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
Issue link: https://thelinguist.uberflip.com/i/220935
FEATURES When you get a call about an overseas investigation you usually have to pack and leave that night techniques. I have worked on numerous such trials, the biggest involving seven Nepalesespeaking defendants and three interpreters. Although military slang is not used in formal investigations, somebody giving evidence may use slang. Within the military, abbreviations of certain words may be in daily use, but an interpreter might not know what they mean. If a particular word, term or phrase comes up that I don't know, I can ask the judge for clarification. Special investigations Almost every army barracks, both in the UK and overseas, has a Royal Military Police station, and within the county there is usually a Special Investigation Branch. For military police investigations, I am not usually given any notice; when a crime happens, they need an interpreter straightaway. As you go into the custody suite, a sergeant gives the rights and entitlements to the accused. When the witness or defendant is not in the country, distance interpreting may be used – either during an investigation or in court. The military tends to use secure lines. IN THE DOCK: Ranjeeta interprets at a Court Martial Vol/52 No/6 2013 They have been using the technology for a long time within other military settings, so the system is quite fast. It is one of the best I have come across. Overseas operations When you receive a call about an overseas investigation, you usually have to pack and leave that same night. That is challenging. Although I don't have children, I need to find a cat-sitter and make other arrangements at short notice. Normally, the MoD does not disclose any information about the investigation in advance. You get disclosure when you arrive at your destination, so you can't do any preparation and have to bring all your dictionaries and glossaries with you. If you are on an unknown assignment and suddenly someone uses terminology you were not expecting, it can sometimes be difficult to think of the word immediately. If you have been thrown into a difficult or stressful situation, this could even be something as simple as 'being optimistic'. In such cases, I try to take a step back from the situation and digest the information before I say anything. Jet-lag may also be an issue, although you do get time to rest after a long-distance flight and can tell the person you are working with if you need longer. On long assignments, you work a normal week, with one day off at the weekend. Accommodation is usually in a hotel outside the military camp or barracks. Often there is no wi-fi connection and sometimes you cannot even listen to the radio. I am usually invited to eat at the barracks, but if there are other interpreters involved we tend to eat together at a restaurant. If I need to look at paperwork, I might be asked to do this in the hotel lobby if it is a quick query. I would normally be taken to an office in the barracks to look over documents in more detail or to do a full translation. Is military work for you? When working with the military for the first time, it can be hard to make sense of the surroundings. However, when you first arrive at a location, you are given a briefing on the meeting points in case of fire or attack, the medical room, etc, and you can always ask questions. It does not take long to get used to the set-up. When you are involved in overseas operations it is challenging, but if you like exciting work, you will get real job satisfaction. If there are dangers involved, you get a full briefing before leaving the UK, so you can decide whether or not to put yourself in that situation. My family worries but, for me, it is exciting not knowing what is at the end of the journey. There is a thrill of learning and a feeling of achievement. The subject matter can be distressing and I deal with this by keeping a distance between the work and my personal life. I never take my work home with me. I don't discuss the cases I have worked on, no matter how horrific they may be. If there is a terrible revelation that comes completely out of the blue, it can take you by surprise, but I remind myself that I am there to convey the message with the same gravity as the interlocutor, and that my emotions don't matter. Support is available for civilian contractors working for the MoD, should you need it. In the military, there is respect for the interpreting profession. You may be working with officers who have never come across an interpreter in the army, but there is an environment of strict discipline and everyone looks at you as a professional. It is good work but, like all good things, there is little of it and it is not well-paid. I don't do it for the money, of course; if the job challenges me intellectually and makes me work hard in order to assist the people I am working with, that is more fulfilling to me than financial rewards. Interview with Miranda Moore. DECEMBER 2013/JANUARY 2014 The Linguist 19