"Lost in Interpretation"

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

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.

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.

The central idea is about deaf audiences.
The central idea is about deaf audiences.

The central idea is about sign language interpretation.
The central idea is about sign language interpretation.

1 answer

The most accurate response that captures the central idea of the article is:

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

This response encapsulates both the positive impact of skilled interpreters like Barbie Parker and the negative consequences of poor interpretation, which is a key theme in the article.