The Interpreter’s Multiple Roles -- A sociolinguistic perspective Ren Wen, Professor, PhD

The Interpreter’s Multiple Roles -- A sociolinguistic perspective Ren Wen, Professor, PhD

C – Chinese official, I – Interpreter, F – Foreign guest C: 这是小葱拌豆腐－一清二白嘛！ I: It is as clear as crystal！ C: 你们国家有豆腐吗？ I: Do you produce crystal in your country? F: Yes. I: 有的． C: 是南豆腐还是北豆腐？ I: … Feng Jianzhong, 2007: 131-132

How free is Formosa （胡适） 台湾有多么自由！台湾有多少自由？ C: 我不是那个意思，肯定是翻译弄错了。 I: ?

I. Defining Role II. The Interpreter’s Role Defined by Different Parties III. Multiple Roles of the Interpreter at Work IV. Conclusion V. Bibliography

I. Defining Role: Role generally refers to the part taken by someone in life or in an activity. “It is an expected behaviour in a given individual social status and social position.” http://en.wikipedia.org role holder vs. role other

II. The interpreter’s role defined by different parties 1. Three dimensions of the interpreter’s role: 1) The institutionally defined interpreter’s role 2) The client’s expectation of the interpreter’s role 3) The interpreter’s own attitude toward his/her role

1) The institutionally defined interpreters’ role Interpreters/Translators must: -- relay accurately and completely all that is said by all parties in a meeting – including derogatory or vulgar remarks, non-verbal cues, and anything they know to be untrue. -- not alter, add to or omit anything from the assigned work. … -- maintain professional detachment at all times. -- not voice or write an opinion on anything or anyone concerned with an assignment. AUSIT Code of Ethics

2) The client’s expectations of the interpreter’s role “不用准备，我说什么你就说什么。” “你翻译的时候注意一下策略。” “你认为他讲的是实话吗？” “你觉得我这样做合适吗？” “你对这件事有什么看法？” “请帮我把这几份资料复印一下。”

3) The interpreter’s own attitude toward his/her role a bridge a mediator a facilitator a communicator … C. Angelelli (2004): a detective, a mine digger, a diamond connoisseur, etc.

2. Three role descriptions compared and contrasted: Institution: a translator (just translate and translate everything) Client: a translator + adviser + assistant Interpreter: a translator + a facilitator + a communicator

3. Three role descriptions from a sociolinguistic lens 1) Some key terms explained: Production format: animator, principle, author Discourse process: turn, turn-taking, turn-taking management

Production format: Animator: a body engaged in acoustic activity, an individual who activates “sound” or repeats other’s utterances and is not responsible for the utterance produced. Author: someone who has selected the sentiments that are being expressed and the words in which they are encoded, and is responsible for both the content and form of an utterance. Principal: someone whose position is established by the words spoken, someone whose beliefs have been told, someone committed to what the words say. Erving Goffman, 1981: 144-145, 226-227

Interactive discourse Turnis the basic unit in daily conversation. It can be defined as anything a person says before another person takes the opportunity to speak. It can be a word, a phrase, a segment, a sentence or a combination of sentences. Sacks et al, 1974: 696-735

Turn-taking management Creating a turn Relaying a turn Accepting a turn Ignoring a turn Keeping a turn Interrupting a turn Terminating a turn …

An interpreter may be a discourse process coordinator and a discourse co-constructor by acting as an author and/or co-author and/or by adopting turn-taking management strategies.

Three role descriptions: a sociolinguistic explanation Institution: a translator (an animator) with no impact on the process and outcome of the interaction Client: a translator (an animator + a principal; an author?) with no substantial impact on the process and outcome of the interaction Interpreter: a translator (an animator + an author; principal?) a discourse process coordinator a discourse co-constructor

Interpreting as translating: verbatim/close renditions divergent renditions: expanded renditions reduced renditions substituted renditions summarized renditions zero renditions … (Cecilia Wadensjo, 1998: 106-108)

4. Problematicness of the role descriptions: • The institutionally defined interpreters’ role: a translator = an animator I’m no Hamlet. 我不是哈姆雷特。 The pilot doesn’t know how to land. (D. Seleskovitch) 飞行员不知道怎么降落。你是共和党还是民主党？你打算投奥巴马还是麦凯恩？ Are you a republican or a democrat? Are you going to vote for Obama or McCain?

X – 小向, a local guide, C – a Chinese local official, I – Interpreter, A – an American businessman X:你跟他讲，这个，如果他喜欢的话，我就送他了。一件小礼物吧． C：这可是小向花了几个月的时间画的，别人管他要，他还不给呢。 I: If you like it, Mr. Xiang would like to give it to you as a small gift. He spent months painting it. Normally he doesn’t give it away even if asked for. (summarized rendition) A: Don’t bother. (Walk away) I:(Smile)不用了，不过非常感谢你的好意.

Problematicness of the institutionally defined interpreters’ role: 1. Monologic rather than dialogic 2. Text-oriented rather than interaction-oriented 3. Treating interpreters as machines

2) The client’s expectations of the interpreter’s role：an animator + a principal; an author? No substantial impact 译员：我想先提前看看有关资料，准备准备。客户：不用准备，我说什么你就说什么。客户：今天的谈判原则问题不能让步，但也不要弄僵了，你翻译的时候注意一下策略。译员：好的。客户：从他刚才说话的语气里面，你觉得是否还有回旋的余地？译员：？

F – 法方；C – 中方；I – Interpreter (The italicized part is the literal translation from French.) C: 这帮法国人真ＸＸ的难缠！大不了不跟他们签．牛Ｘ个啥！ F: (to I) 他说什么？你一定得告诉我！ I:呣 (.)，他刚才讲的是土话，我听不懂． (from Prof. Liu Heping)

口译客户问卷调查（2007年）： 参与调查者51人（翻译公司负责人、口译服务终端用户等）： 1.更喜欢主动灵活的译员（33人，65%） 2.更喜欢中规中矩的译员（9人， 18%） 3.说不清（ 9人， 18% ）

Problematicness of the client’s expectations of the interpreter’s role: • Mixed feelings and contradictory expectations • Potential risks on the part of the interpreter

3) The interpreter’s own attitude toward his/her role: an animator + an author + a principal; a discourse process coordinator; a discourse co-constructor O – City official, R – Representative from a local company O:首先呢，我代表我们市政府啊，欢迎我们美国客人光临成都，还有XX公司．这个（.）（转向公司人员）其实啊我今天是被临时拉来的，对情况喃也不太了解．本来说好是郭书记来的，也不知道怎么回事儿，他来不了了，他们就把我给拉来了，搞得我一点准备都没有。（转回客人）可能你们也知道，ＸＸ公司是我市的一家知名企业，生产这个……（转向公司人员）你们今天会谈具体的吗？ R:(小声地）今天只是礼节性的拜访． O:(转回客人）成都啊是一座美丽的城市，火锅特别的有名，有人说啊，成都是一座来了就不想离开的城市，因此，很欢迎你们来。 I: …

P – policeman, I – interpreter, W – foreign woman P: When and how did she leave her home country? I: Okay. Please tell us when and how you left your country. W: My country. I: Mhm. W: Because my father / I: No, not for the / I’m not asking for the reason but just / and when and how you left your country. In the first part we just need to know how you came here. On what day (slowly). W: Mhm. (Sonja Pöllabauer, 2006:153-154)

H – host, I – interpreter, R – Ralph H: 你们猜究竟发生了什么？ I: Can you guess what on earth had happened? +++ R: They had sex! I: (Laugh, addressing R) This might be a bit inappropriate, Ralph, because usually we don’t talk about sex on such occasions. Do you want me to translate that? R: Oh, I’m sorry. No, please don’t. I: 他说猜不出来．

Problematicness of the interpreter’s own attitude toward his/her roles: Role overload? Undue responsibility?

III. Multiple roles of the interpreter at work: -- an animator with no turn-taking management -- an animator with turn-taking management -- an animator + an author with no turn-taking management -- an author with no turn-taking management -- an author with turn-taking management -- an animator + an author with turn-taking management functioning as a translator, a discourse process coordinator, and a discourse co-constructor simultaneously, influencing the process and/or outcome of the interaction in an explicit or implicit way.

An animator with turn-taking management (relaying a turn) C – a Chinese, I – Interpreter, F – Foreign visitor C: ……在我看来这是件好事嘛。 I: … and in my view this is certainly a good thing. (turning to and looking at F) F: Mhm, (.) yeah, I agree with you basically …

An author with no turn-taking management 毛主席：我想我就要接到上帝的请贴了，但到现在还没走成． …… Pre. Ford: No problem. I will ask Secretary Kissinger to send you an invitation shortly. Kissinger + Lord: (look at I nervously) 翻译：　总统说，主席能活千儿八百岁，不碍　　　　事的． Feng Jianzhong, 2007:228

An animator + an author with no turn-taking management D – TCM doctor, I – interpreter, P - patient D: 把手给我。 I: Put your hand here, like this. (Demonstrating to P by placing her hand on a pad, palm up) P: (placing her right hand on the pad, palm up) D: 嘴张开我看看。 I: Now he would like you to open your mouth. Usually we would say “ah”, like this. (demonstrating to P) P: (open her mouth) Ah::: D: 你是胃寒，要忌生冷。 I: You have the syndrome of stomach cold, and you should limit the intake of raw and cool food, food of cool and cold nature, like water melon, kiwi fruit, banana, crab, ice cream. P: Yeah, like salad, and my favourite vanilla milkshake, I had a lot of them lately. I: 她最近确实是吃了不少生冷的东西，象沙拉奶昔之类的。 D: 我说嘛，不能吃了哈。

An author with turn-taking management(accepting a turn) C – a Chinese, I – interpreter, A – an American C: （to A) 你是共和党还是民主党？你打算投奥巴马呢还是麦凯恩？ I: （to C, softly）在西方人们一般不问别人的党派或投票意向, 你希望我帮你问吗？ C: 哦是吗？那就算了。可以问问他，他觉得哪一个的赢面要　大一些。

An author with turn-taking management(distributing a turn) C1 – 中方甲, C2 – 中方乙， I – interpreter, A – an American C1: 我们的情况我先大致介绍到这里。 I: This is a brief introduction to our proposal. C2: 我补充…… A: (index finger up) Uh … I: (turning and nodding to A) Yes? A: Thank you very much for your kind introduction, and I’d like to make a brief comment…

An animator + an author (+ a principal) with turn-taking management (creating a turn + distributing a turn) G – guest, Mr. Louton, I – interpreter, H – host, 张总 I:Uh (.), Mr. Louton, look at this dish. It’s called Peacock Welcoming the Guests, and G: Wow! I: and the bean-curd here is called Bear’s Paw G: Ah::: I’m sorry, bear’s Paw? I: (laugh) Well, the answer is both yes and no. My boss may explain this to you. (to H) 张总，客人想知道这道菜为什么叫“熊掌豆　　腐”,是不是真的有熊掌在里面．还有，嗯，比方说，那道菜　　为什么叫“孔雀迎宾”？跟孔雀有什么关系吗？

An animator + an author with turn-taking management (keeping a turn) D – Dr. Brandt, I – interpreter, S – a group of second-year students at a primary school in Dujiangyan after the Wenchuan earthquake D: So, you all ready for this interesting exercise? I: 我们马上就来做这个有趣的练习，大家准备好了吗？ S: (in chorus) YES! D: Good! First, um, tell me how you feel right now, you know, on the Feelings Thermometer. I: 首先呢请大家告诉我，你们现在的心情如何。比方说，有这样一个心情温度计，你现在的心情是几度呢？ S: (no response) I: 这个温度计从零度到十度，有十个刻度，零度呢代表你一点都不难过，十度代表你非常非常难受，非常非常焦虑。从零度到十度，程度越来越高。那你现在的心情是多少度呢？ (from Yang Yuhong’s transcriptions)

An animator + an author with turn-taking management (interrupting/terminating a turn) D – Dr. Brandt, S – a seven-year old boy, I – interpreter D: So what did you see when you um ran out of the classroom? I: 你跑出教室以后，你看到了什么？ D: Just tell me anything that scares you. I: 告诉我们你看到的所有让你害怕的情景。 S: 我看到……操场上树在晃，晃得很厉害，然后房子也在晃，很大的灰尘，很　多人都在叫，还有哭声，我很害怕，房子实在晃得厉害，一些东西砸在地　上，有人被砸到流了很多血。还有后来我听XX说，他还看见有人从楼上掉　下来，好大一滩血，还有脑浆，他还说，哦。 I: (to the boy)只讲你看到的就可以了。 I: I saw trees shaking, heavily, and also the buildings are, uh, were shaking. There’s lots of dust in the air, and people were shouting and crying. Things were falling on the ground and hitting people, some people were bleeding, bleeding terribly. And I’m really scared. (from Yang Yuhong’s transcriptions)

Implicit impact: C – Representative of the Chinese company, F – Representative of the foreign company, I – interpreter C: 这老外真是发昏了，你癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉啊？ F: (Looking at I) I: This is a bit too much. If you insist, I’m afraid we can’t go on. (an animator + an author with no turn- taking management) Feng Jianzhong, 2007:108

Explicit impact: VP – vice president of an American company, C – GM of the Chinese side of a joint venture, I – interpreter VP: There’s no point going on talking like this if we can’t agree on this. We’ll have to ask our liquidation company to come over to deal with the clearing tomorrow and we shall leave for the airport right away! I: (Softly) 如果我们不能在这个问题上达成一致的话，就没有谈下去的必要了．明天我们会让清算公司来进行清算，我们现在就去机场. C: (No response) I: (To VP) It’s coffee break now. Shall we have a cup of coffee and then we’ll see … (To C) 要不我们先茶歇？

Are the multiple roles always desirable? D – Dr. Brandt, S – a seven-year old boy, I – interpreter D: So what did you see when you um ran out of the classroom? I: 你跑出教室以后，你看到了什么？ D: Just tell me anything that scares you. I: 告诉我们你看到的所有让你害怕的情景。 S: 我看到……操场上树在晃，晃得很厉害，然后房子也在晃，很大的灰尘，很　多人都在叫，还有哭声，我很害怕，房子实在晃得厉害，一些东西砸在地　上，有人被砸到流了很多血。还有后来我听XX说，他还看见有人从楼上掉　下来，好大一滩血，还有脑浆，他还说，哦。 I: (to the boy)只讲你看到的就可以了。 I: I saw trees shaking, heavily, and also the buildings are, uh, were shaking. There’s lots of dust in the air, and people were shouting and crying. Things were falling on the ground and hitting people, some people were bleeding, bleeding terribly. And I’m really scared.

Role conflict: What’s the right way to do it? 1) Too much detachment vs. too much involvement 2) Good intention vs. undesirable result Walking the tightrope!

Is there always a need for interpreters to intervene? To what extent and how can they intervene successfully? These are the kinds of questions to which empirical research in interpreting studies should address itself. (Basil Hatim & Ian Mason, 2001:81)

IV. Conclusion: Interpreting is a linguistic as well as a complicated social and cultural phenomenon. In this three or multi-party interactional encounter, the interpreter assumes multiple roles that defy any simplified and decontexualized definitions. S/He often acts simultaneously as a translator, a discourse process coordinator and a discourse co- constructor, exerting certain impact on the direction and/or outcome of the interaction.

V. Bibliography Angelelli, C. Revisiting the Interpreter’s Role [M]. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 2004. Goffman, Ervine. Forms of Talk [M]. Oxford: Basil Blackwell Publisher, 1981. Hatim, Basil & Mason, Ian. The Translator as Communicator [M]. London: Routledge, 1997. H. Sacks et al. A Simplistics for the Organization of Turn-taking for Conversation [A]. Language [J]. 1974, 50(4), pp.696-735. Sonja Pöllabauer. “Translation Culture” in Interpreted Asylum Hearings [A]. In Anthony Pym et al. Sociocultural Aspects of Translating and Interpreting [C]. Wadensjö, Cecilia. Interpreting as Interaction [M]. London and New York: Longman, 1998. 冯建中.口译实例与技巧[C].太原：书海出版社，2007 任文. 联络口译过程中译员的主体性意识研究[M]. 北京：外语教学与研究，2010 http://www.ausit.org http://en.wikipedia.org

Thank You!

The Interpreter’s Multiple Roles -- A sociolinguistic perspective Ren Wen, Professor, PhD