[One Thousand Characters a Day] The Body of a Veteran <4> - Sueotongyeoksa (Sign Language Interpreter)

Editor's NoteSign language interpreter Jang Jin-seok, introduced in ＜Veteran's Body＞. Usually, his expression is somewhat stiff, but when interpreting sign language, he uses all the muscles of his upper body, including his hands and face. In a world that does not listen attentively to the words of the Deaf, he is always busy conveying those words. Through an interview with him, the author reveals the convenience and efficiency of sign language and questions the standards that distinguish normal from abnormal, disabled from non-disabled, and convenience. Veterans also do not think they excel or perform well 'alone.' They make efforts to understand work in contexts that transcend 'alone,' whether it be tools, machines, colleagues, or others they meet at the workplace. Jang Jin-seok has formed a sign language interpretation cooperative with colleagues, achieving collaboration between hearing interpreters and Deaf interpreters. Word count: 1017.

The interpreter's ultimate goal is to convey the message well. To achieve this, a lot of preparation is necessary. Interpreters go everywhere. Wherever there are Deaf people and language, interpreters are present. They go to broadcasting stations, lecture halls, performance venues, government offices, courts, and even protest sites. Yesterday, they stood on a magic show stage; today, they join a queer festival stage. Each event has a different character and different participants.

Even within Korean Sign Language, the words used vary slightly. Just as hearing people have generational language differences, dialects, loanwords, neologisms, and specialized terminology used mainly in certain fields, interpreters must adapt to the situation. They must consider expressions suitable for the generation and decide how to interpret slang or discriminatory language. Especially for neologisms or proper nouns that have not yet been established in sign language, they must identify them in advance and either replace them with other language or explain their meaning concisely.

(Omitted)

Sign language is not a language of silence. Jang Jin-seok often mentioned the beauty of sign language. He wanted to show how rich and splendid the language is. He gave an example from a Deaf person's expression.

"Instead of using separate words for spring, summer, autumn, and winter, suddenly you make a tree with your hands, a butterfly flies to that tree, then suddenly it rains. After a while, leaves fall off one by one."

He said it felt like watching a painting. Even without using the four fingers to indicate the seasons, the four seasons unfold at a glance. It was an expression impossible to imitate. It is drawn with gestures. This is the realm of literature. There is a genre called sign language poetry. It creates rhythm through movement. However, it is a literary genre rarely found domestically. Our cognitive system, which only sees the 'impossibility' of sign language, has suppressed the 'possibility' of sign language. This splendid language remains unseen.

Because we try to hear their language only in the ways we know, it remains invisible even when they speak. Since the world does not listen attentively to the words of the Deaf, interpreters conveying those words are busy today as well.

- Written by Hee-jung, photos by Choi Hyung-rak, ＜Veteran's Body＞, Hankyoreh Publishing, 20,000 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.