Interpreting fools
There has been a lot of commentary about the difficulties faced by Donald Trump's interpreters. New term has been coined to describe the phenomenon: "Trumpslation".
The difficulties Trump's interpreters are confronted with stem from the fact that our job is to convey the meaning of what is being said. Contrary to popular belief we don't interpret word for word. In order to convey the meaning we need to understand what the speaker is saying. The trouble with Trump is that even English native speakers don't always comprehend his intended message.
That's not all, however. Even if the interpreter grasps the meaning, there are other problems they have to deal with while interpreting Trump's speeches. His vocabulary is somewhat limited, he uses many repetitions, doesn't finish his sentences, forms sentences with broken syntax, uses idioms and makes off the cut remarks. Add large ego and short temper to the mix and you will understand how exhausting and demanding the interpreters' job is.
As a police interpreter I have had over 10 years of practice interpreting for Trump-like personalities. Not everybody I interpret for at the police station is difficult to work with. However, I regularly encounter people who have difficulties stringing a coherent sentence together. Their sentences are punctuated with swear words so often they forget to finish them and lose the plot of what they were trying to say. I am also frequently confronted with people in custody who have challenging personalities, which makes interpreting far more problematic and sometimes distressing.
The main frustration of an interpreter, regardless whether on a diplomatic or a community level, is that when one interprets a fool, one ends up sounding like one too. Professional interpreters at all levels and in all situations should be able to act appropriately and in accordance with their Code of Conduct.
The difficulties Trump's interpreters are confronted with stem from the fact that our job is to convey the meaning of what is being said. Contrary to popular belief we don't interpret word for word. In order to convey the meaning we need to understand what the speaker is saying. The trouble with Trump is that even English native speakers don't always comprehend his intended message.
That's not all, however. Even if the interpreter grasps the meaning, there are other problems they have to deal with while interpreting Trump's speeches. His vocabulary is somewhat limited, he uses many repetitions, doesn't finish his sentences, forms sentences with broken syntax, uses idioms and makes off the cut remarks. Add large ego and short temper to the mix and you will understand how exhausting and demanding the interpreters' job is.
As a police interpreter I have had over 10 years of practice interpreting for Trump-like personalities. Not everybody I interpret for at the police station is difficult to work with. However, I regularly encounter people who have difficulties stringing a coherent sentence together. Their sentences are punctuated with swear words so often they forget to finish them and lose the plot of what they were trying to say. I am also frequently confronted with people in custody who have challenging personalities, which makes interpreting far more problematic and sometimes distressing.
The main frustration of an interpreter, regardless whether on a diplomatic or a community level, is that when one interprets a fool, one ends up sounding like one too. Professional interpreters at all levels and in all situations should be able to act appropriately and in accordance with their Code of Conduct.
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