These below notes from page 1 - 4 were taken from book of “Public Service Interpreting,

The First Steps, Ann Corsellis, Palgrave Textbooks In Translating And Interpreting.
2008.”

Compiled by Muhamad Umar Chatab

Student at English Letters Department
Faculty of Adab and Humanities
State Islamic University of Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the past, the primary focus of studies of interpreting has been on communication between
groups of people with different languages and cultures at an international level. The present
and the future are as much about communication between people of different languages and
cultures within national borders and concerned with the events of people’s everyday lives.
(p.1).

(p.4) Sign languages are generally recognised as languages in their own right, with national
and regional differences such as American Sign Language and British Sign Language. Sign
language interpreting is required for those who are deaf and need access to public services.
Not all those who are deaf are users of a sign language, however; those who are deafened
later in life may be more likely to communicate through trained lipspeakers or speech to text
reporters.1

The most frequently used technique in most public service interactions may be described as
‘two way consecutive’, whereby each speaker is interpreted for after two or three sentences
or short unit of information, into and out of each language by conversational turn. Whispered
interpreting (chuchotage) is used where occasion demands it; it is a kind of simultaneous
interpreting but without the booth, with the interpreter sitting close to the listener and
interpreting in a low voice as the source-language utterances are made. The most usual
examples of this technique are particular stages during court hearings when the other
language speaker is not part of the exchange or where a long utterance should not be
interrupted, for example, when strong emotions are being expressed. The interpreter has to
know which technique would be best to use and when. (p.5).

The role of the public service interpreter is still under debate in some countries and contexts.
Some say that public service interpreters (PSIs) should restrict their role to transferring the
meaning of messages, while others would have them also give advice and opinion and take
on additional tasks. Some say that PSIs should remain impartial, while others say that they
should be on the side of the other-language speaker and act as advocates of their cause. (p.6).

1
‘A lipspeaker has exceptionally clear speech movements. They will face the deaf person,
and repeat what the speaker says, without using their voice, so that the deaf person can
lipread them. The Lipspeaker uses the same rhythm and phrasing of speech as used by the
speaker, and supports the message with facial expressions and natural gestures.’ ‘A Speech to
Text Reporter (STTR) uses a special phonetic keyboard to type what is being said. This
keyboard is able to produce information at very high speeds. The text is instantly displayed,
either on a laptop screen, or on a larger projection screen.’ (source: http://www.
cacdp.org.uk/, the website of the UK-based Council for the Advancement of Communication
with Deaf People (CACDP)).
1
whispered simultaneous or chuchotage where the interpreter sits next to the listener and
whispers the interpretation at the same time as the other interlocutor is speaking. (p.25).

Interpreters and translators should:

(a) only accept assignments which they deem themselves competent to carry out to a
satisfactory standard
(b) disclose any professional limitations which may arise during an assignment and take
steps to remedy them or withdraw
(c) declare any conflict of interest arising from an assignment. (p.34).

It would be unacceptable for interpreters to accept assignments, which they knew they were
not competent to perform adequately. It is also perfectly acceptable for an interpreter to admit
to professional limitations during an assignment. As in other disciplines, if professional
limitations or conflicts of interest cannot be resolved satisfactorily and transparently, the
interpreter should withdraw from the assignment. (p.36).

(d) Interpreters and translators shall not delegate assignments, or accept delegated
assignments, without the consent of the parties concerned. (p.37).

Interpreters and translators shall not:

(e) use any information gained during the course of their work for the benefit of
themselves or anyone else
(f) accept any reward arising from an assignment other than the agreed fees and
expenses. (p. 39).

(g) Interpreters and translators shall seek to increase their professional skills and
knowledge. (p. 40).

(h) safeguard professional standards and offer assistance to other interpreters and
translators whenever reasonable, practical and appropriate. (p. 40).

(i) Interpreters and translators shall observe confidentiality. Interpreters and translators
must treat as confidential any information that may come to them in the course of their work.
(p. 42).

(j) interpret and translate truly and faithfully, to the best of one’s ability, without
anything being added or omitted; summarizing only when requested and with the
knowledge and consent of all parties.

(k) observe, and be seen to observe, impartiality. (p.43).

Finally, accurate interpreting demands high levels of concentration. If the interpreters are also
doing other things at the same time, and making themselves morally responsible for what
others are saying and doing, the level of accuracy is likely to diminish. (p.46).

The general guidelines to interpreting good practice. Hal.46

Guidelines recommend that the interpreter can intervene to preserve the communication for
four specific reasons:

2
1. To ask for accommodation to the interpreting process, for example, when someone is
speaking inaudibly or too quickly.

2. To ask for clarification of an utterance that is ambiguous, unclear or contains a term that is
not understood by the interpreter. This may be a technical term or slang.

3. To alert the participants that someone may not have understood what has been said,
although the interpreting was correct. Interpreters have a good feel for comprehension and
can sense when this is happening. The causes may be various but they can, for example,
include either party using formal registers or technical terms that are not comprehensible to
the other in either language.

4. To alert the participants that a relevant cultural inference may have been missed. This
refers to an item of information that is not in the cultural frame of reference of one or more of
the participants. An example could be the significance of religious festivals and why it was
important that a family member should be home for Christmas, Divali and so on. (P.48).

Websites yang perlu dibuka:

www.naati.com.au (The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters Ltd
(Australia))
www.nrpublic service interpreter.org.uk (The National Register of Public Service Interpreters
Ltd (UK)) (P.52).
AIIC (International Association of Conference Interpreters, see http://www.aiic.net/) (p.55).

The fact that bilinguals ‘rarely have identical knowledge in other languages’ has been given
as a reason why ‘many bilinguals are not effective at interpretation and translation’ (Baker
2000: 82). In other words, training is required, particularly in order to extend certain areas of
vocabulary. (p.59).

A solid written and spoken command of both languages is needed before interpreter training
can begin. (P.59).

National Occupational Standards for Interpreters in the UK (www.CILT.org.uk/standards).

In summary, the skills required by a public service interpreter include:

• knowledge of the relevant public service, its structure, procedures, processes and personnel
• written and spoken fluency in both the relevant languages, including the commonly used
range of relevant registers and terminology
• the ability to transfer meaning accurately between languages, both ways, including:
– two-way consecutive interpreting
– whispered simultaneous interpreting (including the ability to go in both directions)
– sight translation
– translation of short written texts
• understanding of the code of ethics and of strategies to implement it
• strategies for professional and personal continuous development. (p.60).

Selection criteria for interpreter training at initial professional level

These normally include, as may be expected:
• Language competence: graduate level or equivalent (spoken and written) in both languages,
range of registers and domains
3
• Interpreting potential: voice, presentation, ability to transfer between languages,
interpersonal skills
• Learning potential: ability to analyse information logically, curiosity, interest in the subject
• Professional potential: maturity (not necessarily associated with chronological age),
organisational abilities, availability. (P.68).

Referensi buku: Pöchhacker, F. (2004) Introducing Interpreting Studies. London: Routledge.

(P.81).

Batas baca full hal.89: Establishing a professional framework: management of change

Referensi website: see the UK’s National Register for Public Service Interpreters
(www.nrpsi.co.uk)

What is the best way to formulate a message for interpreting?

Again, experience shows that using clear, simple and unambiguous language and structuring
information logically is likely to be effective. Saying precisely what is meant, without
euphemisms (sejenis kiasan yang sopan; ungkapan yang lebih halus sebagai penggantian
ungkapan yang dirasakan kasar) or circumlocutions2, and speaking in a clear audible voice, at
an even pace are also important, remembering that the interlocutors and the interpreter are
also decoding non-verbal signals.

How does a speaker know if the interpreter has understood the message?
Interpreters are trained to ask for clarification if they have not fully grasped the meaning of
what they have been asked to interpret. (p. 133).

Interpreters will normally introduce themselves last, to indicate they are not one of the
principals. They will then set out their role for the benefit of the other-language speaker and
include in their statement that they will:
° interpret everything that is said to them
° act impartially
° observe confidentiality
° intervene when they need clarification, accommodation of the interpreting process or to
alert parties to potential misunderstanding or missed cultural inference. They will then
interpret subsequent explanations
° use direct rather than indirect speech

Referensi buku:

Gillies, A. (2005) Note-taking for Consecutive Interpreting – A Short Course. Manchester: St.
Jerome. (p.177).

Kelly, L. (1979) The True Interpreter. A History of Translation Theory and Practice in the
West. New York: St. Martin’s Press. (p.177).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2
(An example of) an indirect way of saying something, especially something unpleasant: ‘Economical with the
truth’ is circumlocution for ‘lying’. Politicians are experts in circumlocution. (Cambridge Advance Learner’s
Dictionary).
4