Study on the roles expected of sports interpreters and their interpreting strategies

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K13275
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Hokkaido Musashi Women's Junior College
• Principal Investigator: ITAYA Hatsuko 北海道武蔵女子短期大学, その他部局等, 准教授 (60747369)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: スポーツ通訳 / プロ野球通訳 / 通訳者役割 / 通訳者アイデンティティ / 訳出方略

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This paper aims to identify the roles that interpreters play and effective interpreting strategies in the arena of professional baseball, and hence to explore the expectations held of sports interpreters in general. The data obtained through ethnographical observation at ball parks and interviews of baseball interpreters as well as non-Japanese baseball players were analyzed under a method called modified grounded theory approach (M-GTA). As a result, this study reveals that more importance is attached to interpersonal or social roles than cognitive or linguistic roles in baseball interpreting. In regard to interpreting strategies, instances have been observed when baseball interpreters intentionally deviated from the principles of faithfulness and accuracy in order for players to get into good physical and mental condition, and also out of the consideration for fans’ feelings.

Free Research Field

通訳学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

通訳学研究の対象としてスポーツ通訳に焦点を当てた研究はこれまでに見当たらない。アスリートたちが国境を越えて活躍の場を広げ続ける中、スポーツ通訳者の果たす役割も大きくなると予想される。本研究の結果、プロのスポーツ通訳者は状況に応じて意図的に「正確性」「忠実性」の大原則から逸脱することが確認された。またスポーツ通訳者に求められているのは、言葉を正確に訳す「言語的側面」ばかりでなく、選手が能力を発揮しやすい環境を整える「社会的側面」であることが分かった。この研究の成果は、将来スポーツ分野で通訳をするプロ及びボランティアの通訳者に、スポーツ通訳者に求められる資質に関する情報を提供した。