How to Preach with an Interpreter

A Crash Course

Bills

• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Year: 2010
• eBook ISBN: 9781498272605
• Topic: Teologia e religione
• Subtopic: Religione

How to Preach with an Interpreter is a manual for short and long-term missionaries, interpreters, evangelists, pastors, professors, teachers, stateside ministers to internationals, and anyone else who wants to preach but does not know the language. Every year, thousands of churches send preachers and laymen on trips around the world. Many will attempt the intimidating task of preaching with an interpreter, and few will do it well. Most will never even know their mistakes because they do not know the language. Based upon observations of hundreds of sermons and dozens of preachers and interpreters, this Crash Course simplifies a complex task by providing practical, realistic suggestions that will help preachers and interpreters succeed. It describes common problems, offers simple, easy-to-apply solutions, surveys types of interpreted ministries, and suggests ways to get the best results. Churches, missionary agencies, international ministries, and seminaries should know that this little book fills a large void. As an original and unique contribution to the fields of missiology and homiletics, there is nothing else like it in print.

1

The Role of the Preacher

The preacher’s chief concerns when using an interpreter ought to be 1) communicating with the interpreter, 2) maintaining a clear flow of thought, and 3) keeping the audience’s attention. The ease or difficulty of these will depend on the skill of the interpreter, but the preacher can do his part to make the interpreted experience as smooth as possible.

Communicate with the Interpreter

When preaching with an interpreter, realize that you are communicating with the interpreter as well as the audience. This communication should take place before, during, and after the sermon.

Before the Sermon

Before the sermon, the preacher should allow sufficient time for the interpreter to review the text and outline of the message. If possible, he should contact the interpreter to schedule a time when both can preview the content of the sermon together. Unless the interpreter is extremely skilled, he should not enter the pulpit without some idea of what the preacher will be talking about. The amount of time necessary for this will depend upon both the preacher’s and the interpreter’s ability and experience.

If neither has time to meet, perhaps the preacher could provide an outline of the sermon in advance. I say “outline” because, in my experience, interpreters who prepare with manuscripts are sometimes tempted to over-familiarize themselves with the material, in some cases to the point of memorization. Interpreters who over-prepare or memorize portions of the sermon may be thrown for a loop when you inevitably go off-script. Since preachers rarely speak from rote memory, the interpreter should be prepared to speak extemporaneously as well. Outlines provide the idea and direction of the sermon without giving the exact wording. If an outline is impractical, at least provide the text of the sermon so that the interpreter can look it up beforehand.

Additional help may be necessary if the sermon is technically or logically rigorous. Sometimes theological words are so technically precise that the interpreter needs to look them up. It might be helpful to anticipate and list complex theological terms and concepts so that the interpreter won’t be caught off guard in the pulpit.

During the Sermon

Communication during the sermon is necessary when the interpreter has not understood what the preacher has said. The preacher should discern when the interpreter is struggling and should learn to repeat or rephrase sentences without being asked. Listen carefully for silence, stuttering, or requests for repetition from your interpreter. If you preach with an interpreter often, this will happen from time to time. When the interpreter is obviously struggling, avoid looking at or drawing attention to him. If he asks you to repeat yourself, do not turn to him and explain “in private.” Rather, repeat or restate the sentence for all to hear, perhaps using different or simpler word choices. If, after a second try, the interpreter still does not understand the statement, try to minimize the awkwardness of the situation by simply moving on to the next thought.

For less formal occasions like Bible studies or Sunday school lessons, the dignity of moment may be less crucial. In these circumstances, you might feel freer to explain things directly to the interpreter so that he can in turn explain to the audience. Whatever the circumstances, you should both work hard to keep the interpreting process from being tedious and distracting.

Experienced interpreters can often handle such awkward situations without all these “rules.” They can be smooth, entertaining, and calming. However, do not be surprised when even experienced interpreters misunderstand the preacher. I worked with one excellent translator who never “missed a beat” when a preacher said something he did not understand. Instead, he creatively translated what he thought the preacher might have said. Over the course of the next few sentences, he filled in any gaps. Rarely did he ever stop to have the preacher repeat himself. Most of the time, no one really noticed that he was covering for his lack of understanding. Most interpreters do not start with this level of ability but can get better with time and experience.

After the Sermon

Communication after the sermon is also important, especially for novice interpreters. You can discuss mistakes and theological issues to produce better mutual understanding, encourage each other, and simply work towards knowing each other better. Often, the better you know each other, the smoother and more profitable your ministry will be.

Maintain a Clear Flow of Thought

Do not underestimate the importance of maintaining a clear flow of thought throughout the sermon. A disorganized or poorly prepared sermon can be a nightmare for you, the interpreter, and the audience. Start with a clear proposition and make certain your primary points support it. Throw your neatly alliterated sermons out the window, because niftiness is entirely irrelevant when translated into another language. Do not play any tricks with language or try to impress. Stick with a clear, simple, well-ordered outline.

Remember that long and complex statements can jam the works. This is especially true when a preacher lists several items in a row, produces compound sentences, or does not pause between sentences. Statements can sometimes be so long or complex that the interpreter may forget the beginning by the time the end comes around. When this happens, the interpreter may ask the preacher to repeat himself, or he may translate the sentence in a way that loses important details.

To avoid this, capture the flow of your thoughts into concise, pregnant sentences. Each should be grammatically and conceptually simple and complete. A grammatically simple sentence consists of a subject-verb-object construction. Instead of using a compound sentence (two independent clauses, each containing a subject-verb-object construction, joined together by a conjunction), use two separate sentences, allowing time between each for interpretation. Similarly, a conceptually simple sentence cont...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The Role of the Preacher
• Chapter 2: The Role of the Interpreter
• Chapter 3: Problems in an Interpreted Ministry
• Chapter 4: Types of Interpreted Ministries
• Chapter 5: Overcoming Obstacles
• Conclusion
• Appendix
• About the Author