ASL interpreter baffles at briefing in Florida

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Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2017/09/11/what-a-fake-asl-interpreter-re.html

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I feel like becoming Bear Monster makes you safe under most circumstances. Still seems like decent advice.

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he told them that he was not an ___________ and did not want to, but he was coerced into doing it anyways. Yes, it was a serious mistake…

Many of Trump’s cabinet picks could be described using this same quote.

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Not half as funny as the guy translating at Nelson Mandela’s funeral. But definitely as sad as the incident at Nelson Mandela’s wedding.

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I feel sorry for the guy’s brother if the YouTube comment is true.

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So he knew some sign language but not enough? I’d have found out how to say, “Sorry, I can’t translate this. I don’t know what I am doing. They made me do this.” over and over.

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if you’ve come for the funny translator video, you will not be disappointed

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You sure? He was coerced into performing by his superiors; you sure you’d be willing to kiss your job goodbye?

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Or he’s not a qualified interpreter, which requires more than just knowing the language.

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Yes. It’s surprisingly difficult even when you’re a native speaker of both languages you’re trying to interpret.

I have to say in this sort of situation I would have thought it wouldn’t actually be ‘interpreting’ live but signing a prepared text which would make things a bit easier.

You’re looking to get over specific information not the speaker’s ad-libbing.

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Not least the ability to sign one thing while simultaneously listening to the next thing you’ve got to sign.

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Well, and if you learn ASL from a Deaf sibling, you’re going to learn some idiosyncratic signs that aren’t what is generally used. A friend of mine is the second of 8 kids; she has 3 Deaf siblings. They sign to each other in a kind of shorthand - I’ve had 3 years of ASL and I don’t know what they’re saying most of the time. (Also I could NOT interpret on the fly. My brain doesn’t translate fast enough)

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How would they know what he is signing?

And if they found out that was what he was signing, how is that any different/worse than what happened? Same result, it was found out the guy was made to it, people in charge looks like idiots. If they won’t fire the guy for forcing him to say gobbley gook - why would they fire him for saying, “I don’t know what I am doing, sorry, they made me?”

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You’d think learning ASL from a sibling would add a whole lot more 4 letter words to the translation

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Articles like this one, perhaps? Furthermore, you’re assuming he’d think of such, as well as that his superiors are smarter, collectively, than a bowl of oatmeal (which seems unlikely, considering the actual events in question).

Simply put, assumption is not fact.

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Riiiigggghhttt… I am assuming he would think of that. That is, I was suggesting what one might do in the situation. It isn’t presented as fact, but as a hypothetical action instead of what was done.

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Oh, really?

That’s not what you actually said.

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Oh man, that guy’s deaf friends are gonna mock the shit out of this.

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Or, in a potentially life-or-death civic emergency, you might just do the best you could.

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