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Preaching with an Interpreter

Some guidelines prepared by Rev'd Stuart Vogel

As I have both been interpreted and interpreted for others, I might be able to make a couple of points which I hope are useful. We interpret regularly between Mandarin, Taiwanese language and english in our Church.

  • Say a complete sentence with one thought only, then let the interpreter interpret.

  • Make sure the sentence makes sense. I don't mean that cynically. Sometimes we say things where the meaning of the sentence only comes clear in the next sentence.

  • Make sure the audience understands your references. Don't refer to Rob Muldoon and expect Koreans to know who you mean. You won't and that is a silly example, but you get my point. Go through your text with a fine tooth comb and ask the question.

  • Jokes are hard to translate at the best of times. Don't avoid them, but make sure the joke doesn't depend on a pun, because that won't work. Oh, and make sure the joke is actually funny and that the interpreter knows it is a joke.

  • Interpreting takes more than double the time. If your sermon runs for a total english spoken time of 10 minutes, it will take 22-24 minutes with an interpreter.

  • Keep the sermon simple, but not because your audience is simple. Interpreting from English to an asian language involves more than changing words from one language to another. There are concepts and cultural features that need to be crossed over.

  • Don't worry if your interpreter appears to be taking a longer or shorter time than you. Some languages are like that.

  • On the other hand, the interpreter may not be understanding you and be preaching an entirely different sermon. Don't worry about that either- its in God's hands.

  • If you can, give a written text to your interpreter beforehand.

  • Make sure that the interpreter has forewarning of all words and phrases that are a little out of the ordinary. Give her or him a written list of these at least a day beforehand. Someone once sprung "smitten by the Spirit" on me in a church service I was interpreting for. I still haven't found out how you say that in Chinese (or what it means in english for that matter).

  • Celebrate.

 

Some useful phrases in Korean

[Contributed by Andrew Scott]

Anyoung ha se yo
Good morning

Hananim un yara bun ul saranghamnida
God loves you

Nado yara bun ul saranghamnida
I love you

Yara bun ul Junimui Irumuro whan young hamnida
Welcome in Jesus name

Deadani gamsahamnida
Thank you very much