Invitation to Interpreting and Translation Studies
Online ISSN : 2759-8853
Volume 16
Displaying 1-19 of 19 articles from this issue
Articles
  • What Declassified Official Documents Reveal
    Masashi HINOKI
    2016 Volume 16 Pages 1-14
    Published: 2016
    Released on J-STAGE: July 02, 2025
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    This paper discusses the so-called “Zensho shimasu” remark by Prime Minister Eisaku Sato, translated as “I will do my best,” to President Richard Nixon in the Japan-U.S. summit talks in 1969. There has been a legend that Sato used the obscure Japanese words in a reply to Nixon, who was pressing Japan to voluntarily limit its textile exports to the U.S. Nixon reportedly accepted the remark erroneously conveyed in English by an interpreter as a promise that Japan would implement the measures to ease discontent in the U.S. textile industry. I analyze the conversation between Sato and Nixon by using declassified official documents written in Japanese and English. Results reveal Sato did not say “Zensho shimasu” and that his other remarks may have affected Nixon’s impression of the Japan’s promise.
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  • ‘Domestication’ and ‘Foreignization’
    Yoshiko TAKEBE
    2016 Volume 16 Pages 15-26
    Published: 2016
    Released on J-STAGE: July 02, 2025
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    This paper aims to analyze how Beckett's English texts are translated into Japanese productions by looking into the correlation between language, body movement and space. Translating Beckett's texts on the stage demonstrates the process of utilizing body and voice of the actors in accordance with the aesthetics of limited space in the theatre. By focusing on the Japanese productions performed in 2015 and 2016, this paper aims to discover the connection between two different translation strategies: ‘Domestication’ and ‘Foreignization’. In other words, translating the theatre language of Beckett's texts discloses the possibilities of adaptations through nonverbal expressions. The fact that those theatrical texts written by Beckett from the 1950's to 1970's are still translated and adapted in 2015 and 2016 intersemiotically into Japanese performing art proves the depth and deftness of Beckett's linguistic and nonlinguistic dramaturgy. The theatrical codes hidden in Beckett's texts remain a challenge for actors and directors to grasp beyond the barrier of languages.
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  • Where, and to what extent, can the use of demonstratives in translated texts be reduced, if at all?
    Yoshikazu KATORI
    2016 Volume 16 Pages 27-46
    Published: 2016
    Released on J-STAGE: July 02, 2025
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Japanese texts translated from English tend to contain more ko-type demonstratives (roughly equivalent to English “this”) and so-type demonstratives (roughly, “that,” “the,” or “it”) than is typical for texts of similar nature originally written in Japanese. This is often true of professionally translated, apparently redundancy-free texts, as well as those produced by inexperienced translators. “A Descriptive Study of Japanese Demonstratives in Texts Translated from English” (Katori 2016) confirmed this tendency and sought to identify some of the reasons for the increased use of demonstratives. This paper attempts to examine whether the use of ko-type and so-type demonstratives in translated texts can be reduced, suggests a few of their uses for possible omission and discusses the effects such omission might have on the impression of the text.
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  • Chiho TOYOSHIMA, Atsushi FUJITA, Kikuko TANABE, Kyo KAGEURA, Anthony H ...
    2016 Volume 16 Pages 47-65
    Published: 2016
    Released on J-STAGE: July 02, 2025
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Revision is one of the fundamental processes of translation. There is a growing number of studies focusing on types of mistranslation and/or revision, which suggests the importance of examining errors and applying due revisions for managing translation quality. However, with some exceptions, little work has been carried out on the establishment of commonly applicable revision categories for translation training, and consequently little revision data have been accumulated. Against this backdrop, this paper presents a quality assessment scheme for English-to-Japanese translations produced by learners. We created a revision typology and a decision tree, through an iterative re-organization of an existing typology, assessing learners’ translations, and hypothesizing the conditions for consistent decision making in identifying revision categories. This paper also reports the characteristics and patterns of revisions applied to university students’ translations and the correlation between the revision types and the learning level.
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  • Izumi INOUE
    2016 Volume 16 Pages 66-83
    Published: 2016
    Released on J-STAGE: July 02, 2025
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    This paper primarily aims to propose and report the theoretical framework, construct, and specific designs of a comprehensive rubric as a means of translation quality assessment. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of learners’ problem-solving expertise in translation. The present paper first discusses the ongoing issue of how students’ translation quality should be assessed in relation to key developments of assessment approaches in Translation Studies. Building on research findings in my relevant empirical studies concerning novice-expert differences in problem solving in the context of translation (Inoue, 2008; 2013), this paper will then illustrate conceptual and practical framework underpinning the problem-based translation task and assessment approaches. The construct and design of both tasks and the assessment method will be illustrated in details. This paper concludes with the brief discussion of some pedagogical implications and limitations of the present model and the suggestions for future studies. This paper can be a useful reference particularly for translation educators, professional translators, and learners currently undertaking their studies in translation.
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Research Notes
  • through the Analysis of Questionnaire Survey in France
    Yoshino YAMAMOTO, Ghislain MOUTON
    2016 Volume 16 Pages 84-95
    Published: 2016
    Released on J-STAGE: July 02, 2025
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    This research paper presents the findings of the questionnaire survey for Japanese language learners at a University in France, in order to explore how effectively they understand and are able to evaluate ”My Funny Talk,” which is spoken by Japanese native speakers, translated and subtitled in French in videos. The evaluation of humor in the stories are lower in France than Japan overall. The evaluation showed correlations with Helpfulness of Subtitle, Helpfulness of Sound and Japanese Language Proficiency and Gender. From the analysis of these correlations the possibility of the following specific trends in Japanese Language Learners in France were recognized: 1) Subtitles are used to understand the stories, 2) Females use subtitles more than males to understand the stories, 3) Understanding of the stories does not lead to an evaluation of humor, 4) More information from sound than subtitle is used to evaluate humor, and 5) Males use Japanese language proficiency more than females to comprehend humor.
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Reports
  • Akiko SATO
    2016 Volume 16 Pages 96-105
    Published: 2016
    Released on J-STAGE: July 02, 2025
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    On May 1, 2015, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) issued the international standard on translation services ISO 17100:2015 Translation services – Requirements for translation services. Participating members (P-members), one of them being Japan, had joined forces for three years to prepare it. Authorized by the ISO headquarters to provide a Japanese version, Japanese Standards Association (JSA) issued its Japanese translation edited by Japan ISO/TC 37/SC5 Committee on the same day. The author acquired ISO 17100:2015 certification within the scope of translation services from English to Japanese and from Japanese to English in A) finance, economics and legal affairs and B) medical science and pharmaceutics. In this paper, the author examines the TSP (Translation Service Provider) requirements on revisers stipulated in 3.1.5 of ISO 17100:2015 and considers the professional competences of revisers complying with it.
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  • Tomihiro KITAMURA
    2016 Volume 16 Pages 106-126
    Published: 2016
    Released on J-STAGE: July 02, 2025
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    This paper reports how the concepts of Japanese Linguistics can be effectively applied to on-the-job training for inexperienced English-Japanese translators at a correctional facility. These translators are prone to present difficulties in producing natural Japanese texts from ST, English correspondence in this instance, while such type of translation is required for the purpose of correctional work. Features of their TT include, for example, frequent use of pronouns, lack of interpersonal expressions, and longer premodification. The OJT proposed in this paper specifically introduces unique features of the Japanese language to subject translators by applying the concepts of Japanese linguistics and thus encourages them to produce more natural Japanese texts.
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  • Sae NAGATA
    2016 Volume 16 Pages 127-141
    Published: 2016
    Released on J-STAGE: July 02, 2025
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    There are two kinds of undergraduate classes related to interpretation & translation (I/T) in Dokkyo University: (1) The classes devoted to both interpreter training and improvement of foreign language competence and (2) the classes devoted solely to the training of interpreting and translation. However, there are very few classes which teach the theory of I/T. This paper mainly discusses I/T education as liberal arts, introducing the classes of English, Spanish, Korean, and Chinese. It will also make reference to the reaction of the students in these classes. Lastly, the author will talk about some issues related to I/T education at the undergraduate level in the future.
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Project Reports
Participation Reports
Book Reviews
Dissertation Summaries
Resources
Editorial Postscript
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