The role of a translator can appear to be simple and straightforward to describe, but at the same time, in many instances when people book translation services, the interpreter who is assigned and involved will in some cases demonstrate that their role is sometimes very complex.
The task of a translator is typically seen as a conduit that allows communication between two different languages, whether that takes the form of converting a piece of writing from one language to another, or a bilingual interpreter actively serving as an intermediary.
The goal is to authentically translate the meaning of what one person says to the other so they can effectively communicate back, creating as clear a channel of communication as possible without the possibility of misinterpretation or misunderstanding.
However, one area that can cause a moral dilemma and is a common discussion topic for translators and interpreters alike; what should they do if one of the speakers uses vulgar, offensive, or even hateful language.
In some contexts, such as court interpreters, the rules almost always require as accurate a translation as possible to ensure that the person who needs the interpreter can take part in the legal proceedings on an equal footing with everyone else. That includes swearing and outbursts.
In other contexts, the answer can appear to be less clear, and some interpreters prefer to omit swearing and replace it with something that has the same meaning but is less directly offensive.
However, there is a risk of an interpreter taking control of the discussion, albeit unintentionally, and it is often better, therefore, to be as authentic as possible with the translations between different people.
It is not an interpreter’s responsibility to attempt to sanitise offensive language and in some cases, this can provide an inaccurate impression of what was said.
What typically helps is that an interpreter is not also translating tone, since the original speaker will typically make his cadence quite clear.