Page 242 - Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Communication Competence Language and Communication Problems Practical Solutions

220 Helen Spencer-Oatey and Jianyu Xing

2. Culture and interpreter roles

The California Healthcare Interpreters Association (2002) identifies four main
roles for interpreters: message converter, message clarifier, cultural clarifier,
and patient advocate. We use this categorization as a framework for considering
the impact of cultural factors on the interpreter’s task. Gulliver (1979; cited by
Wadensjö 1998: 64) argues that a third party who is present at a negotiation will
always exert some influence on the process, and we maintain that this applies to
interpreters. In fact, we argue that in all their roles, professional interpreters are
active participants who need to be consciously aware of the importance of ma-
naging cultural factors effectively (see also Thielmann in this volume and Ro-
berts in this volume).

2.1. Interpreter as message converter

All professional interpreters are required to adhere to a code of ethics estab-
lished by the regional, national or international organization to which they be-
long. ‘Accuracy’ is one of the ethical principles that almost all organizations
identify, and the Office of Ethnic Affairs in Te Tari Matawaka, New Zealand
(1995), explains it as follows: “The interpreter shall, to the best of their ability,
interpret faithfully and accurately between the parties; omitting nothing said by
either party nor adding anything which the parties did not say”.
Superficially, this may seem a straightforward principle to adhere to; how-
ever, in practice it can be quite complex, with cultural factors playing a role, as
can be seen from the California Healthcare Interpreters Association’s (2002)
performance measures for this principle:

Interpreters demonstrate accuracy and completeness by acting to:
a. Convey verbal and non-verbal messages and speaker’s tone of voice without
changing the meaning of the message;
b. Clarify the meaning of non-verbal expressions and gestures that have a specific
or unique meaning within the cultural context of the speaker;
c. Maintain the tone and the message of the speaker even when it includes rudeness
and obscenities. Note: different cultural understandings and levels of acceptance
exist for the usage of obscene expressions and profanities, and we understand the
resistance most interpreters have towards uttering such expressions, although
interpreters need to honor the ethical principle of ‘Accuracy and Completeness’
by striving to render equivalent expressions;
d. Reveal and correct interpreting errors as soon as recognized;
e. Clarify meaning and verify understanding, particularly when there are differ-
ences in accent, dialect, register and culture;
f. Maintain the same level of formal/informal language (register) used by the
speaker, or to request permission to adjust this level in order to facilitate under-
standing when necessary to prevent potential communication breakdown.