Ethical Delimmas Thread poster: Sharon 2022
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Hi
I am studying code of ethics in interpreting and translating, the following questions are regard with principle "clarify role of boundaries"
can someone give any advises for that.
1.If interpreter identify miscommunication between the two parties, should they adhere strictly to the ethical principles or do some actions to avoid potential conflict?
2.how to do if interpreter been asked to do something other than interpreting?
| | | | ATIL KAYHAN 
Türkiye
Local time: 22:16
Member (2007)
Turkish to English
+ ...
1.If interpreter identify miscommunication between the two parties, should they adhere strictly to the ethical principles or do some actions to avoid potential conflict?
An interpreter's job is to interpret the two parties' communication. It is not to avoid any conflict between the parties.
2.how to do if interpreter been asked to do something other than interpreting?
Such as what?
| | | | Sadek_A
Local time: 23:16
English to Arabic
+ ...
Sharon 2022 wrote:
1.If interpreter identify miscommunication between the two parties, should they adhere strictly to the ethical principles or do some actions to avoid potential conflict?
2.how to do if interpreter been asked to do something other than interpreting?
1.
No brainer, of course!
By "miscommunication," I guess you mean every party is talking about a different incident, raising a different topic and/or deliberately overshadowing the points of the other, and other activities of the sort.
If that's the case, then you need to indicate that to all the involved parties, not just the ones doing the talking but also the ones that might be overseeing such a debate, and restore the communication back to order.
*If you don't do so, you might end up being held accountable.
But, if by "miscommunication" you mean they are verbally fighting each other and throwing insults here and there, then you just convey exactly what they're saying.
2.
I'll do it, only if she is hot and fit.
| | | | Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 22:16
Member
English to Turkish
| Difficult question | May 8, 2022 |
Sharon 2022 wrote:
2.how to do if interpreter been asked to do something other than interpreting?
I was sent to an interpreting job back in early 2011. I was to interpret for a group of contractors coming from Syria for a potential highway project in Syria. Turns out everybody in the meeting knew enough English to make themselves understood so they didn't need my help. I was asked by the older Turkish engineer to serve tea and fetch bottles of water for the 'guests'. I didn't quite appreciate that, nor did I find it 'ethical'. I did as he asked of course... not the finest hour of my career...
One of the Turkish guys expressed his concern about the ongoing Arab spring back then and wondered if something like that could ever happen in Syria. I'll never forget the Syrian contractor's (who had a Canadian passport) reply: "It's impossible, not in a million years!" It only took a few weeks for the shit to hit the fan, and the country went to dogs soon after..
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... now I understand what it means for us translators and Interpreters, how much responsibility we always have to choose the proper words, and what delimmas it can cause when we fail to do so ...
[Bearbeitet am 2022-05-08 20:36 GMT]
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 20:16
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| Difficult dilemma... | May 8, 2022 |
Sharon 2022 wrote:
2.how to do if interpreter been asked to do something other than interpreting?
... to understand your question.
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 21:16
French to English
Sharon 2022 wrote:
1.If interpreter identify miscommunication between the two parties, should they adhere strictly to the ethical principles or do some actions to avoid potential conflict?
If the two parties have misunderstood each other, it may be because the interpreter wasn't expressing the points clearly enough. So the interpreter should stop and clarify.
Even if the parties manage to misunderstand despite crystal-clear interpreting, it would be ridiculous not to try to very tactfully elucidate the misunderstanding. The whole point of having an interpreter is to ensure smooth communication. After all, there's still a risk of the interpreter being unfairly blamed, and proving the contrary would be a very fraught experience (unless the conversation is being recorded of course).
Sharon 2022 wrote:
2.how to do if interpreter been asked to do something other than interpreting?
I think this very much depends on the circumstances. If it's just a matter of slipping out during a break to fetch something because nobody else is available, it would probably be churlish to refuse.
Acting as the tea-lady all day as described by Baran, for me that would be a huge no-no. I mean, if a lawyer turned up to a meeting and it turned out that her services were not required, she'd simply go back to her office (and bill for the inconvenience anyway), I don't see that an interpreter should be treated any differently.
Early in my career I might have agreed to be the tea-lady (fuming inwardly), nowadays I'm no longer prepared to take that kind of BS (because of the sexist connotations for me as a woman).
[Edited at 2022-05-09 07:46 GMT]
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1. Make double sure that both sides get the message. Sometimes conflict cannot be avoided, and we are not mediators or facilitators. Or we may be, but to a certain degree. In my not-so-long interpreting experience I was once blamed for a very sensitive dispute while interpreting during an accreditation audit. Sadly, the customer chose to blame me and not the auditor who made a mistake (understandable from their risk perspective, but painful for me being the scapegoat), while I was double sure I ... See more 1. Make double sure that both sides get the message. Sometimes conflict cannot be avoided, and we are not mediators or facilitators. Or we may be, but to a certain degree. In my not-so-long interpreting experience I was once blamed for a very sensitive dispute while interpreting during an accreditation audit. Sadly, the customer chose to blame me and not the auditor who made a mistake (understandable from their risk perspective, but painful for me being the scapegoat), while I was double sure I conveyed the right meaning, the more so it was quite a simple issue. I guess it's often an issue with other people's ethics, not interpreters'.
2. This question is too general. So much depends on what you would mean by 'other than'. It's humiliating to be treated as a servant. While if you can provide some insight, e.g. if you have experience in a certain area and can improve the communciation, why not? Coming back to the 1. case, I worked as an auditor at that time myself, and it was easier for me to explain certain things without parties getting too frustrated. It was a certain small effort I might have not put in, strictly speaking. Not everything can be billed, and good human relations are important. ▲ Collapse
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Thanks for everyone share the experiences
| | | | Stepan Konev
Russian Federation
Local time: 22:16
English to Russian
| What is "delimmas"? | May 10, 2022 |
Matthias Brombach wrote:
... and what delimmas it can cause... Is it a joke?
| | | | | Please see the headline first ... | May 10, 2022 |
Stepan Konev wrote: Matthias Brombach wrote:
... and what delimmas it can cause... Is it a joke?
... but it could also be a Greek name (Ethical Delimmas)
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 20:16
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| It is a misspelled word | May 10, 2022 |
Stepan Konev wrote: Matthias Brombach wrote:
... and what delimmas it can cause... Is it a joke?
I think Proz staff can correct the title of the thread.
In interpretation an error can go unnoticed, in translation it's another story.
Even so, both should be handled always with care, the best as we can, after all this is our profession.
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Stepan Konev
Russian Federation
Local time: 22:16
English to Russian
No, that is not what I meant. I appreciate that the first instance of 'delimmas' was a typo. That is exactly why I quoted a different comment. Linguists (our profession after all) and delimmas? Er... Probably it was sort of irony? That was my question.
[Edited at 2022-05-11 00:59 GMT]
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 20:16
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Stepan Konev wrote:
No, that is not what I meant. I appreciate that the first instance of 'delimmas' was a typo. That is exactly why I quoted a different comment. Linguists (our profession after all) and delimmas? Er... Probably it was sort of irony? That was my question.
[Edited at 2022-05-11 00:59 GMT]
I'm not sure, maybe it was to point ou to the OP that in fact there was that typo and... more.
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Stepan Konev wrote: Matthias Brombach wrote:
... and what delimmas it can cause... Is it a joke?
Yes.
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