What is best practice when emotions from the content might affect interpreter objectivity?

• A. Acknowledge feelings and refocus, maintaining message integrity
• B. Ignore feelings and continue
• C. Vent your emotions to the client
• D. Stop interpreting immediately

Answer: (A)

When strong feelings arise from the content, the best practice is to acknowledge those emotions and refocus on the message to preserve integrity. Acknowledging feelings helps you recognize any potential bias without letting it distort what you interpret. Refocusing means re-centering on the source message and ensuring you capture the same meaning, intent, tone, and level of formality in the target language. This approach keeps the interpretation faithful to what was said, avoids adding or omitting content due to emotion, and upholds professional standards. If the emotion becomes overwhelming, it’s appropriate to request a brief break or support, but otherwise continue with fidelity to the speakers’ message.