MIGRATION ACTION Working with Interpreters
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/ MIGRATION ACTION LIBRARY Vol. XVIII, Number 1 BROTHER' I00D GF ST. LA0EL1CE May, 1996 67 BRUNSWICK STREET FITZROY VICTORIA 3065 Working with Interpreters ( \ '.Ati'T (JNPZRSTAtiD A L O O F D YOU'RE SAil^KS UJHlCH M£AN$: I NE£P HBLP 74HPB&3S Interpreting and Translating Services in Australia Books from the CHOMI Bookshop New Translators Through History RRP: $45.00 edited and directed by Jean Delisle and Judith Woodsworth, 1996 New InterculturalCommunication: Pragmatics, Genealogy, Deconstruction RRP: $26.95 by Robert Young, 1996 New Liaison interpreting: a Handbook RRP: $24.95 by Adolfo Gentile, Uldis Ozlins and Mary Vasilakakos,1996 New The Politics of Language in Australia RRP: $36.95 by Uldis Ozlins, 1993 New 24 Hours RRP: $45.00 by n.O., 1995 B649 Interpreters and the Legal System RRP: $35.00 by Kathy Laster & Veronica Taylor, 1994 B669 Speaking of Speaking RRP: $20.00 by Maree Pardy, 1995 B702 Housing and Refugee Women Research Report RRP: $10.00 by Sherron Dunbar, 1995 B715 Teaching for Justice in the Age of Good Universities Guide: a working RRP: $12.00 paper by Les Terry, 1995 B726 Improving Intercultural Interactions: Modules for Cross-cultural Training RRP: $39.95 Program s edited by Richard W. Brislin and Tomoko Yoshida, 1994 B727 Assessing and Treating Culturally Diverse Clients: a Practical Guide RRP: $29.95 by Freddy A. Paniagua, 1994 B729 Emma: a Recipe for life RRP: $24.95 by Emma Ciccotosto and Michal Bosworth, 1995 B730 Judaism in Australia RRP: $8.95 by W.D. Rubinstein, 1995 B731 The General Langfitt Story: Polish Refugees Recount their Experiences of RRP: $14.95 exile, dispersal and resettlement by Mary on Allbrook and Helen Cattalini, 1995 B732 Racism and Criminology RRP:$38.95 Dee Cook and Barbara Hudson, 1993 Purchases from the CHOMI bookshop may be made by calling the EMC on Ph.(03) 9416 0044 or Fax(03) 9416 1827 or by using the enclosed order form. / igration A ction MIGRATION ACTION Contents VOL XVIII, NUMBER 1, Interpreting for women — time for a rethink MAY 1996 Maree Pardy................................................................................3 ISSN: 0311-3760 Sign language interpreting and the Australian Deaf community Jan Branson and Don M iller..................................................... 9 Migration Action is published by the Interpreting and translating services to Aboriginal communities Ecumenical Migration Centre, Peter Carroll..............................................................................14 161 Victoria Pde, Collingwood, Court interpreting and the war crimes prosecutions: what went Victoria, Australia, 3066. wrong? Tel: +61 3 9416 0044 Fax: +61 3 9416 1827 Ludmila Stern............................................................................19 EMC is a non-government agency which, through B last from the Past: How much have things really changed? its welfare, educational, project and community Editorial Committee................................................................24 work fosters the development of Australia as a multicultural society. The centre has been working Australian model for language services with migrants since 1962. Uldis Ozolins .......................................................................... 26 Its work is diversified, from community service Interpreting services in a community based welfare agency and development to social action and community education. Sherron Dunbar....................................................................... 27 Within a framework of ensuring equal access and Family interpreting in the ageing Italian community... rights for all Australian society, EMC provides Patrizia Burley-Lombardi........................................................ 30 counselling services and community development activities to a number of ethnic communities, both The world of interpreting and translation comes to Australia established and newly arrived. Sandra Hale...............................................................................34 EMC also initiates research towards an understand Translation — the 21st century horizon ing of a range of issues, and promotes change where necessary. Geoffrey Kingscott...................................................................37 EMC operates a Documentation Centre comprising Book Review a library, a bookshop and a publishing house, for Lauren Williams.................................................................. 43 merly the Clearing House on Migration Issues (CHOMI), This is an unique information centre on We are Going migrant, refugee and ethnic issues. The library Oodgeroo of the tribe Noouccal............................................ 44 holds over 40,000 documents and 250 periodicals which are used by students, teachers, government departments, community organisations and other seeking up-to-date information and undertaking research. Editorial Committee: Basil Varghese, Kathy Laster, Anne Seitz, Glen Coomber, Margret Holding, Kimba Chu, Hugh Martin and Vivian Papaleo Editing, design and production: Ecumenical Migration Centre Printing: Art Offset It is not the intention of this journal to reflect the opinions of either the staff or the committee of EMC. In many matters this would be difficult to ascertain, nor do the editors think it desirable. The aim of the journal is to be informative and stimulating through its various articles, sug gestions and comments. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (per volume of 3 issues) — $20.00 (EMC member) — $25 (Student) —$36.00 (Individual) — $45.00 (Institutions) — $50.00 (Abroad) — Single issue: $8.00 MAY 1996 1 IGRATION ACTION E D I TO R I A L Working with Interpreters For over thirty years EMC has been helping to meet the the linguistic and cultural dimensions of the witnesses’ practical needs of newly arrived communities. Not surpris testimony meant that key evidentiary issues were over ingly, language needs and services have been a crucial part looked or misunderstood. of EMC’s policy and advocacy activities. The good news is that from difficult beginnings there is now, at least in The papers all emphasise the demands placed on interpret theory, an acknowledgment of the importance of language ers. As Sherron Dunbar illustrates, the work of welfare rights and the need for professional interpreters. The less and other agencies would have been impossible without optimistic reading is that the competing agenda of cost the assistance of skilled interpreters. Nor could these cutting means that the rhetoric of rights will not be agencies make proper use of such essential-services with matched by a commitment of necessary resources. This out appropriate training for their staff about the challenges issue of Migration Action looks at interpreting and trans of cross-cultural communication. Too easily, as Patrizia lating in Australia against the backdrop of this paradox of Burley-Lombardi found, the linguistic, emotional and eth service delivery. ical demands of interpreting are underestimated by service providers and even NESB communities themselves. How All the papers in this collection provide evidence of the ever more convenient or cheap it may appear, there is no importance of communication for all cultures and the haz substitute for skilled professional interpreters. ards of poor facilities for cross cultural communication. According to Maree Pardy’s research, NESB women Despite the many shortcomings of our system for meeting appreciate the link between language and identity and are the language needs of the diverse language communities acutely conscious of the loss of autonomy even when they in Australia, we have managed to develop a sophisticated have access to skilled interpreters. In the provision of network of language services unparalleled in other coun access to language services she argues, we reproduce the tries. As Sandra Hale notes in her account of the XIVth social structures of inequality based on gender, race and Congress of FIT (International Federation of Translators) class. Women, the greatest users of interpreter services, held in Melbourne earlier this year, maintaining and are also the most disadvantaged under current models of improving the quality of professional interpreter services delivery. The theme of structural inequality is further depends upon raising the professional standing of the explored in the paper by Jan Branson and Don Millar who interpreting in Australia while the remuneration, working highlight how the failure to appreciate the particular com conditions and career prospects of interpreters are poor munication needs of the Deaf in Australia has contributed there is little likelihood of improving the reach and effec to the political and cultural oppression of that community. tiveness of interpreters. Alas, as Geoffrey Kingscott In the case of Aboriginal communities recognition of the observes about the trends in translating, market forces will significance of language in the preservation of culture and soon determine quality of service — technologically identity may have come too late-only twenty of the two sophisticated approaches will be commandeered by indus hundred plus Aboriginal languages remain. The added dif try. Ironically government and industry now acknowledge ficulty, according to Peter Carroll, is that monolingual and the importance of high quality language services to meet monocultural White service providers and decision mak the demands of a global market In this changed cultural ers in the Northern Territory (as elsewhere) still do not climate where communication