You’re onstage and the MC wants to deliberately swear so everyone in the audience will lean how to sign a sear word.
As a CODA interpreter, I’ve always had an instinct for better or worse, to give the deaf person full access to what is happening to the world around them. Initially, I’ve adopted the machine-like interpreting model where I simply operate as a device that gains language input and generate equivalent language for output. With this novice thinking, it would seem appropriate to simply hear the swear input and produce a swear output. Just as if someone is typing a swear word in google translate to get the swear word in another language. It is important to note, humans and communication is more complicated than a google translate machine.
I am not a machine. I am a professional interpreter on stage providing access for the deaf community to gain the same experience as the hearing audience. Being singled out on stage looking to generate entertainment at the expense of myself and the Deaf persons dignity is not a position of providing equal access. The deaf person is singled out to the crowd, just as if no Interpreter is present, the Deaf person would be singled out with no access. Recognizing that I am not a machine but a professional, it would make sense that a speaker may interact with me. Hence, I am inherently involved and changing the dynamics on stage by being present. There are now two factors. Interpreting content and responding to interactions toward me. One has ethical considerations and the other as human and professional considerations.
Factors to consider when asked to show a swear in Auslan on stage.
As a new interpreter, working within the machine-like interpreting model, one immediate consideration is to faithfully interpret what is said without omission, adding or changing the content. So, using that principle as a black and white rule, an interpreter may interpret the spoken swear word out to the audience, and be used like a high school computer in IT class with giggling teenagers typing swears on google translate.
Professional interpreters take in more considerations than a computer algorithm simply producing outputs and inputs. I would need to recognize that my presence does change the dynamics in the room. The speaker may feel compelled to acknowledge my presence or trying to include me in the event by interacting with me. The speaker may feel compelled to allay any perceived and apparent discomfort with having a signer on stage. The speaker could just be simply interested to take a learning opportunity. Whatever the reason, the speaker has responded to my presence and is establishing a working relationship with me. As a professional, I have a responsibility to co-create a working relationship and set boundaries.
Extra considerations I take is what working relationship do I want in this setting. One driving force for me is the same as I mentioned at the start. I want to provide the same experience for the deaf person as I would for the hearing audience. This would require me to be as inconspicuous as possible.
Another consideration is my role and responsibility. I am not a teacher of Auslan and it is culturally inappropriate to teach an audience sign language. Being told to interpret a swear word to an audience for instruction purposes is outside my role that I am to perform.
Finally cultural safety comes into consideration. After balancing my role to interpret faithfully and not to step outside my role as an interpreter, I must also consider one moral principle of doing no harm.
Being told to interpret a swear word on stage for instruction purposes v cultural safety.
Being a CODA, I have a unique insight and perspective on the lives of deaf community members. I have lived experience seeing the language divide between my Deaf parents and other hearing people. Mostly in Australia, Deaf community members are used to the dominant mono-lingual and cultural society and expect hearing people do not know how to sign (Although this is slowly changing overtime). For my parents to encounter a hearing person who can sign is an appreciated difference to their lives/ routine.
Sadly, Lots of hearing people understanding of sign language is only limited to swear words. Some are not even understood by the deaf community. It is a humiliating experience to not just navigate a society that does not sign, but then to be met with an eager hearing interpreter randomly signing profanities at a marginalized and excluded group and…. yet, mind-bogglingly…. the rude hearing person walks away believing they just contributed meaningfully to deaf lives… completely unaware that may have just escaped a black eye from their offensive behavior.
Back to a large room of a hearing audience. Interpreter is on stage. Speaker deliberately speaks a swear word so all will learn it. Cultural safety immediately enters the equation. How would a sole Deaf person feel in a room of hundreds of hearing people armed with offensive language. Once the event concludes. How many of the hundreds will mock and hurl insults at this deaf person in passing. It is lighthearted to the majority who do not experience being singled out. The minority do not share in the lightheartedness. It will not be a safe place and not providing equal experience.
So, when asked to interpret a swear word on stage to hundreds of hearing people, balancing principles of faithfulness to message, scope of practice and do no harm, you will be seeing me respond to the speaker as a professional setting a boundary stating: ‘I will not be getting involved in that. It’s not appropriate.’ or at a comedy festival: “No way am I interpreting that! everyone will be giving it to me on the streets! ha-ha” then discreetly informing the deaf audience what just transpired. This sets a precedent for working with interpreters in an appropriate way, thus providing equal access for Deaf community.
