"Interpretation is difficult." I have often written about it, but felt so again when watching "International Military Tribunal for the Far East." It's a 1983 Japanese documentary film on that trial, directed by Masaki Kobayashi.
The trial's legality and fairness has been controversial. However, in this, post, I want to take on something else, which interested me as a translator; discommunicaction in the cross examination of then Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo by Chief Prosecutor Joseph Keenan.
Interpreters were in the court to translate the proceedings. However, although we can hear Keenan's questions in English with Japanese subtitles, Tojo's answers only in Japanese with no English subtitles. In order to convey the hopelessness of the discommunication, I translated Tojo's several statements into English. The bold and underlined texts are my translations of Tojo's statements. Note that A is word-for-word translation while B is slightly modified in red based on my interpretation of his answers.
Interpreters were in the court to translate the proceedings. However, although we can hear Keenan's questions in English with Japanese subtitles, Tojo's answers only in Japanese with no English subtitles. In order to convey the hopelessness of the discommunication, I translated Tojo's several statements into English. The bold and underlined texts are my translations of Tojo's statements. Note that A is word-for-word translation while B is slightly modified in red based on my interpretation of his answers.
Translation A:
Keenan: You don't happen to know how it came to that you were chosen with that position, do you?
Tojo: (Originally Japanese) I do not know how I was chosen. The then three highest-ranking officers in the army nominated me as a candidate for next Army Minister.
Keenan: But when you were chosen for that position, it was quite a surprise to you, I take?
Tojo: (Originally Japanese) Was I surprised? It can be said that I was surprised and that I was not surprised.
Keenan: ... I would like to have you explain how you could be surprised and not surprised at the same time.
Tojo: (Originally Japanese) I am a military man so thought that I had to do as much as possible. That is why I answered that I did not think that I was surprised or that I was not surprised.
Translation B:
Keenan: You don't happen to know how it came to that you were chosen with that position, do you?
Tojo: (Originally Japanese) I do not know how I was chosen. The only thing I know was that the then three highest-ranking officers in the army nominated me as a candidate for Army Minister.
Keenan: But when you were chosen for that position, it was quite a surprise to you, I take?
Tojo: (Originally Japanese) Was I surprised? I can't say if I was surprised or not.
Keenan: ..... I would like to have you explain how you could be surprised and not surprised at the same time.
Tojo: (Originally Japanese) I don't know how to answer the question. I am a military man and so of course thought that I had to do what I was told to do to my fullest abilities. My feelings are irrelevant. That is why I couldn't answer the question.
As I said earlier, we can't hear court interpreters' actual translation of Tojo's statements into English. But I'm sure that translating these Tojo's "Zen riddle" like untranslatable answers must have been significantly difficult even for very good interpreters like them since interpreters aren't usually allowed to translate what is MEANT, but NOT SAID by the speaker just because they think so. But without educated guesses, interpreting/translating from Japanese to English would nearly be impossible....
The trial was held more than 70 years ago, but such discommunication still happens now, torturing interpreters and translators.... For another example of discomminucation, read "Simultaneous Interpreting, Skiing and Yakuza"!
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東京裁判のDVDを買いました。初めて見ました。勝者による裁判をいうことを実感しました。勿論、それで日本の戦争責任がなくなるわけではありません。ただ、今日お話ししたいのはそのことではなく、東條英機氏と首席検察官 Joseph Keenan 氏との間の以下のやり取りについてです。ちなみにKeenan氏の発言は英語で日本語の字幕付き、東條氏の発言は日本語で英訳は聞けません。
Keenan: あなたが陸相に選ばれた理由を知りませんか。(You don't happen to know how it came to that you were chosen with that position, do you?)東條： 経緯ですか。それは知りません。私は陸軍三長官の推薦によって陸軍大臣の候補として挙げられたんです。
Keenan: 陸相に選ばれてあなたは非常に驚いたと思うが。(But when you were chosen for that position, it was quite a surprise to you, I take?)
東條： 驚いた｡｡。私は驚いたとも考えられる、驚かなかったとも考えられる。
Keenan: その返事は極めて曖昧です。あなたの説明がほしいですね。 (..... I would like to have you explain how you could be surprised and not surprised at the same time.)
東條： 私は軍人でありますからできるだけしなきゃならん。こういう風には考えました。従って驚いたとも驚かなかったとも考えない、とこう答えたわけです。
東條氏の言ってること、そのまま訳しても絶対に理解されない｡｡でしょうね｡｡｡ 通訳された方のご苦労を思うと涙が出る思いでした。連合国側の通訳責任者を務めた日系米国人の方はその後自殺されたとのこと。山崎豊子氏原作の本が以前テレビ化されていました。
ただこれ、昔の話ではないというのが怖いんです。今も似たような日本語で、通訳者や翻訳者は苦労しています。ただ法廷通訳者の場合は、生き死にに関わります。東條英機氏の発言、何度も何度も聞いてしまいました｡｡｡
通訳者、翻訳者の知られざる苦闘については「同時通訳とスキーと褒め殺し」もお読みください！
通訳者、翻訳者の知られざる苦闘については「同時通訳とスキーと褒め殺し」もお読みください！
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