曼德拉追悼會手語翻譯亂比劃，自稱精神分裂

The sign language interpreter criticized by organizations for the deaf as giving "meaningless" signs during the memorial service for Nelson Mandela has blamed a schizophrenic episode for his performance.

Thamsanqa Jantjie told a Johannesburg newspaper, The Star, that he heard voices and hallucinated during Tuesday's service, which affected his ability to interpret the speeches by leaders such as U.S. President Barack Obama.

He said he was sorry, and that there was nothing he could do. He also told South Africa's Radio 702 on Thursday that he was happy with his work.

"Absolutely, what I've been doing, I think that I've been a champion of sign language as I've been saying that. You know, I've interpreted many big events, not only the event in question now."

South Africa's Deputy Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu said that the interpreter became overwhelmed and did not use normal signs.

She said Thursday there was a "clear indication" that the company that hired him has for years provided substandard services.

She also apologized to the deaf community, and said the issue highlights the challenges that deaf people around the world face every day in trying to communicate.已故南非領袖曼德拉追悼儀式上被指胡亂比劃的手語翻譯聲稱，他之所以作出這些莫名其妙的手勢，是因爲突發精神分裂症。

這位男子名叫塞姆桑加•揚蒂潔（Thamsanqa Jantjie）。他星期四對約翰內斯堡《明星報》說， 在星期二的追悼儀式上，他聽到異常聲音，產生幻覺，這影響了他對美國總統奧巴馬等領導人講話的手語翻譯。

他表示對不起，並說他對此無能爲力。他還對自己的業務能力進行了辯護。他星期四對南非702電臺說，他對自己的工作很滿意。

他說：“我對我一直在做的絕對滿意，就像我說的那樣，我一向是頭號的手語專家。你知道，我爲很多重大活動做過翻譯，不僅僅是現在出問題的這次。”

南非婦女兒童與殘障人事務部副部長亨麗埃塔•博戈帕平-祖魯說，這名翻譯承受不了壓力，沒有使用正常的手語。

她星期四說，有“明顯跡象”顯示，聘用他的公司多年來一直在提供不符合標準的服務。

她還向廣大聾人道歉，並且說這個問題凸顯了世界各地的聾人在每天試圖與人溝通方面所面臨的挑戰。