.

2. Police officers and other court officials speak a multitude of languages and serve as interpreters.

To mention Olivia Benson again, during the show she is shown to be proficient in Spanish, Italian, Russian and French. This is completely unrealistic, and the show doesn’t even address how she learned those languages. During the show other staff members serve as interpreters as needed. One episode featured a court psychologist interpreting for a victim in court. In real life, court interpreters are required to be neutral and impartial. It would be a conflict of interest for a court psychologist to also be an interpreter, and he or she would not be a neutral party. The reality is that court systems across the country require the use of certified interpreters; this is a regular occurrence in metropolitan areas. The crime shows, except for the above cases, hardly ever showcase the use of the interpreter in court. Considering that these shows are based in highly populated cities, it would be reasonable to assume that they would periodically need the services of an interpreter. But somehow, all of the victims and defendants on the witness stand speak English, some with a heavy accent, but with perfect grammar. Totally unrealistic.

In my free time—which is almost 80% of my time—I travel. I record all my journeys in a tiny notebook designed to remind me what to look for when I am out and about in a new place. Afterwards, I sell my stories. It may sound crazy but when visiting a new place, I become so thrilled that I forget about the points I want to write about, and when I return home, I am regretful if I missed specifics. In any case, I have a name for that little notebook—Beetlejuice—because it tends to show up when I call its name three times.

I plan my destinations with the same precision with which I plan the content of my articles. Last month, for example, I visited Ireland, a true emerald island. Since I identify myself as a culture learner and language lover, I chose this country because of its almost-forgotten language, Gaelic. By the way, if you are wondering whether I am well-versed in this Celtic language, I am not. I was curious to learn about why it is becoming extinct and if it was indeed not publicly spoken.

Most of Northern Ireland does not recognize Irish (which is what they call Gaelic) as their main language, which is partly due to the overwhelming influence of England’s invasion. Additionally, England imposed the use of the English language on the Irish, and the pound as currency. Nowadays, however, a third of the elder population of Ireland is fluent in Gaelic, and only the euro circulates in their economy.