Strategies used by Rwanda’s simultaneous interpreters to render cultural-linguistic aspects in taboo expressions

Abstract

Interpreting taboo language from and into Kinyarwanda, English and French can lead to poor quality renderings if a combination of linguistic and cultural factors is unattended to. This study aimed to explore the strategies used by Rwandan interpreters to render cultural-linguistic aspects found in taboo expressions from and into Kinyarwanda, English and French. The paper drew on a set of ‘equivalence theories’ in the field of translation (Baker, 2011; Nida, 2000; Vinay and Darbelnet, 1995), the skopos theory (Basnett & Lefevre, 1990) as well as the bottom-up and top-down models (Hatim and Mason, 1997). Renditions by 20 Rwandan interpreters using the simultaneous mode were recorded, transcribed, coded and analysed. The findings revealed that most Rwandan interpreters resorted to the ‘literal strategy’ to render taboo expressions with the effect that the meaning of the source text (ST) sometimes got distorted while translating vulgar and derogatory language, insults, euphemism, and vulgar proverbs. The findings also revealed that in an attempt to cope with interpreting taboo language, it is not enough to rely on a single strategy, that is to say interpreters should use a combination of strategies in order to improve the quality of their renditions.