(no subject)
With the amount of interpreting I get suckered into doing, I find it worthwhile to point out from time to time that I am not, in fact, an interpreter.
That said, I was reminded today of the first time I agreed to interpret the Vagina Monologues. I was fresh-faced and enthusiastic, having just finished working at the National Center On Deafness and at the height of my signing competence. (Yes, kiddies, it's been downhill since then.) My freshman roommate was directing the show, and she thought it would be a lovely gesture (no pun intended, I swear) to have the show interpreted. So I went home for winter break with the firm intention of preparing an ASL translation for the show.
For those of you who haven't seen, heard, or read the show ... that's easier said than done. In the *introduction,* I saw terms like poopeloo, mushmallow, nappy dugout, and the infamous coochie-snorcher. Given that I didn't actually know the sign VAGINA at this point, I was kind of behind the game. So I did what every budding sociolinguist would do: tracked down friendly native speakers, in this case a former co-worker at NCOD. Nice woman that she was, I was comfortable approaching her for nearly anything, but I had to admit that this was, well, pushing my limits.
Vagina Warrior that I am, though, I forged on.
Me: QUESTION - SIGN V-A-G-I-N-A, SIGN WHAT?
Friendly Local (FL): [pause] SIGN VAGINA. O-K?
Me: VAGINA. THANK-YOU!
FL: O-K?
Me: [nod] OTHER QUESTION. SIGN V-U-L-V-A, SIGN WHAT?
FL: [slightly longer pause] V-U-L-V-A, SIGN VULVA.
Me: VULVA. OH-I-SEE.
FL: OTHER?
Me: [nod] SIGN C-L-I-T-O-R-I-S QQ?
FL: [frown. pause.] C-L-I-T-O-R-I-S, KNOW SIGN 3: CALIFORNIA, TEND SIGN CLITORIS[1]. EAST, TEND SIGN CLITORIS[2]. THIRD, CLITORIS[3] - THAT~ONE SIGN ARIZONA ONLY.
Me: S-O, EAST, BEST SIGN CLITORIS[2] QQ?
FL: [nod. pause.] QUESTION, QUESTION, FOR-FOR? S-E-X E-D QQ?
I explained the situation to her, and she referred me to a few very helpful books on sex-related terminology, and told me to feel free to ask her if I had any more questions. Then she went around the corner and started giggling; I assume she thought I couldn't hear her. ;c)
I was thinking of this today because I had an IM conversation with the same woman. On the topic of specialized vocabulary, she mentioned two signs which she glossed as MALE-TO-FEMALE and FEMALE-TO-MALE (trans). They're variations on the signs BECOME or CHANGE. Only instead of the handshapes shown for those signs, you start with the handshape M and end with the handshape F (or vice-versa). I rather like it, but I've never seen it anywhere else. I wonder if it's a clever coining of her own - in which case, I shall steal it and ruthlessly spread it - or if it's an established sign - in which case, I like.
That said, I was reminded today of the first time I agreed to interpret the Vagina Monologues. I was fresh-faced and enthusiastic, having just finished working at the National Center On Deafness and at the height of my signing competence. (Yes, kiddies, it's been downhill since then.) My freshman roommate was directing the show, and she thought it would be a lovely gesture (no pun intended, I swear) to have the show interpreted. So I went home for winter break with the firm intention of preparing an ASL translation for the show.
For those of you who haven't seen, heard, or read the show ... that's easier said than done. In the *introduction,* I saw terms like poopeloo, mushmallow, nappy dugout, and the infamous coochie-snorcher. Given that I didn't actually know the sign VAGINA at this point, I was kind of behind the game. So I did what every budding sociolinguist would do: tracked down friendly native speakers, in this case a former co-worker at NCOD. Nice woman that she was, I was comfortable approaching her for nearly anything, but I had to admit that this was, well, pushing my limits.
Vagina Warrior that I am, though, I forged on.
Me: QUESTION - SIGN V-A-G-I-N-A, SIGN WHAT?
Friendly Local (FL): [pause] SIGN VAGINA. O-K?
Me: VAGINA. THANK-YOU!
FL: O-K?
Me: [nod] OTHER QUESTION. SIGN V-U-L-V-A, SIGN WHAT?
FL: [slightly longer pause] V-U-L-V-A, SIGN VULVA.
Me: VULVA. OH-I-SEE.
FL: OTHER?
Me: [nod] SIGN C-L-I-T-O-R-I-S QQ?
FL: [frown. pause.] C-L-I-T-O-R-I-S, KNOW SIGN 3: CALIFORNIA, TEND SIGN CLITORIS[1]. EAST, TEND SIGN CLITORIS[2]. THIRD, CLITORIS[3] - THAT~ONE SIGN ARIZONA ONLY.
Me: S-O, EAST, BEST SIGN CLITORIS[2] QQ?
FL: [nod. pause.] QUESTION, QUESTION, FOR-FOR? S-E-X E-D QQ?
I explained the situation to her, and she referred me to a few very helpful books on sex-related terminology, and told me to feel free to ask her if I had any more questions. Then she went around the corner and started giggling; I assume she thought I couldn't hear her. ;c)
I was thinking of this today because I had an IM conversation with the same woman. On the topic of specialized vocabulary, she mentioned two signs which she glossed as MALE-TO-FEMALE and FEMALE-TO-MALE (trans). They're variations on the signs BECOME or CHANGE. Only instead of the handshapes shown for those signs, you start with the handshape M and end with the handshape F (or vice-versa). I rather like it, but I've never seen it anywhere else. I wonder if it's a clever coining of her own - in which case, I shall steal it and ruthlessly spread it - or if it's an established sign - in which case, I like.