In the theoretical lectures at Ventspils College Translation studies department students can obtain a lot of useful information that would-be translators and interpreters should know, but there are things that, in my opinion, need a little bit deeper understanding. One of these things is better knowledge of ethical and professional requirement. In my report I will concentrate on analysing ethical and professional code of the interpreters at the court.
In the modern hot tempered and aggressive world there are a lot of situations when people are making big mistakes, which can change all their further life. In the case of appearing before the court they must be given the same possibilities and chances as everybody else to protect their rights. If they are not speaking the given language of the state where they are accused, then they must have a chance to be understood – and this is the point where interpreter must take they place. Both sides accuser and accused must understand each other so clearly like they understand their own mind. It is not excluded that accused is not guilty and this is one of the main reasons why they has to be given possibility to express their opinion as good as possible.
A court interpreter is anyone who interprets in a civil or criminal court proceeding for a witness or defendant who speaks or understands little or nothing of the given language. Court Interpreters must accurately interpret for individuals with a high level of education and an expansive vocabulary, as well as persons with very limited language skills without changing the language register of the speaker. Interpreters are also sometimes responsible for translating written documents, often of a legal nature. A court interpreter should have excellent public speaking and interpersonal skills. Sometimes the testimony to be interpreted is shocking or traumatic, and the interpreter must be able to deal with such matters without becoming emotionally involved. The interpreter must also be able to refrain from expressing personal opinions or acting as an advocate for one side or the other in a court case, and must be able to work unobtrusively. The interpreter must be able to work well under pressure and react quickly to solve complex linguistic and ethical problems as they arise. On the other hand, when a problem cannot be solved by the interpreter alone, the interpreter must demonstrate the good judgement required to inform the court of that fact and take whatever steps are necessary to resolve the situation.
Now I will provide ten canons that clearly show ethical and professional code of interpreters.…
