I attended a lecture on campus that was preceded by a vocal/piano duet performing a Christian hymn. At these lectures there is a corner of the room where an ASL interpreter sits and interprets for the benefit of the deaf. I don't have a habit of paying attention to the interpreter but this time I did. I listened to the musical performance and the words being sung as I watched it interpreted in sign language. That was a performance all to itself. The interpreter's facial expressions, the sincerity in his movements and gestures, and the way he looked heavenward when a sign required it; I was moved by all of that. I didn't just hear the music, I felt it through the actions of the interpreter. Keep in mind that I don't know American Sign Language (apart from the alphabet and the first ten numbers). That lack of knowledge was an obstacle in understanding the exact meanings of the signs made, but hearing the hymn helped with that.
I am grateful for ASL interpreters. I see it just as much a performance--a reenactment--of what is going on, as well as a translation from sound to gesture.
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