Lost In Translation

Yesterday I took my family to a one day "workshop" for Courtroom Interpretation students at the local college. I had been invited to talk for forty minutes about the interpreter's role from the defense perspective.

We got there just in time to hear a local judge (whom I respect greatly) explain how he tries to avoid having exhibits marked "P2," because that means "fart" in Spanish.* A tough act to follow. Contrary to my concern about struggling to fill 40 minutes, I actually went a few minutes over. More students than I thought had questions about what to do when a defendant confides (via the interpreter) to his attorney that he has left a child down a well someplace.

Courtroom interpreters are good people doing a tough job.
So give them a break and avoid crap like "Is it not true that you do not remember telling the officer about the fight on Sunday?"

* I couldn't help wondering if the judge was familiar with Marcel Duchamp's Dada masterpiece, "LHOOQ."