Interpreters perceive, listen, see and speak in the name of the Other, both in the language of the symbolically and/or practically oppressed Other and in the language of the oppressor. Yet in doing so, they paradoxically use their own voice and language. As there can be no neutral part in mis/communication and as there is no objective way of perceiving, analyzing, and processing information and emotions, professional interpreters must position themselves. Numerous examples from situations where interpreters act as intermediaries between the dominating and violating agents of societies/states and migrants, refugees, and members of minoritized and oppressed communities illustrate the challenges involved in simultaneously representing and mediating the speech of the Other. In settings like detention camps, asylum seekers’ sanctuaries, refugee camps, and prisons where asylum seekers are kept under custody before deportation, as well as in occupied territories and areas of military conflict, the interpreter is faced with the responsibility of serving as the “expert” of the in-between. Interpreters play a participant role in the interplay of power as an active performer. Their gaze disrupts and their voice intervenes. Thus, I argue that, as an important pillar of professionalism, interpreters must be sensitized and trained to cope with the dangers and opportunities of their in-between position and of their status as the third party to a communicative act. Interpreters should be trained to reflect critically and honestly on their involvement as participant observers.
2023. The emotional strain in community interpreting: Cognitive aspects of direct versus indirect address as observed by interpreters. Lodz Papers in Pragmatics 19:1 ► pp. 199 ff.
2022. To act or not to act: interpreters’ dilemmas and choices in aged care assessments of elderly migrants. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development► pp. 1 ff.
Martin, Anne & María Gómez-Amich
2021. Ideology, positionality and war. Interpreting. International Journal of Research and Practice in Interpreting 23:2 ► pp. 269 ff.
Bahadır, Şebnem
2020. Das Politische in Stimme und Blick der Feldforscher_in/Dolmetscher_in. In Migration Übersetzen, ► pp. 183 ff.
Bahadır, Şebnem
2024. The Political in the Voice and the Gaze of the Field Researcher/Interpreter. In Translating Migration, ► pp. 163 ff.
2020. Dolmetschen in der Asylanhörung. Erkenntnisse der „Berliner Initiative“ und ihr Transfer auf andere Settings. In Migration Übersetzen, ► pp. 139 ff.
Markert, Henrieke
2024. Interpreting in Asylum Hearings: Findings of the “Berlin Initiative” and Their Transfer to Other Settings. In Translating Migration, ► pp. 125 ff.
Rodríguez-Castro, Mónica, Spencer Salas & Jatnna Acosta
2020. Interpreting Solidarity. In Handbook of Research on Advancing Language Equity Practices With Immigrant Communities [Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design, ], ► pp. 350 ff.
Rodríguez-Castro, Mónica, Spencer Salas & Jatnna Acosta
2022. Interpreting Solidarity. In Research Anthology on Bilingual and Multilingual Education, ► pp. 1175 ff.
Treiber, Angela & Kerstin Kazzazi
2020. Migration Übersetzen. Methodische Zugänge, epistemologische Fragen, theoretische Ansätze. In Migration Übersetzen, ► pp. 1 ff.
Treiber, Angela & Kerstin Kazzazi
2024. Translating Migration. Methodological Approaches, Epistemological Questions, Theoretical Approaches. In Translating Migration, ► pp. 1 ff.
2016. Gender Problems in the Practice of Professional Interpreters Assisting Migrant Women in Australia. Violence Against Women 22:11 ► pp. 1305 ff.
Aguilar, Raquel Pacheco
2015. Chapter 1: The Question of Authenticity in Translator Education from the Perspective of Educational Philosophy. In Towards Authentic Experiential Learning in Translator Education, ► pp. 13 ff.
Ellcessor, Elizabeth
2015. Is there a sign for that? Media, American Sign Language interpretation, and the paradox of visibility. Perspectives 23:4 ► pp. 586 ff.
Hsieh, Elaine & Brenda Nicodemus
2015. Conceptualizing emotion in healthcare interpreting: A normative approach to interpreters’ emotion work. Patient Education and Counseling 98:12 ► pp. 1474 ff.
Pagni, Andrea
2013. Response. Translation Studies 6:3 ► pp. 339 ff.
Furmanek, Olgierda
2012. Professionalization of Interpreters. In The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics,
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 19 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
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