Toward a Deaf Translation Norm

5. Interpreted/Translated Language Features

101 Chapter 5 Interpreted/Translated Language Features This chapter examines the BSL TL produced by the T/Is as a stand-alone linguistic text and explores the construction of the pragmatic other by Deaf T/Is and the influence it has on the TL. Prosodic or intonation features of the BSL TL are analyzed, specifically, the blinking features compared with the blinking behavior expected in prepared and spontaneous texts. The head movements prosodically segmenting the BSL TL are then examined, demonstrating differences between the Deaf, Deaf (hearing), and hearing T/Is in phrasal and discourse prosodic head movement segmentation . This analysis highlights some of the differences between Deaf and hearing T/Is and contributes toward a greater understanding of a Deaf translation norm. LANGUAGE CONSTRUCTION The Deaf T/Is have a sense of how they wish to construct an unmarked BSL (covert) TL in order for it to be well received by their Deaf constructed audience. For some Deaf people, the in-vision interpreter can help them understand a little bit better but why does the interpreter follow English structure , the interpreter needs to meet the challenge, the purpose of the in-vision interpreter is to change the language. (Clark) This is achieved when Deaf T/Is draw upon their experiences growing up within the community as bilingual Deaf people and by experiencing other Deaf bilingual role models (as described previously). The construction of a target audience does not essentialize the audience as one particular subset of the Deaf community. Rather, it shows how Deaf T/Is acknowledge the heterogeneity of the Deaf community, or at least the diversity of Deaf people who have historically attended, and still attend, Deaf clubs. The audience is seen to be one of Deaf BSL users; the Deaf T/Is do not aim to construct a contact form of the language. 102 : c h a p t e r 5 Considering the Audience This Deaf club not only informs the Deaf T/Is’ construction of the audience but also acts as a linguistic resource to draw upon. Deaf T/Is recall how Deaf enthusiasts sign about specific subjects using that vocabulary as their first approximation of the TL. If the topic is planes then I know who will be interested in the airplanes, and so I think of how they [the person interested in airplanes] sign it first, then when ready to broadcast, I change the language so that it is suitable for a wider audience. (Kim) This approach not only encourages appropriate language choice but also provides linguistic resources for jargon and other language elements and can function as a glossary. This follows a similar process to that used by professional translators (Ruuskanen 1996) as well as for trained sign language interpreters (Leeson 2005b; Leeson and Foley-Cave 2004) who use their knowledge of the audience to construct the TL. The linguistic (BSL) and (Deaf) cultural resources native Deaf T/Is are exposed to come into play. Under time pressure, the Deaf T/Is make split-second decisions about the information contained in the script and how best to represent this in BSL. The Deaf T/Is are mindful of the comprehension of BSL on a twodimensional television screen when BSL is a three-dimensional language. Fingerspelling provides one feature for consideration. If the newsreader is speaking fast I can tell that they are speaking fast, that means I think if I fingerspell really fast it will go over Deaf peoples’ heads, so I look at the script, and like the name of an army regiment, royal whatever, that can be reduced too, “from Wiltshire army group going to Iraq, training ready for the war.” (Rebecca) Rebecca’s example shows the types of decisions hearing interpreters are trained to consider. The Deaf T/Is are able to do this is not only because of their native fluency, but also because they regularly access BSL information from television, watching programs such as See Hear, etc. The Deaf T/Is also draw upon their personal experience of watching BSL, be it as stand-alone text or a text rendered from English, to inform their discourse style. Interpreted/Translated Language Features : 103 Referencing The visual information on the screen is easier to reference than fingerspelling , which (anecdotally) is harder to comprehend from the screen than in face-to-face communication. For the name of a person, Deaf [T/Is] do more...