Daniel Greene

Tag: translation

  • What interpreters can learn from HTML

    What could HyperText Markup Language (HTML) possibly have to teach interpreters? I learned HTML in the nineties, and I made the connection to interpreting the other day when I watched a colleague’s interpretation. The English sentence she interpreted was:

    Also you can take them to a consignment shop, which– they’ll buy your clothes, which gives you a little extra money.

    My colleague’s ASL interpretation was: (more…)

  • Why shouldn’t I let my consumers do my work for me sometimes?

    Some interpreters just hate it when they’re trying to interpret from ASL to English and someone in the audience who knows sign language blurts out a word the interpreter missed or is trying to think of. I had such an interpreting experience recently, and it made me think about my willingness to let my consumers help me with my interpretation. Looking at it now, I think it is a question of humility, not laziness, but that is the wisdom of hindsight talking. Let me bring you back to the not-so-wise moment when I had a conflict with my audience.

    The deaf speaker, presenting to an audience of people who knew ASL pretty well but not fluently, fingerspelled a number I wasn’t entirely sure of. I thought I got it, but wasn’t 100% confident in my perception. I didn’t have a team interpreter to support me in voicing. Someone in the audience said the thing I wasn’t sure of, and it turned out I was right. Yet, after they did that bit of work for me, I asked the presenter to reiterate the lexical item. I was doing consecutive interpreting, and while I was watching the deaf signer, yet another audience member said the thing I wasn’t sure of. I said, “Just a moment. I’m getting this.” And then I said the thing we all thought the deaf person said, only this time I was sure of my interpretation. The dialogue between me and the audience members was quiet, and it didn’t seem to be a big deal for anyone, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it after the assignment.

    Why did I do what I did? Was it the most appropriate and effective behavior? What could I have done differently? Why didn’t I just let it go when the audience member guessed rightly? And, even if they had guessed wrongly, would it have mattered? These are the questions that nagged me this morning.

    I think I did what I did for several reasons I’m not necessarily proud of: (more…)

  • Should interpreters interpret signed English to spoken English word-for-word?

    How “faithfully” or “literally” should interpreters convey signed English (or Contact Language) into spoken English when sign-to-voice interpreting? Does it make sense to use the “meaning model” or “sense theory” to receive the signed English message, drop all the mouthed, signed, and fingerspelled English words, phrases, and figures of speech, conceptualize it, and speak the “meaning” of it in English? (more…)

  • Singing and signing Happy Birthday in ASL

    This is a creative interpretation of The Birthday Song sung in English while signed in ASL (American Sign Language). (more…)

  • Video Response to "My first sign language video!"

    The following is a translation/transcript of my ASL video response to “My first sign language video!”

    Hi, Ashley. Thanks for leaving a comment on my video, “ASL Intro”! Your signing is good and you fingerspell well. If you don’t know a sign, it’s perfectly fine to fingerspell. You fingerspell clearly, and good for you! — I mean, it’s a good thing that you fingerspell instead of trying to invent signs.

    If I may make only one small criticism… (more…)