Broadcast interpreters in Japan: bringing news to and from the world

要旨

During the past twenty years, interpreters have been an active force in broadcasting TV
\nnews in Japan. This article looks at how this mode of interpreting has taken root in Japan
\nand then examines the constraints, requirements and challenges for the future. It first
\nreviews how interpreting television news from English into Japanese is performed on
\nregular news programs. Interpreting Japanese news programs into English is also discussed
\nin light of the remarkable events of 2011.
\nThe two essential constraints in TV news interpreting are the short preparation time and
\nthe undefined audience. More often than not, prepared texts are not available and
\npreparation time is extremely limited. Broadcast interpreters need to be flexible and to be
\nequipped with not only linguistic ability but also with a broad knowledge of current
\naffairs. They also need to be skilled at conveying the news using their voice as a tool. To
\nconvey the news accurately and intelligibly, broadcast interpreters need to constantly
\nupdate not only their linguistic ability but also their background knowledge and
\nannouncer-grade speaking skills. As a result of the increased prominence broadcast
\ninterpreting as a profession has its own niche as part of news reporting in journalism.

主題