Page 144 - Reading Between the Sign Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters

The Impact of Cultural Differences on Interpreting Situations 129

The Medical Appointment

Scenario 1
Hearing Doctor: Hi. How are you?
The doctor is probably expecting a general introduc-
tory statement grounded in the present. Perhaps some-
thing like, “Not too well. The last few mornings, I’ve
been feeling quite dizzy.” Then it’s up to the doctor to
further question the patient about what led up to the
current state of affairs.
Deaf Patient: Well, that first pill you gave me last year was
awful, made me itch all over, then the blue one made my head-
ache worse, and this one made me feel dizzy in the morning....
Deaf patients often begin their discussion with the doc-
tor by relating their relevant medical history starting at
whatever point they consider to be the beginning, prob-
ably to give the doctor enough context with which to
view the present situation. In ASL discourse the present
moment does not hang isolated in space but exists on
a timeline connecting past, present, and future. Depend-
ing on how far back the narrative is started, the doctor
may become impatient waiting for the patient to get to
the point.

Scenario 2
Hearing Pediatrician: I’m sorry, I have some bad news. Our test
results show that your baby is deaf.
Deaf Mother: Hurray!!!
This scenario is just one example of the numerous mis-
conceptions that hearing people hold about deafness
and Deaf people. Many hearing people see deafness as
an affliction. A significant number of Deaf people, on
the other hand, are proud to be Deaf and would not
change it even if they had the choice. So while the doc-
tor in this example may pity the Deaf woman for hav-
ing a child “with the same condition,” the Deaf mother
feels happy at the thought that her child will be a con-
tinuation of her family and culture.

06 MINDESS PMKR 129 10/18/04, 12:01 PM