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"I Didn't Rape Anybody!"

For the record, violación in Spanish does not mean a traffic violation. It means rape.

But in a story from the Pew Charitable Trusts, a Spanish instructor reports that a man was accused in court of running a red light. then he heard his Spanish interpreter tell him he was accused of violación. (The correct word here was infracción.)

The man panicked and shouted, "I didn't rape anybody."

The article offers compelling examples of how poor interpreting can derail justice. One judge asked if there was 'someone in an orange jumpsuit' who could "translate," thinking that a Latino defendant could interpret. Ouch.

The article also has a wonderful full-color map of the United States showing those states that request certified interpreters; those that do not certify the interpreters; and others that require certification--but do not offer it.

A Language Company's Strategy Director Sues--A Judge

This lawsuit could be unique. It's a bit shocking.

TransPerfect is one of the world's largest language companies, with more than 3500 employees and 90 offices according to its website. But it fell on hard times, and a judge in Delaware recently ruled that the company be sold via auction.

Then in a bizarre twist, Timothy Holland, a Director of Corporate Strategy at TransPerfect, slapped the judge and the attorney managing the auction with a lawsuit. Holland filed the lawsuit as a private citizen. He cited First Amendment and due process violations.

Legal experts are not impressed. They doubt the suit will be successful.

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

This week's resource is for interpreters who interpret for domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse cases. It comes to us from Alohalani Boido, a court-certified interpreter in Hawaii.

The information comes in the form of documents with extensive documents about abuse in more than 110 languages--an astounding treasure trove.

Many thanks to Alohalani!

August 19, 2016

IN THIS ISSUE

"I Didn't Rape Anybody!"

Language Company's Strategy Director Sues--A Judge

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK.

Book(s) of the Week

On the Calendar

Deaf Defendant Challenges Interpreter in Court.

CCC Corner

Culture & Language Press

QUICK LINKS

CCC News and Events

Intersect Back Issues

CONTACT US

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Email: info@cultureandlanguage.net

BOOK(S) OF THE WEEK

The Hungry Tide

Amitav Ghosh

Harper Collins, 2006

It's still August, and the joke's on me today. A book I was reading from my public library turned out to feature alternating chapters about two main characters, and one of them is... an interpreter. He runs a language company in India.

I picked the book up only because I enjoyed another book by the same author, so I didn't know. The book is a fun and fascinating read. (Though more literary than its blurb below suggests.) Check it out.

From the author of the international bestseller The Glass Palace, The Hungry Tide is a novel of adventure and romance set in the exotic Sundarbans -- treacherous islands in the Bay of Bengal where isolated inhabitants live in fear of drowning tides and man-eating tigers. A headstrong young American arrives in this lush landscape to study a rare species of river dolphin. She enlists the aid of a local fisherman and a translator*, and soon their fates on the waterways will be determined by the forces of nature and human folly.

*Sigh!

ON THE CALENDAR

ATA Convenes in San Francisco in November

It's the biggest conference in the U.S. for translators and interpreters--and draws visitors from abroad. The American Translators Association (ATA) will host its 57th annual conference November 2-5, 2016 in San Francisco.

This conference is a must for almost any professional in the field. Fabulous networking, a great exhibit hall, more than 1,800 expected to attend--and more than 170 presentations!

Deaf Defendant Challenges Interpreter in Court

This case has huge implications for legal interpreters in the U.S. And the verdict came earlier this year right here in Maryland.

The case, heard in the Court of Appeals, was about a Deaf criminal defendant's constitutional right to confront the American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter for his police interrogation if the State uses his interpreted statements as evidence in his criminal case.

And it was serious: the defendant was accused of sexual abuse of seven minors. He was found guilty of abusing two of them. But he disputed the accuracy of his interpreter for the police interrogation.

The result was a fascinating ruling. Essentially the appellate court:

Accepted the concept that interpreting is not word-for-word but rather that the interpreter makes statements based on his or her understanding of the message.
Found that police interviews needed to be videotaped so the original statements can be preserved.
Discovered that English and ASL are two distinct languages.
Rather than seeing the interpreter as a "tool," realized that an interpreter is "the declarant of his or her own statements about what the defendant has said."

Here's a concrete example from the ruling. The defendant "testified that he told the interpreters that, if he had touched anyone, it would have been an accident, and he would have apologized." Yet the interpreter stated that he touched the girls.

CCC CORNER

A Trainer Shares Her "TCI TOT" Experience on Video

It's short but charming! This video comes from Irina Williams, the Customer Care

Manager and Director of Interpreter Training for ARCH Language Network in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Irina talks about some important things she learned from the Training of Trainers for The Community Interpreter® International. See what our most recent licensed trainer has to say!

Early Bird Deadline Coming Up for "TCI"

If you want to save, and you plan to attend our fall session of The Community Interpreter® International, sign up before September 9!

The fall dates (two Fridays and three Saturdays), are October 14,15, 21, 22 and 29.If you sign up by the Early Bird deadline of September 9, Instead of paying $675, you will pay only $630. And it's the best deal in the country, because what do you get?

The leading national program for medical and community interpreting!
The only comprehensive textbook in the world for the field (one quarter color!), a landmark work of 453 pp. published in 2015 and authored by five experts. (Sold around the world!)
A workbook of more than 200 pages with realistic role plays and many exercises.
Five days with amazing trainers!
Continental breakfast and snacks.
An oral language proficiency test, and a written assessment of knowledge.
A certificate recognized across the nation--and beyond.

CCC has 212 licensed trainers across 33 U.S. states, DC, Guam and six other countries. Come and find out why!

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Sincerely,

Marjory A. Bancroft

Marjory A. Bancroft
Director & Founder
Cross-Cultural Communications, LLC

www.cultureandlanCroguage.net