The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
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FEATURES SOUND PROBLEMS © ISTOCKPHOTO When lawyers address the jury, they often have their back to the interpreter (left); noise is less of a problem at police stations ( far left), where security and impartiality can be greater issues these risks. I recently gave a talk to staff at Gwent Police who work with translators and interpreters, and they were very receptive to the information. Dealing with noise Noise is not a usually a problem in the more 'intimate' environment of the police station, where interpreters have to work in front of three (or possibly four) people at most, except when waiting by the custody suite. In court, however, it is the most important problem that interpreters face. From lawyers coming in and out of the courtroom, shuffling papers from their bundles, to guards tapping their feet or dangling their keys next to you, sometimes hearing what is being said is a real struggle. To add to this, there is the difficulty of barristers addressing themselves to the judge or jury with their back to the interpreter, which makes it even harder to hear. In some criminal courts, interpreters stand behind glass panels that enclose the dock, with a tiny gap through which sound can travel. Even worse, you might be told by an usher to 'keep it down' when the judge is summing up. In Wales, where I am based, there is a better set-up in the courts than in other parts of the UK. This is because Welsh speakers have the right to speak Welsh in court, and as not all the players in court (judge, lawyers, jury) speak Welsh, interpreting services are provided. As more than one person might require interpreting services, a system of headsets and a microphone is available for simultaneous interpreting during the trial. This means that interpreters of other languages have access to these headsets, greatly improving our ability to hear. Some Vol/52 No/4 2013 Chairs are screwed to the floor, so the interpreter is forced to sit next to either the suspect or the officer legal interpreters buy their own sound amplifying system to help them hear when they are behind the glass panels. A video-link system is occasionally used to allow interpreting to take place without the defendant being present in court. In some courtrooms the system is excellent, with a large screen on which the interpreter can see the defendant clearly, and a feed for the defendant that enables her/him to view all the players in court. In others, the screen may be very small, the sound may not be clear and there may be a delay. Working conditions Legal interpreters have to work on their own for long periods of time. Interestingly, Welsh language interpreters work in pairs because they are only required to interpret in one direction, making their working conditions closer to those of conference interpreters. They also have the right to access any documents relating to the trial in advance so they can prepare thoroughly – although this isn't always respected in practice. Foreign language interpreters usually work on their own and interpret in both directions, although this may vary in exceptional circumstances – for example if more than one defendant requires interpreting or if the trial is due to be particularly lengthy. Breaks don't come as frequently as would be desirable. In many cases, the interpreter is forced to ask for a break when s/he is unable to continue without a significant reduction in quality, or when mundane things, such as eating or a comfort break, are necessary. In my experience, legal professionals are willing to oblige you and try to look after you, even if that means driving you to find something to eat at 2am. When I started writing this article, I wanted to draw some comparisons between the legal and conference interpreting settings, but I have realised that there is such a wide gap that it is better not to. Nevertheless, it should be possible for the provision in UK courts to be closer to the situation you find in some international courts, and it should certainly be possible to achieve the working conditions that Welsh language interpreters enjoy. Otherwise, in my next life, I want to come back as a Welsh language interpreter. The series continues in the next issue with a look at medical interpreting. Notes 1 Except in very high profile cases, such as the trial of the train bombings in Madrid, where a conference interpreting set-up was used. See Martin, A and Ortega Herráez, J M, 2011, 'Interpreting in the Dock' in The Linguist, 50,4 2 Cambridge, J, 2005, 'The Public Service Interpreter's Face: Rising to the challenge of expressing powerful emotions for others' in Revista Canaria de Estudios Ingleses, La Laguna, Universidad de La Laguna, 51, 141-157 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER The Linguist 13