Neutrality in interpretation is best achieved without an interpreter

Thank YOU so very much for your services yesterday... you were truly instrumental. You have no idea the impact that you provided which is something that is priceless. It was a pleasure working with you... Thank you for your professionalism... it was bar none ...

OK, this is shameless boasting, a true satisfied customer statement you can type yourself claiming you went on diet the night before and are now slimmer than ever.

But the purpose here is not boasting, truly, but pinpointing at something that appeared, at that occasion that later generated that comment (genuine, I swear), that the liaison interpreter is an enabler, an instrument of catharsis, sometimes. And this can't be let go with a mere, "so what?".

Neutrality in interpretation is best achieved without an interpreter. Or far away from a booth.

Neutrality is a consciously managed action, something done while performing, with awareness lit up. It is not pretending you are a black clad instrument like the helpers at Kabuki theater. It is instead reckoning that you are way too much visible as compared with the best situation, interaction that happens without an interpreter.

Managing neutrality is in part a matter of body movement control, but not always, controlling speed - try and deliver fast and short, and especially not interfering with the flow unless it is absolutely necessary and you believe it will make the understanding on both side better.

A conversation may start all of a sudden with a commonly known context on both sides, you the interpreter having no clue about it. You can test the following, asking someone to interpret, all of a sudden, not asking to "translate the following" because it will set the tested individual in a different mood.

"I met Mary yesterday and she was very pleased with present."

How many times have you felt even slightly to caress the break pedal because you don't know Mary, you don't know about the circumstances of giving a present, and you don't know what was in the package (and neither what was the color of the ribbon)?

Many times, students start thinking fleetingly about all these and this impairs on the speed of delivery, but also the mood, but also their competence (the lack of it) at controlling that visible frown on the face that tells "what the hell are you talking about?" Yet, you know that we know that it doesn't matter that you don't know who is Mary, what is the relationship between the people involved, why did she give a present, and whether the ribbon was stripped red and white or navy blue. It is a very easy message to be interpreted in a flash. What's more, chances are high that one side will tell you en aparté in three words who is Mary, or that further on along the path, a portrait of Mary, hints at relationships between protagonists in-situ or not will pop up in the picture. Interpreting in liaison mode is more than often also making a mental image of the various pieces of a puzzle and try make sense out of it while delivering. There are many instance pushing you to fall into the puzzlement trap, the questioning, inner or not, about who the hell are they talking about. Giving freedom to that feeling is putting your role as a communication enabler at risk.

Controlling neutrality is working hard keeping at bay all that makes you want to reach the break pedal and start talking "wait a minute, can you tell me what you are talking about, because you know I am here to help, that is granted I have at least a clue on the subject and what is at stake ... ." Because at heart you naturally want to be a participant to the interaction. Donning that unnatural role of the interpreter doesn't come naturally. Being fully aware of the fact, every time, helps switching fast to interpreting mode. Very often, it's all about awareness of the traps. Routine is the enemy. Where do you learn about composure? Not in books about interpreting as far as my readings tell, but for instance in books about ... savoir-vivre!

I remember reading somewhere a "true statement" about an interpreter praised for being "passionate" in delivering. Passion is required when the situation requires to convey passion from the speaking side. Otherwise, passion pushes you into the trap of overstretching you role of communication conduit. Keeping composure, but also giving clear clues to the talkers and listeners that you are over and that it is time from either side to go on, helping at times to push forward that shy talker whose stance may be drowned in the interaction, behaving in that instance as maître de cérémonie, a discreet actor director is all part of the show, that enhance the liaison interpreter's visibility, for the sake of better interaction.