"Lost in Interpretation"

Question

by Ellen Rolfes

Barbie Parker is a rock star sign language interpreter. When a guitarist starts a riff, Parker plays air guitar. When the drummer starts pounding, she claps to the beat. Her body moves to the rhythm of the songs as she signs lyrics with the same attitude as the musicians, from Bob Dylan to Lady Gaga.

When Parker’s audience — those who are deaf and hard of hearing — see her interpretations for the first time, they often say “Now I understand why people like music.” As an interpreter, Parker gives the deaf community an opportunity to appreciate an experience that for so long was only accessible to those who could hear.

Quality interpreting enables a deaf audience to experience and participate in public events usually only accessible for hearing individuals. But poor interpreting can alienate viewers, and create even bigger gaps in communication.

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Question
Use the article to answer the question.

What is the central idea of this article?

(1 point)
Responses

Barbie Parker is an excellent sign language interpreter who has brought music shows alive for deaf audiences. Interpreters like Parker are essential.
Barbie Parker is an excellent sign language interpreter who has brought music shows alive for deaf audiences. Interpreters like Parker are essential.

A good sign language interpreter can be very helpful to a deaf audience, but a bad sign language interpreter can ruin an experience.
A good sign language interpreter can be very helpful to a deaf audience, but a bad sign language interpreter can ruin an experience.
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Answer 1

The central idea of the article is that Barbie Parker is an excellent sign language interpreter who enhances music shows for deaf audiences, highlighting the essential role of quality interpretation in making music accessible to those who are deaf or hard of hearing. This supports the broader point that while good interpreters like Parker enrich experiences, poor interpreting can lead to misunderstandings and alienation.

However, based on the options provided, the best response seems to be:

A good sign language interpreter can be very helpful to a deaf audience, but a bad sign language interpreter can ruin an experience.