Text/Yangcheng Evening News all-media reporter Xie Xiaowan Intern Luo Yinfang
Photo/Yangcheng Evening News all-media reporter Jiang Xueyuan
May 18 is International Museum Day. Not long ago, there was a special guided tour at the site of the "Range Rover - Ren Zhenhan Calligraphy and Painting Donation Exhibition" held by the Guangdong Provincial Museum.
The small group of visitors was small, only thirteen or fourteen people, all of whom were deaf. Huang Huanru, who served as the sign language interpreter for this guide, used sign language to convey the message that "after Ren Lao visited the great rivers and mountains, he would first draw a sketch", and then drew the shape of a piece of paper.
But this is not enough, in order to let deaf friends better understand the meaning of "sketch", Ni Yingjie on the basis of Huang Huanru's translation, and added a lot of information, she raised her hands, compared to the gesture of shouldering the burden, and with a vivid expression that seems to be tired, which means that the painter will be very tired to carry a lot of tools to the mountains to paint, and it is impossible to complete all the paintings on the spot. Ni Yingjie is deaf herself, and she understands how to better convey more information to deaf people.
In recent years, barrier-free sign language guided tours like this have been gradually promoted in major museums, so that deaf people can enjoy a better exhibition experience like hearing people (ordinary people with normal hearing, as opposed to the term "deaf people"), high-quality sign language interpreters are crucial, but the reality is that there are very few professional sign language interpreters in China.
In fact, providing accessible guided tours for the deaf at the museum is just one of the daily work scenarios of Huang Huanru and Ni Yingjie, whose work covers all aspects of deaf life, and they are trying to build a bridge to better connect the silent "islands" that trap deaf people.
shift
Ni Yingjie was born in Shanghai in 1986, and her parents, who are deaf, expect her to have ordinary hearing. But it backfired, Ni Yingjie was identified as a first-class hearing disability, extremely severely damaged, she was in a silent world, and she was poured a lot of cold water since she was a child, such as "deaf people are useless, you don't need to read so many books, it's enough to master a skill to support yourself".
Because he likes to eat, after graduating from secondary school at the age of 18, Ni Yingjie chose to become a chef. After she started working and was exposed to a more complex society, she felt more communication barriers. During the training, no one helped her write down what the teacher taught, so she could only look at other people's mouths, slowly groping by herself, and trying her best to adapt to the world of listening to people. She also felt even greater unfairness: despite her great efforts and her own ability, she was always excluded from promotions. For a while, Ni Yingjie felt helpless about his deaf identity, but he didn't have any idea of changing, thinking that the conditions were like this, the social environment was like this, and no matter how hard he tried, it would be useless, "I used to think that the status of deaf people was always lower than that of hearing people, and no matter how good they were, they would never be respected" "Then whatever."
In 2008, Huang Huanru, who was studying at the Guangdong Judicial Police Vocational College, was attracted by the beauty of sign language, so she joined the sign language team of the Youth Association of the college, when she was 19 years old, and had never had contact with deaf people before, nor had she ever learned sign language. Due to the limitations of the times, most of the tasks of the college sign language clubs at that time were to perform sign language songs, and the learning of sign language accounted for only a small part. It was not until 2009 that the club invited Huang Fengping, secretary general of the Guangzhou Sign Language Research Association, to take a sign language open class, and through her introduction, Huang Huanru participated in the sign language training course held by the Guangzhou Disabled Persons' Federation in the summer of that year, and officially began to learn sign language systematically and professionally.
"It is said that it is a profession, but in fact, the development history of domestic sign language is very short, and many materials are not perfect, we are all feeling the stones step by step, it is very long and difficult, until the development of the times, the contact with domestic and foreign information and experience is more, and I have participated in some professional seminars and training, and the theoretical knowledge has been enriched." Huang Huanru recalled that at that time, she only learned basic sign language, only more than 200 sign language words, but in the training class, she had real contact and communication with deaf friends for the first time, and in the communication, she had a new understanding of sign language: "It is not that a sign language song is equivalent to mastering basic sign language, sign language is a language of communication, and it is the core of deaf culture. ”
In 2010, when the 16th Asian Games were held in Guangzhou, Huang Huanru became a sign language interpreter volunteer, which was her first sign language interpreter: "I really have courage to think about it now, but at that time, the level was very poor, and I could only do a little simple communication, which was not a competent sign language interpreter." ”
In 2011, there was a change in both people's lives. This year, Ni Yingjie in Shanghai had a son, breaking her original numb attitude to life, she thought a lot: "When others still have stereotypes about deaf people, my parents and I are both deaf, can my son be brave enough to introduce his relatives when he grows up?" Also, "My parents rely on me for everything, and now that I have a family and have a lot less time and energy, what should they do if I have anything to do?" Slowly, Ni Yingjie began to realize the importance of sign language.
This year, Huang Huanru graduated from university in Guangzhou, although she has been involved in sign language training and has obtained sign language interpreter training certificates at all levels, she still chose other industries and only worked part-time as a sign language interpreter in her free time on weekends.
Learn
From 2011 to 2018, Huang Huanru has been active in the circle of deaf friends in Guangzhou, and often takes on part-time jobs in sign language translation. The level of part-time remuneration varies, providing services for government departments or the Disabled Persons' Federation to provide services for relatively simple visits, condolences, baking training and other activities, which may be two or three hundred yuan a day, but if you receive orders from some companies, there is no shortage of 1,500 yuan a game.
In the process of part-time work as a sign language interpreter, Huang Huanru's understanding of deaf people and the learning of sign language have been deepened. Around 2012, because of his background in the police academy, Huang Huanru was often invited to the public security department to act as an interpreter in some cases involving deaf people. "Once caught a deaf man pickpocketing on a bus, do you know how much money he stole just now?" Huang Huanru said, "Just ten yuan!" But stealing in public will be more qualitative. The deaf man was still very young. During the communication, Huang Huanru learned that the deaf man came to Guangzhou from other places to work, but because he was deaf, he couldn't find a job, and the money ran out, so he had to steal ten yuan to eat.
Let more people master sign language, build a bridge between deaf people and hearing people, break stereotypes, help deaf people better integrate into modern society, live and work normally, and even enjoy higher quality social services, such thoughts have been faintly buried in the hearts of Huang Huanru and Ni Yingjie.
In 2016, Ni Yingjie said goodbye to her original job and officially became a sign language teacher at an institution. After becoming a sign language teacher, the leaders wanted her to go to Beijing for relevant training, but she was a little resistant at first: "My parents are both deaf, and I have been able to use sign language since I was a child, so why should I study again?" Eventually, she went. And this training really changed her mind: it turned out that the method she used to teach was wrong.
Ni Yingjie gave an example: if you want to draw a fruit to a deaf person, if you just put your fingers together to form a circle, make a simple comparison and make a simple gesture, and do not add more information than the painting, after the students learn, the communication with the deaf person will be very inadequate, because the fruit is not necessarily so big, just so round, it may have various shapes.
Deaf people use their eyes to obtain information, and the integrity of information transmission and reception is an extremely important criterion for whether sign language is well interpreted. During the training, Ni Yingjie realized that sign language teaching also requires more theoretical knowledge and methodological skills, and she immediately changed her teaching method after returning. In addition, she found that many students are accustomed to relying on sound language to learn sign language, and she has gradually changed this phenomenon by creating a real silent space in the classroom and simulating real communication situations for students to learn.
When Ni Yingjie realized that being able to speak sign language does not mean that she can become a qualified sign language teacher, Huang Huanru also discovered that knowing sign language does not mean that she can become a professional sign language interpreter. Some parents are deaf hearing children who learn sign language from an early age, but they have mastered family sign language and can only do simple basic communication; Even if someone can speak sign language, they may only be able to convey one-tenth of the amount of information to the deaf person. According to relevant reports, a cross-regional survey of nearly 10,000 deaf people conducted by Beijing Normal University in 2012 showed that only 8% of deaf people could understand sign language news on many TV stations, 56% of deaf people could understand some, and 29% of deaf people could not understand it at all.
Huang Huanru also added: "In the past, most of the occasions that required sign language interpreters were relatively basic activities, such as visiting scenic spots, condolences, baking training, etc., and I only needed to do simple communication, but now life is getting better and better, the amount of knowledge of deaf people is increasing, the requirements for spiritual culture are getting higher and higher, and the demand for sign language interpreters with a high degree of specialization is increasing, and I also need to keep improving." ”
Meet
In 2018, in a training, Ni Yingjie became Huang Huanru's teacher.
This year, Huang Huanru was doing brand planning related work in a real estate company, but when she saw a sign language teacher training course taught by a foreign deaf teacher, she immediately signed up to fly to Beijing, and Ni Yingjie was one of her teachers during the five-day study.
"She's strict. Once you enter the room, you can't speak, and during the communication, you will not be able to use sign language, and you will have to figure it out yourself. And the training was very long, from eight o'clock in the morning to eight o'clock in the evening, for several days in a row. Recalling, Huang Huanru admired Ni Yingjie very much, "It's not easy for her to work so hard, she can still maintain her enthusiasm for teaching, and she doesn't slack off at all." ”
This training not only allowed the two to get acquainted, but also once again refreshed Huang Huanru's views on sign language interpretation: "I studied in the province before, and this visit has opened my eyes." Sign language is a separate language, unlike any other spoken language, nor is it subordinate to Chinese, it has its own grammar and word order. If I want to continue on this path, I need to study wholeheartedly. ”
After returning from Beijing, with the support of her husband, Huang Huanru quit her job and became a full-time sign language interpreter. As early as 2007, sign language interpreters were included in the new profession of the mainland's unified standard, which is defined as a person who uses sign language and spoken language as a means of communication to provide interpretation services between deaf and ordinary people.
Occupations are established, but related positions are not created in large numbers. In many situations where a sign language interpreter is required, the sign language interpreter is performed by a sign language teacher from a special education school, or a staff member of a relevant department or association. "This circle is very small, everyone knows each other, and there are only a few people who can work as sign language interpreters back and forth." According to Huang Huanru's estimate, she may be the first full-time sign language interpreter in Guangzhou, and even today, there are only two or three full-time sign language interpreters in Guangzhou, and about five half-time.
In August 2018, the popular original Broadway musical "Queen of Boots" opened in Guangzhou and set up a sign language special performance, Ni Yingjie was the sign language supervisor of the performance, she informed Huang Huanru of the performance news, and invited her to watch it. During the performance, the sign language interpreters used beautiful sign language to clearly express the strength of the music, and expressed the plot with expressions and gestures, so that deaf people could also feel the atmosphere of the music. This left a deep impression on Huang Huanru, and he became more familiar with Ni Yingjie.
The following year, with the help of Ni Yingjie, Huang Huanru went to Shanghai to participate in a sign language training, "She is very caring, as long as you want to learn sign language and want to understand the culture of deaf people, she will tell you all the resources and information, and encourage you to persevere."
In 2021, Ni Yingjie came to Guangzhou on a business trip to help the deaf community speak out, and in related activities, she found that there were still some limitations and difficulties in Guangzhou's sign language interpretation business and barrier-free services, so she invited Huang Huanru to start a business together to make some changes.
On March 25, 2022, the two established Accessible Sign Language (Guangzhou) Service Co., Ltd., Huang Huanru is mainly responsible for the development of sign language interpretation business and projects, and Ni Yingjie is responsible for sign language training and teaching materials development. "In the past, deaf friends were afraid that sign language interpreters would not come next time, and rarely put forward their own opinions, but now we hope that the addition of sign language supervisors can make sign language interpreters more professional and standardized, so that deaf people can receive more information, enjoy better services, and integrate into our society."
achievement
At present, the company's main operation still relies only on Huang Huanru and Ni Yingjie, and they have not made much money, but there is always some sense of accomplishment that makes them want to persevere.
In 2019, a deaf friend from other places needed to apply for an immigrant visa at the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou, so he approached Huang Huanru. This was the first time Huang Huanru had received such a job request since becoming a full-time sign language interpreter, and she worked hard to consult relevant professional materials and communicated with the deaf man for up to four hours in advance. On the day of the visa processing, "we didn't find any information about the escort translator on the consulate's website, so we were stopped directly at the door and only let the deaf friend go to the interview on his own." Huang Huanru recalled, "About an hour later, there was a message that it was difficult to sign a visa and said that they could let me in to accompany the interpreter." Because it is an immigration application, there will be a lot of questions and answers from the interview officer, and due to our previous preparation and communication, we finally passed it smoothly. She admitted that she was actually under a lot of pressure at that time, and she was very worried that the translation would not be good, which would affect the visa results, and she was also very happy to successfully help her deaf friend.
Ni Yingjie has taught a number of students who have mastered sign language. Her proud apprentice, Xiao Ailing, learned from her from scratch and grew into a very good sign language interpreter in three years, and is currently doing international sign language translation related work in Spain; After the end of the sign language public elective course at Shanghai Foreign Chinese University, a student sent an email to tell her about her previous depression experience and thank her for her teaching: "I liked your class very much during that time, and every time I listened to it, I felt full of enthusiasm for life again"; In the course "Introduction to Sign Language and Sign Language Linguistics" at Shenzhen University, students are enthusiastic about learning and hope to devote themselves to relevant volunteer activities after mastering basic sign language......
Last May, just before International Museum Day, Huang Huanru and Ni Yingjie visited the Nanyue King Museum and came up with the idea of doing a barrier-free sign language guide. In the docking with the relevant person in charge, they learned that as early as 2013, the Nanyue King Museum had tried to train docents to learn sign language, but the effect was not good, which made the two determined to do a good job in the sign language guide project.
After the formal establishment of the project, they organized research activities, asked the docent to explain the cultural relics, and then the sign language interpreter and sign language supervisor received, transformed and conveyed the information, "we have to think about how to express this information, how to display it into sign language, and after the route and content are decided, we will discuss it again", and the final draft can only be finalized after being revised and updated again and again, and many deaf people are invited to participate in the actual exhibition to collect real feedback.
Today is the International Museum Day, and after a year of hard work, the project copy has been finalized and submitted to the Nanyue King Museum. Huang Huanru and Ni Yingjie look forward to this achievement being presented as soon as possible to benefit deaf friends.
Editor: Wu Jiahong
Source: Golden Sheep Network