美国手语翻译的历史和职业化

The History and Professionalization of Sign Language Interpreting in America

许多国家手语翻译职业化进程大体都经历了三个时期:偶发场合的自愿服务期;只有手语翻译名份而无独立职位的兼职期;正式职业期。目前我国正处于第三个时期的起步阶段。美国是手语翻译职业化最早的国家,本文介绍了美国手语翻译的开端,第一个手语翻译人员认证机构的建立及考核认证体系,并对手语翻译人员教育课程也作了简要的介绍。

The professionalization of sign language interpreting in many countries has all experienced three major phases： the period of volunteer service at occasional situations; the period of being a part - time job without a recognized professional status, and the period of being formally accepted as a profession. In China, this profession has just begun its third phase. Because America is the first country where sign language interpreting was professionalized as a profession, this article introduces the beginning of sign language interpreting as a profession in America, the establishment of the first sign language interpreter registration organization and its certification systems, as well as a brief introduction of sign language interpreter education programs.