The ATA Chronicle - September/October 2019 - 34

INTERPRETERS FORUM

BY JENNIFER DE LA CRUZ

Got Assumptions? Proceed with Caution!
(The following was originally published
on the blog of the National Association of
Judiciary Interpreters and Translators,
https://najit.org/#blog.)

reconciliation that day! I still don't
know how they could do such an
about-face with each other, but I was
sure glad that I didn't make the small
talk I was tempted to engage in about
how love conquers all, etc. Beyond
the ethical dilemma, it would have
turned into such a messy pre-hearing
conversation. Awkward!

e humans are biologically
programmed to walk into a
situation and immediately start
to assess it, right? In fact, what we see
around us will often dictate how we
conduct ourselves-a true testament to
our nature as social beings.
As interpreters, this pre-set mechanism
can cause a reaction in us that can
backfire and be really embarrassing,
uncomfortable, or even downright
unprofessional. In my years as a court
and medical interpreter, I've learned
to proceed with caution. I have a few
anecdotes I hope will serve as reminders
in this battle against our instinctive urge
to make assumptions.

CAUTION: THE UNEXPECTED COMETH!
I was once interpreting in a hospital
clinic when I was called to assist
an intern. We began with friendly
greetings because we hadn't worked
together in a while, and it was a
very pleasant moment right outside
the exam room door. Our smiles,
friendly tones, and the skip in our step
continued as we entered to see the
patient. Unbeknownst to me, the intern
had been tasked with confirming a
woman's cancer diagnosis, and she was
about to begin moaning and weeping
uncontrollably at the most terrifying
news of her life. There was an instant
mood change just moments after we
walked in the room.

CAUTION: LOVEBIRDS IN A NOSEDIVE!
In family court, couples sitting together
waiting for their cases to be called are
often a soon-to-be-divorced spouse and
his or her new love interest. There are

CAUTION: HIDDEN HEARTBREAK NEARBY!

Because the nature of our role
is helpful and can be seen as
positive, the lines between
neutral, safe conduct and
entering into the danger zone
can become blurred.

also situations where a pair has started
a divorce case, only to realize that they
are still willing to drop the matter and
give the marriage another go. Either
way, people who sit together are seen as
amicable, right?
So, I remember having to read a
particular "couple" some mediation
reports prior to their hearing. They
had been sitting together when I
pulled them from the courtroom and
sat together when I read them the
report. They were very sweet, smiling
a lot, and I thought, hmm, maybe
this will be another surprise request
for dismissal of the case. Quite the
contrary happened, and the hearing
ended up being unusually contentious.
They argued over everything, so there
was certainly not going to be any

One of the tasks I'm charged with
as a staff interpreter is getting the
limited-English crowd organized in
our misdemeanor courts before the
doors open. This requires me to make
announcements in a busy hallway.
I've learned it's best to make a little
speech in English first so that the court
customers don't wonder why only a
certain group is being addressed. I
guess I'm a pretty cheerful person in
the morning (thank you, Starbucks),
and so on more than one occasion I've
had to hold back the urge to be extra
chatty as people greet me. You would
think that this is not a big deal, right?
I mean, gosh, what we deal with in
misdemeanor court can be pretty runof-the-mill and a little levity might be a
nice way to start the day.
Unfortunately, not all members of
these morning crowds are there for
those average cases. I remember a
particular family that came to court
many times after a terrible tragedy-the
death of the defendant's child after a
child seat violation in an accident. Here
again is a reason to resist the temptation
to be overly friendly. Just imagine being
in the habit of trying to make everybody
smile and feel relaxed-meaning well,
of course-and then having to interpret
in a very painful situation for some of
those same people. I've found it safer to
have a demeanor that stays a bit more
neutral, remembering that a routine

Interpreters are a vital part of ATA. This column is designed to offer insights and perspectives from professional interpreters.

The ATA Chronicle | September/October 2019

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The ATA Chronicle - September/October 2019

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