Communicating through an Interpreter

Having traveled to India for several years now I am often asked, what it is like to preach through a translator? Well I can tell you how to have a first-hand experience. The next time you place a call for an order, or technical help with your computer, you will no doubt reach a call center somewhere outside of the Western world (i.e. India, Philippines, Malasia, et. al.). When you reach them try making some good-natured comment or wise-crack to the agent.

For instance, today I placed an order for some books on-line with Amazon. When I received my auto-confirmation via email I realized I had ordered 2 copies of the same book. I tried in every way on line to correct it. I finally had to surrender to the telephone to get it corrected. I explained to Victoria in the Philippines what I had done. Victoria spoke good English, she was cheerful but all business. After every phrase of my explanation she was very quick to say, "That's OK" or "That's fine, Mr. Robinson." Then she asked me a couple of questions. And I replied in a mock tone of, "Well, I am just stupid." She said, "That's fine Mr. Robinson." Immediately I retorted, "Hey Victoria you don't have to be so quick to agree with me on that." After a slight but obvious pause she said, "I am sorry, I didn't understand that." When I told her I was just kidding her there was dead silence. Then I realized "kidding" was not in her English vocabulary so I said, "I was just joking with you." Quickly with a courtesy laugh she replied, "Oh, that's OK Mr. Robinson." And so that's how it goes when East meets West.

A much needed word to preachers who travel to foreign lands. Our Western illustrations and idioms are seldom of any value in a foreign land. In one of my early trips to India I once was trying to explain building your "faith" on the right foundation, using an illustration of thick and thin ice, to a group of South Indians who had probably never seen snow much less a frozen river or lake. When my translator gave me one of those bewildered looks - I knew immediately this was going nowhere. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the veteran American preachers getting a kick out of me trying to explain my illustration. It was then that I realized the Bible is its own best illustrator - so I quickly reversed field and asked if they were building their faith on rock or sand (Matthew 7:24-27)! And with the typical Indian head nod and verbal "ahhh" my translator and I plowed on. . .