Workforce Language Services

A recent article in an Iowa newspaper details the art and difficulties behind providing interpretation services for the courts. 

The journalist interviewed federal court interpreters during breaks in the proceedings against almost 400 Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants who were detained in a raid:

Translators are “performance artists,” Xavier Keogh of St. Petersburg, Fla., said.

“We are artists. We play the role of everyone, the judge, defendant and the attorneys,” he said, grinning with his arms open, giving a virtual thespian bow. “We wear all these hats and everyone has a different perspective.”

The article reiterates the fact that interpreters are not simply bilingual, but are highly trained professionals:

Lilley said a translator must know many things in order to do an accurate and fair job. Many times a judge phrases something that doesn’t come out right or make sense in Spanish. The translator must then be able to put the verb in another place or use another word, without changing the meaning, to make it comprehensible for the defendant.

The golden rule is to never change the meaning of what the judge, attorney or defendant says, all the translators agreed. They also agreed they don’t favor the court or defendant. They are the neutral party that ensures nobody is “lost in translation.”

Another recent article from a Wisconsin newspaper homed in on the importance of qualified, court-certified interpreters: a defendant can appeal a decision made by the courts if he didn’t understand what was going on in court.  By using state certified interpreters in Wisconsin, it’s less likely that an appellate court would overturn a decision. 

The Wisconsin article also explained the state’s certification process and listed the costs of having interpreters on staff.

To read the complete article, click here.