Some Common Pitfalls and Solutions for Court Interpreters in Zoom
Trials in Melbourne have been moved onto Zoom due to the recent stage 4 lock down in Melbourne. I have the opportunity to assist two witnesses to give evidence in Zoom recently, one for the Country Court, and the other one for the Supreme Court. Here are some of my experience of the common pitfalls […]
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Consecutive Interpreting Vs Simultaneous Interpreting
Consecutive vs Simultaneous Interpreting Consecutive Interpreting is usually used in a business meeting situation where the speaker speaks first while the interpreter is taking notes. When the speaker finishes, the interpreter will start interpreting by referring to the notes taken. Reliable notes and a good memory are key here for the interpreter, who will be […]
Take a TourInterpreting for Mediation in Zoom
Due to the current stage 4 Covid 19 lock down in Melbourne, I have just had my first virtual mediation interpreting experience in Zoom last week. As my laptop had just updated its driver for my speaker, I had difficulty with my audio at the beginning of the mediation. I had to use a spare […]
Take a TourInterpreting for Court Hearing in Zoom
During the recent stage 4 COVID lock down in Melbourne, I had the opportunity to do my first trial over Zoom assisting a defendant /applicant in counter claim to give evidence in a commercial case in the Supreme Court of Victoria. The judge’s associate did a connection test with every one two days before the […]
Take a TourAn Expensive Divorce: Consolidating Translated Legal Information for Public Access
A lawyer in the city recently engaged us to translate a divorce consent order. He represented the wife and the translated documents were to be served to the husband in CHINA. Some clauses from the Family Law Act 1975 were quoted in the consent order, and therefore the lawyer has asked us to translate those […]
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Bikram Yoga for Translators
Translators like me, tend to sit in front of their computer screen, staring at it and typing away for hours every day. Whether we are working from home or at clients’ office, we are more likely to suffer from shoulder stiffness and back pain, compared with our interpreter colleagues, who are out and about, having […]
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Phone Interpreting: Problem Solving Approach
On-demand phone interpreting has been on the rise due to its ability to bridge communication on the spot. Traditional, when an onsite interpreter is engaged for a police interview, or a criminal proceeding, accuracy is paramount as it will help the police and the court, people who don’t understand the language, to evaluate the credibility […]
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Not Just an Interpreter
When I was studying interpreting in RMIT, I was told that converting information from one language to the other is my job. I am not to advocate and taking a neutral position is the safest bet. A recent assignment for the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources changed my view on my role. It was […]
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Ethical Price Reduction & Heroic Effort
An elderly Chinese couple from Hong Kong issued proceedings in Melbourne Country Court against their accountant daughter for failure to return the money held on trust. The elder couple were in their 60s and they migrated to Australia a few years ago to live with their daughter and son-in-law. They remitted their life savings to the daughter’s home loan […]
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Accurate Translation of Phone Intercept Shortened Drug Trial
A container of floor tiles from Hong Kong arrived at Fremantle, with heroin concealed inside. Police followed the truck from the port to a warehouse in Perth and subsequently 4 Chinese was arrested. Telephone intercepts became key evidence in the police’s case to prove that the accused had knowledge of what was inside. Our multilingual Chinese legal interpreter was […]
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