Translation and Interpreting Studies

A selection

Arumí, Marta, and Mireia Vargas-Urpi. 2018. "Annotation of interpreters’ conversation management problems and strategies in a corpus of criminal proceedings in Spain: the case of non-renditions." Translation and Interpreting Studies 13 (3): 421-441. https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.00023.aru.

Abstract: This article reviews the design and methodology developed for compiling and analyzing corpora that can inform corpus-based studies involving public service interpreting discourses. The corpus was transcribed and annotated using the EXMARaLDA software tools designed for working with oral corpora. The annotation system accounts for Wadensjö’s (1998) distinction between “talk-as-text” and “talk-as-activity” in order to classify interpreters’ various problems when working in criminal proceedings and the strategies they adopt in response. The article provides the results of an analysis of a pilot sample of 20 criminal proceedings, focusing on non-renditions and distinguishing between those that are “justified” and those that are “unjustified.” The article then discusses these preliminary results as part of the ongoing project.

Böser, Ursula. 2013. "“So tell me what happened!”: Interpreting the free recall segment of the investigative interview." Translation and Interpreting Studies 8: 112-136. https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.8.1.06bos.

Abstract: This article investigates the impact of interpreting within the discursive frame of the free recall element in forensic interview formats. The delivery of a prompted free recall has been shown to yield evidence of a better quality than that obtained through elicited accounts; free recall, therefore, constitutes a central technique

in investigative interviewing. Police institutional discourse associates specific discursive behavior and conversational resources with free recall. Drawing on experimental data, this paper analyzes several effects of interpreting on achiev- ing and maintaining free recall. The following topics are feature in this paper: the frame transition from the interviewer-led opening section to the delivery of a free narrative; the meta-talk that arises regarding interpreting; and the segmen- tation of the interpreted free recall and the coordination of turn-taking. The article discusses instances of misalignment between the functional goals of free recall and the interpreting-related strategies the interviewer and the interpreter adopt. This analysis demonstrates the contextual nature of “quality” as defined in institutional face-to-face interpreting and highlights discursive expertise as a central component in the professionalization of Public Service Interpreting.

internal-pdf://2577737062/Böser-2013-“So tell me what happened!”_ Interp.pdf

Böser, Ursula, and David La Rooy. 2018. "Interpreter-mediated investigative interviews with minors." Translation and Interpreting Studies 13 (2): 208-229.

Abstract: When information is elicited from children in a criminal context, both their ability and willingness to disclose is at stake. In law, the communicative vul- nerability of children is manifest in forensic protocols for interviewing children. These are designed to retrieve information in a child-aware fashion, as well as to produce evidence with sufficient integrity to stand up under the scrutiny of the criminal process. This article will consider some of the added challenges of interpreter-mediated interviews for minors. Drawing on research into monolingual child interviewing, the article proposes how some of the interpreting related aspects of this challenge may be addressed through the adaptation of elements of reflexive coordination in the widely used NICHD child interviewing protocol. The authors call for the data- based testing of these adaptations and suggests that modifications of institu- tional speech genres for bilingual use may be a component of mainstreaming public service interpreting.

internal-pdf://4084960458/Böser-2018-Interpreter-mediated investigative.pdf

Braun, Sabine. 2018. "Video-mediated interpreting in legal settings in England: interpreters’ perceptions in their sociopolitical context." Translation and Interpreting Studies 13 (3): 393-420.

Abstract: The increasing use of videoconferencing technology in legal proceedings has led to different configurations of video-mediated interpreting (VMI). Few studies have explored interpreter perceptions of VMI, each focusing on one country, configuration (e.g., interpreter-assisted video links between courts and remote participants) and setting (e.g., immigration). The present study is the first that draws on multiple data sets, countries, settings and configurations to investigate interpreter perceptions of VMI. It compares perceptions in England with other countries, covering common configurations (e.g., court-prison video links, links to remote interpreters) and settings (e.g., police, court, immigration), and considers the sociopolitical context in which VMI has emerged. The aim is to gain systematic insights into factors shaping the interpreters’ perceptions as a step toward improving VMI.

Elias-Bursac, Ellen. 2012. "Shaping international justice: The role of translation and interpreting at the ICTY in The Hague." Translation and Interpreting Studies 7: 34-53. https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.7.1.03eli.

Abstract: The work of the ICTY courtroom is an ongoing exercise in translation and interpreting. At times discussions on issues related to translation and interpreting are so germane to a trial that they merit inclusion in the trial judgment. Furthermore translation affords a variety of translation-specific opportunities for courtroom strategies for both the defense and the prosecution. An example of this is a series of courtroom discussions with witnesses and forensic experts on how to translate and interpret the word “asanacija,” in several of the Srebrenica trials which reached the trial and appeal judgments. The article describes the process by which the Tribunal language services arrived at their translation of this term and their recommendations for interpreters and the impact of the discussions on translation and interpreting for the outcome of these trials. Hence translation and the forces it sets in motion often influence jurisprudence and shape international justice.

internal-pdf://2176600196/Elias-Bursac-2012-Shaping international justic.pdf

Guzely, Eva Maria. 2015. "Der Faktor Vertrauen bei der Verwendung von Wörterbüchern und Datenbanken : ein Vergleich zwischen unerfahrenen und erfahrenen ÜbersetzerInnen." MA dissertation, Translation and Interpreting Studies, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz.

Abstract: The aim of this thesis was to examine whether and to what extent the aspects authority of the publisher, layout of a tool, and amount of additional information within entries influence translators trust in the translations they find in various lexicographic tools. After discussing relevant aspects of lexicography, comparative law and legal translation, and trust, the influence of the aforementioned factors on inexperienced and experienced translators is examined. It was hypothesised that inexperienced translators tend to trust dictionaries or databases because of the authority of the publisher and the layout of a tool and do not further verify equivalences in other sources. Experienced translators, on the other hand, tend to be more critical, i.e. they have a lower tendency to rely on translations offered solely because of the authority of the publisher or the layout of a tool and therefore, they verify the results they find in a tool. Results of the observations and interviews conducted partly confirmed the first hypothesis: Inexperienced translators do tend to rely on the translations offered without verifying them in other sources, based on the authority of the publisher, though, not the layout of the tool. Experienced translators, on the other hand, are critical about terms unfamiliar to them and thus they verify the results in further sources, regardless of layout or authority of publisher. When faced with familiar terms, however, they trust authoritative tools when they recognise the translation for a given term.

internal-pdf://4059243272/Guzely-2015-Der Faktor Vertrauen bei der Verwe.pdf

Hepburn, Phillip. 2012. "The translation of evidence at the ICTY: A ground-breaking institution." Translation and Interpreting Studies 7 (1): 54-71. https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.7.1.04hep.

Abstract: The article examines the role of translators at the International Criminal Tribu- nal for the Former Yugoslavia and how their translations of evidentiary documents are used in trials. Drawing on theoretical studies and practical examples, it rejects the notion that the meaning of source documents can ever be conveyed with complete fidelity and accuracy but shows how this problem is resolved by adopting flexible translation strategies and enabling parties to check translations against the originals at every stage of proceedings. This system, which evolved over a period of many years, is contrasted with the often haphazard organization of translation at the Nuremberg Tribunal.

internal-pdf://2798352365/Hepburn-2012-The translation of evidence at th.pdf

Mason, Marianne. 2015. "The role of interpreters in adjudicating blame: An examination of clitics and active-passive voice in a Spanish-English bilingual criminal trial." Translation and Interpreting Studies 10 (2): 187-202. https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.10.2.02mas.

Abstract: This paper provides a linguistic analysis of the interpreter’s role in shaping the discursive reality of the Spanish-English bilingual courtroom. The paper examines the interpreter’s rendition of morphosyntactic features, specifically clitic pronouns and active-passive voice using excerpts from an actual jury trial. The aim of the study is to show how the interpreter’s treatment of linguistic features in exchanges between attorneys and witnesses may attribute agency to the defendant, and possibly suggest a relationship between the defendant and his alleged associates or victims that is not intended in the original utterance. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the field of courtroom interpreting by providing further insight into the relationship between an interpreter’s rendition of morphosyntactic features in attorney-witness exchanges and the attorney’s and witness’s ability to convey meaning and intent in a bilingual courtroom.

internal-pdf://2283978972/Mason-2015-The role of interpreters in adjudic.pdf

Matthews, Gladys, and Enrica J. Ardemagni. 2013. "Judicial interpretation education in U.S. colleges and universities: The path to academic recognition." Translation and Interpreting Studies 8: 73-93. https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.8.1.04mat.

Abstract: As education programs preparing interpreters for legal settings gain visibility in academia, the need to analyze the associated teaching and learning processes becomes more pressing. Voids in interpreter education can be as simple as a lack of consensus on the profession’s name (court, judicial, or legal interpreting or interpretation) or as fundamental as how to assess student learning outcomes and even what those outcomes should be. The lack of research to assist in the development of standards and teaching methodologies in interpreter education prompted the authors to conduct a study of interpreting programs and courses taught in colleges and universities in the United States. The study sought to identify the level of courses taught, faculty credentials, similarities and differences in pedagogy, the use or development of tools to assess student learning outcomes, and other characteristics of the programs. The study is expected to provide the basis not just for further research, but also engagement between academia and key stakeholders to fill voids in interpreter education and contribute to the development of teaching standards and methodologies for the field.

internal-pdf://1486759810/Matthews-2013-Judicial interpretation educatio.pdf

Mellinger, Christopher D., and Thomas A. Hanson. 2018. "Interpreter traits and the relationship with technology and visibility." Translation and Interpreting Studies 13 (3): 366-392. https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.00021.mel.

Abstract: Research on technology and interpreting regularly investigates technology-mediated interpreting settings and contrasts various interpreting configurations to better understand how technology changes the interpreting task. This scholarship generally does not account for various personality or character attributes exhibited by interpreters, nor does it examine the actual adoption and usage of these tools. This article presents findings from a survey-based study that examines several interpreter-specific constructs, namely their self-perception of the interpreter’s role and communication apprehension, in conjunction with attitudes toward technology use and adoption. Findings suggest that community interpreters differ from their conference interpreting counterparts and that domain-specific differences emerge between medical and court interpreters with respect to their perceived role and their propensity to adopt new technologies.

internal-pdf://3829175613/Mellinger-2018-Interpreter traits and the rela.pdf

Monzó-Nebot, Esther. 2009. "Legal and translational occupations in Spain: Regulation and specialization in jurisdictional struggles." Translation and Interpreting Studies 4: 135-154. https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.4.2.07mon.

Abstract: The aim of this article is twofold. First, I will outline a theoretical framework that synthesizes some concepts from both the sociology of professions and Bour- dieu’s economy of practice. Within this framework, distinction and legitimation will be highlighted as two major strategies employed by occupational groups

to advance their interests within the labor market. In the second part of the article, I will discuss two particular conflicts, both of which involve Spanish certified (or “sworn” in European Spanish) translators and interpreters (TIs). The first is a jurisdictional struggle between certified TIs and notaries public (a legal occupation) and the other, a struggle between certified TIs and court TIs. These struggles illustrate how the jurisdiction, the segment of the labor market formerly occupied by certified TIs, has been progressively claimed by notaries public and court TIs through various strategies and processes, and how certi- fied TIs have in turn reacted by pursuing strategies of their own. These examples show how and why a particular group may lose ground to other groups using di- verse strategies and investing different types of capital (in Bourdieu’s sense of the term). Moreover, these cases exemplify how some professionalization processes and projects have worked in the Spanish context and how certain occupational groups are developing professionalization strategies of their own.

internal-pdf://3473731290/Monzó Nebot-2009-Legal and translational occup.pdf

Morris, Ruth. 2010. "Images of the court interpreter: Professional identity, role definition and self-image." Translation and Interpreting Studies 5: 20-40. https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.5.1.02mor.

Abstract: Today’s legal system generally demands that the interpreter function as a “face- less voice,” a conduit, that is, in a “neutral” and non-intrusive way. However, re- search has shown that in practice this is not the case, and interpreters themselves are increasingly coming to see their role as going beyond the narrow linguistic one. This article argues that inevitably, as interpreters exert influence on the proceedings in which they perform, these proceedings have a greater or lesser impact on the interpreters. The researcher often has little if any direct access to the recipients or the providers of interpreting services, and hence court records are generally used as a source of information on attitudes toward interpreters and interpreted events. A seventeenth-century murder trial in England provides valuable insights into views on interpreting on the part of the bench, the clerk of the court, and the accused. In addition, several modern cases are discussed, indicating a gradual change in attitudes, with an increasing emphasis on compe- tency rather than availability, and a greater acceptance of a more comprehensive role for the interpreter. Finally, this article examines a rare case of an interpreter reporting on an interpreted event at which he worked, indicating that the inter- preter does not “check his humanity” at the courtroom door.

internal-pdf://4012578675/Morris-2010-Images of the court interpreter_ P.pdf

Reiter, Jennifer. 2015. "Animated females through the ages : eine kritische Diskursanalyse von "Topoi" bezüglich der Frauendarstellung in Disney- und anderen Animationsfilmen im Original und den deutschen Synchronfassungen." MA dissertation, Translation and Interpreting Studies, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz.

Abstract: The aim of this thesis was to examine whether and to what extent the aspects authority of the publisher, layout of a tool, and amount of additional information within entries influence translators trust in the translations they find in various lexicographic tools. After discussing relevant aspects of lexicography, comparative law and legal translation, and trust, the influence of the aforementioned factors on inexperienced and experienced translators is examined. It was hypothesised that inexperienced translators tend to trust dictionaries or databases because of the authority of the publisher and the layout of a tool and do not further verify equivalences in other sources. Experienced translators, on the other hand, tend to be more critical, i.e. they have a lower tendency to rely on translations offered solely because of the authority of the publisher or the layout of a tool and therefore, they verify the results they find in a tool. Results of the observations and interviews conducted partly confirmed the first hypothesis: Inexperienced translators do tend to rely on the translations offered without verifying them in other sources, based on the authority of the publisher, though, not the layout of the tool. Experienced translators, on the other hand, are critical about terms unfamiliar to them and thus they verify the results in further sources, regardless of layout or authority of publisher. When faced with familiar terms, however, they trust authoritative tools when they recognise the translation for a given term.

internal-pdf://3130390329/Reiter-2015-Animated females through the ages.pdf

Scafariello, Alessandro. 2015. "Dominanz(en) im Spannungsfeld zwischen Gesellschaft und Sprache: geschlechterpolitischer Transfer in der Übersetzung von geschlechtergerechten Formulierungen in der mehrsprachigen Rechtskommunikation ; eine korpusgestützte Analyse am Beispiel der Südtiroler und Schweizer Gesetzgebung (2008-2014) im Deutschen und Italienischen." MA dissertation, Translation and Interpreting Studies, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz.

Abstract: This MA thesis seeks to analyse the translational transfer of the gender language policy con-tained in the South Tyrolean and Swiss legislations in German and Italian. The aim was to analyse the transfer strategies used in reporting gender inclusive or neutral language in the Italian version of the South Tyrolean and Swiss laws through the use of a polysystemic ap-proach, and to assess whether different transfer strategies may have caused any interference-related discrepancy leading to the formation of two different repertoires. This assessment was conducted through a comparative quantitative-qualitative corpus-driven analysis based on two parallel corpora, formed respectively by the South Tyrolean laws enforced from 2008 to 2014 in German and Italian, and by the Swiss federal laws in these same languages. As a result of the assessment, gender inclusive language was observed to be more frequently used in both German-language subcorpora. The assessment was then centred on comparing the use of gen-der inclusive language in the Italian subcorpora adopting an interlinguistic, intralinguistic and diatopic approach. The polysystem of multilingual legal communication and gender policy was taken as the context of comparison for German and Italian in South Tyrol and Switzerland. The analysis allowed to clarify whether, where, and to what extent transfer-related interfer-ences occur, and which dominant positions could be identified. The analysis showed that the German language has exerted a dominant position causing changes only in the South Tyrolean Italian repertoire by eliminating the socially dominant position of the generic masculine in the Italian legal language system in South Tyrol. This new repertoire rules out the Swiss Italian options institutionalised in guidelines and places them in a peripheral position.

internal-pdf://0945117025/Scafariello-2015-Dominanz(en) im Spannungsfeld.pdf

Vasiljevic, Vera. 2016. "ÜbersetzerInnen mit Übersetzungsausbildung oder zweisprachige RechtsexpertInnen? : ein Vergleich zwischen Studierenden der Translationswissenschaft und Studierenden der Rechtswissenschaften beim Rechtsübersetzen mit Blick auf kulturspezifische Rechtsbegriffe." MA dissertation, Translation and Interpreting Studies, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz.

Abstract: This master thesis deals with a jurisdictional struggle in the field of legal translation between translators holding a university degree in translation and bilingual law experts with no formal translation training. The latter are termed ‘non-professional translators in this study (also known as ad hoc, natural and native translators). This jurisdictional struggle will be presented in the context of the Polysystem Theory, where society dictates how translation is defined and agents provide their services offering competing understandings of how translations should be like. In the empirical part of the thesis, the translations of undergraduate translation students (group 1) and bilingual law students (group 2) will be compared taking culture-bound legal terms as the focus of the study. The comparison aims to illustrate potential differences between these two groups, not only as to how they proceed with those terms but also as to how they understand how they should translate. Their translation decisions and the impact of their training will be analysed. It was hypothesized that group 1 would translating paying more attention to the source culture than group 2. The latter, on the other hand, was expected to focus on the target culture when producing equivalents. By using a quantitative method, the first hypothesis was confirmed. It was further hypothesized that group 1 would strongly follow the norms imparted in their undergraduate translation training, that is, that agents participating in the translation process and other translation-related factors would show a clear impact in their decision-making processes. By using a qualitative method, this hypothesis was also confirmed. However, the results of the analysis showed that both hypotheses can only be partly confirmed, as the focus of the subjects on the source or target culture and the bearing of agents expectancies on translation decisions were shown to depend more strongly on their experience with legal texts in translation training and their real-life experience with translation.

internal-pdf://1376709876/Vasiljevic-2016-ÜbersetzerInnen mit Übersetzun.pdf