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Article analysis:

The article "Translation style and participant roles in court interpreting" presents an interesting investigation into the translation styles of court interpreters in New York City and their social and pragmatic implications for multilingual interactions in court. However, there are several potential biases and limitations to consider.

One potential bias is the focus on New York City, which may not be representative of other regions or countries. Additionally, the study only examines court interpreters, which may not reflect the practices of interpreters in other settings. The article also does not provide information on the sample size or selection process for the interpreters studied, which could impact the generalizability of the findings.

The article suggests that interpreters vary between using first or third person to represent the voice of a translated source speaker, but it does not provide evidence for this claim beyond anecdotal examples. The article also implies that adherence to institutional norms is viewed negatively by limited English speakers, but it does not provide evidence to support this claim.

Furthermore, while the article acknowledges that translation styles are influenced by pragmatic and social factors, it does not explore potential counterarguments or alternative explanations for these variations. For example, some interpreters may use reported speech as a way to convey nuance or tone that may be lost in direct translation.

The article also presents a somewhat one-sided view of interpreter behavior by suggesting that adherence to institutional norms is viewed as gatekeeping behavior that impedes full participation in proceedings. While this may be true in some cases, there are also valid reasons for adhering to institutional norms such as ensuring accuracy and consistency in legal proceedings.

Overall, while the article provides interesting insights into translation styles and their implications for multilingual interactions in court, it would benefit from more rigorous research methods and a more balanced presentation of potential biases and counterarguments.