The Interpreter and the Word, or „an interpreter may stumble, though he has X languages”

Abstract

In an interesting shift, while public opinion considers translation increasingly as a word-centered activity, interpreting is still seen as message-centered. Although technical vocabulary constrains the freedom of translators and interpreters, in recent years we have seen an increase in the role of a kind of interpreting where non-technical words can also convey full messages. This emergent genre of interpreting is PSI (Public Service Interpreting) or community interpreting. My article illustrates the contradiction that in PSI sometimes lives may depend on a single word, which – due to the immediacy of translation – puts a huge burden on the linguist, and also asks the question: is it the right approach to continue considering interpreting as a message-centered activity in all cases? After discussing truthfulness, which is a central element in court interpreting, we also discuss the characteristics of psychotherapeutic interpreting. In the latter area, the problem is aggravated by the fact that verbalization (mise en parole) during psychotherapy is part and parcel of processing the traumatic experiences of forced migration, therefore the linguist becomes an active agent in the „lieu de parole”, the communication space creating the possibility for verbalization, and thus the success of the therapy often depends on the quality and precision of her/his work.
a single word, which – due to the immediacy of translation – puts a huge burden on the linguist,