Target. International Journal of Translation Studies - Volume 34, Issue 3, 2022

Abstract

This special issue is about indirect translation (ITr). To counter the traditional disinterest of Translation Studies in researching ITr, it explores and showcases what research on the topic can do for our discipline as a whole. This introductory article prepares the ground for and provides an overview of what is discussed in the seven articles included in the special issue. Before introducing the contributions to this issue, we briefly explain the terminology and definitions used throughout this issue. In the spirit of transparency, and making this special issue useful to everyone in Translation Studies, this introduction also devotes space to discussing how this issue came into being, sharing some of the lessons learnt through guest editing.

Abstract

One of the major barriers to the systematic study of indirect translation – that is, translations of translations – is the lack of efficient methods to identify these translations. In this article, we use supervised machine learning to examine whether computers can be harnessed to identify indirect translations. Our data consist of a monolingual comparable corpus that includes (1) nontranslated Finnish texts, (2) direct translations from English, French, German, Greek, and Swedish into Finnish, and (3) indirect translations from Greek (the ultimate source language) via English, French, German, and Swedish (mediating languages) into Finnish. We use n-grams of various types and lengths as feature sets and random forests as the statistical classification technique. To maximize the transferability of the method, the feature sets were implemented in accordance with the Universal Dependencies framework. This study confirms that computers can distinguish between translated and nontranslated Finnish, as well as between Finnish translations made from different source languages. Regarding indirect translations, the ultimate source language has a greater impact on the linguistic composition of indirect Finnish translations than their respective mediating languages. Hence, the indirect translations could not be reliably identified. Therefore, our results suggest that the reliable computational identification of indirect translations and their mediating languages requires a way to control for the effect of the ultimate source language.

Abstract

Studies of news translation and indirect translation have challenged classical concepts of Translation Studies, but the two subfields have taken separate paths. This article applies Assis Rosa, Pięta, and Bueno Maia’s (2017b) classification of indirect translation to data collected via workplace studies conducted in two multilingual news agencies based in Switzerland and one monolingual broadcaster based in Canada. Illustrative examples are provided of the first six types of (in)direct translation in the classification. This typology allows for the inclusion of phenomena that may have been previously disregarded as translation, such as oral mediations and transfers from public-relations agencies to news agencies and other media outlets. However, news translation is a borderline case of translation that pushes Assis Rosa, Pięta, and Bueno Maia’s (2017b) classification to its limits because of the centrality of reported speech in news stories. Indirect translation seems to be able to bridge various subfields of Translation Studies.

Abstract

This article aims to problematize the role of translation in news production as a result of the invisibility of indirect translation (ITr). In the first section, I argue that in journalistic translation ITr is not merely ‘hidden translation’ but rather ‘ignored translation’ as a consequence of the traditional status of the translational activity in journalism and because researchers can hardly find traces of ITr in news production, such as the name of sources, attributions, or paratexts. I then move on to discuss the importance of the various forms of translation in the emergence of journalism in the early modern period. Human conflicts and movement meant that news texts were recycled across Europe, often via ITr. News writers used various sources from different languages and adapted the texts taking into account political and cultural considerations. This establishes a link with contemporary journalism, as news articles are characterized by their multi-authored nature. In addition, translations can be embedded and are often circular rather than linear. In the concluding discussion, I suggest that journalistic translation research, including research into ITr, can benefit not only from interdisciplinary approaches, but also from incorporating historical aspects.

Abstract

To contribute towards extending the scope of research on indirect translation, this article focuses on game localization as an overlooked site where this translation practice is relatively common. For major games developed in a language other than English (LOTE), the English version (locale) is often used as a pivot from which to generate other locales across different regions. This article investigates the motivations, challenges, and implications of the use of indirect translation in game localization through a case study of Square Enix – a major Japanese game developer/publisher that is among the pioneers of game localization. It reveals how indirect translation forms both a solution and a bottleneck for the global circulation of digital interactive products. The article uncovers the key factors behind the position of English as the default pivot language in localizing Japanese games and points to the possible future impact of the emergence of Asian markets, particularly the Chinese market, on the game localization ecosystem. The lens of indirect translation facilitates theorizing underexplored aspects of game localization as an economic activity situated in the digital terrain. By casting the apparent drawback of indirect translation in a socio-economic framework, the article presents the future scope of this research subfield in game localization.

Abstract

Scholars have acknowledged the widespread use of indirect translation in audiovisual translation. Some researchers have made use of text analysis to explore the effects of indirect translation on voiceover and subtitling. However, a bigger picture of indirect translation in the audiovisual translation landscape is yet to be painted. We create a database of 242 foreign films, which contains all the imported films for cinematic release in China in 2018 and 2019, and do a quantitative and qualitative analysis to present an overview of indirect translation of foreign films for cinematic release in China. Professionals from film translation studios in China are interviewed to reveal the indirect translation process. Furthermore, we use Prooi ‘Prey’ (Maas 2016), a Dutch horror film directed by Dick Maas, and its Chinese subtitled version as a case study to investigate the implications of indirect translation on the ultimate target text in the Chinese context.

Abstract

The unique features of interpreting as a situated process and performance to enable communication in real time make relay interpreting a particularly complex manifestation of indirect translation and a rich area of investigation. Even so, the great potential of relay interpreting as an object of inquiry in Translation and Interpreting Studies has remained largely untapped. This article seeks to map out the conceptual territory of relay interpreting as indirect translation with reference to relevant factors and features. The analysis highlights the great diversity of scenarios that can be subsumed under the heading of relay interpreting with reference to such key parameters as mode, modality, policy, linguality, multimodality, and technology. The – regrettably modest – state of the art is reviewed with regard to types of research, topics, and methods; and some areas of special interest, such as Deaf relay interpreting and speech-to-text interpreting relying on speech recognition technology, are discussed for their potential to extend the scope of indirect translation to include intralingual and intermodal as well as technology-based manifestations.

Abstract

Indirect interpreting, known by practitioners as ‘relay’, takes place in contexts where interpreting between two languages is carried out by means of a third, pivot language, thus creating a communicative chain between two interpreters: the one rendering an original speech into a pivot language, and the other rendering the first’s version into a different target language. Relay is used in many multilingual settings to ensure that all interlocutors can use their mother tongue, and the European Union institutions are a prominent example of such settings. Indirect interpreting is thus a reality that many professionals deal with on a daily basis. Despite this, it has not been the subject of much research as yet. This article explores the connections between indirect interpreting and the construct of quality in the ears of the interpreters who regularly give and take relay. The research first involved a focus group comprising six European Union-accredited conference interpreters with Spanish as their mother tongue. A focus group discussion aimed to identify salient issues in the giving and taking of relay across different contexts and meeting formats. The itemised concepts emerging from the discussion were then used to devise a questionnaire to gain further insight into interpreters’ concerns and ideas regarding quality indicators in indirect interpreting. Thirty professionals responded to the questionnaire. The results are analysed with a focus on the lessons that may be insightful for Translation and Interpreting Studies.

This article reviews Literary Translator Studies