Abstracts
Abstract
The trustworthiness of translators and interpreters has long been an issue in the profession. In some cases, a set of procedures are established to ensure the trust of clients and end-users. In the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (1946-1948), such procedures took on remarkable form. During the trial, three ethnically and socially different groups of language personnel engaged in three different functions within the overall interpreting process: Japanese nationals as interpreters, Japanese Americans as monitors, and U.S. military officers as language arbiters who ruled on the disputed interpretations. Sociopolitical aspects such as trust, power and control are evident in this hierarchical structure. In such political settings, and in others seen today, the trustworthiness of the interpreter may override the quality of interpreting.
Keywords:
- International Military Tribunal for the Far East,
- monitor,
- language arbiter,
- trust,
- power,
- control
Résumé
La question de la confiance à accorder aux traducteurs et aux interprètes est débattue depuis longtemps dans la profession. Dans certains cas, un ensemble de procédures sont établies afin de susciter la confiance des clients et des utilisateurs. Au sein du Tribunal militaire pour l’Extrême-Orient (1946-1948), ces procédures ont pris une forme particulière. Pendant le procès, trois groupes différents sur les plans social et ethnique assumaient trois fonctions différentes dans le cadre du processus global d’interprétation : les Japonais interprétaient, les Américains d’origine japonaise contrôlaient, et les officiers militaires américains jouaient le rôle d’« arbitres » linguistiques qui tranchaient en cas de controverse. Les aspects sociopolitiques tels que la confiance, le pouvoir et le contrôle sont évidents dans cette structure hiérarchique. Dans de tels environnements politiques ainsi que dans d’autres que nous connaissons aujourd’hui, le besoin de faire confiance à l’interprète peut prendre le pas sur la qualité de l’interprétation.
Mots-clés:
- Tribunal militaire international pour l’Extrême-Orient,
- moniteur,
- médiateur linguistique,
- confiance,
- pouvoir,
- contrainte
Appendices
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