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㻌㻌㻌㻌㻌㻌JAITS䢢

Translation Shifts in Japanese–English Translationsof Speech Scripts
Case Study of Two Speeches Given by Empress Michiko
TOSHIOKA Saeka1(Osaka University)
This study compares the English scripts of the two speeches given by Empress Michiko at the1998 and 2002 congresses of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) with
their original Japanese scripts, by focusing on translation shifts. The analysis suggests that thetranslation shifts observed in the two ST–TT pairs can be classified into three categories
according to the possible factors that a translator can be conscious of in the communicative
situation: (1) audience-conscious shifts, (2) style-conscious shifts, and (3) message-conscious
shifts. Both speeches offer a positive evaluation of IBBY for its work in connecting children withbooks; however, each speech has a different focus. While the 1998 speech describes thesignificance of childhood reading, the 2002 speech congratulates IBBY on its 50th anniversary.
The analysis suggests that the translation shifts altered the two speeches to emphasize theirindividual focus.
1. Introduction
English is a widely spoken language that enables people from various linguistic backgrounds tocommunicate with one another (Sewell, 2012). This may be one reason why Japanese public
figures give speeches in English when they are asked to address world audiences. It is often thecase that these individuals first prepare a script of the speech in Japanese, have it translated into
English, and then give the speech in English based on the translation. Examples of such speech
script translations include Kenzabro Oe’s acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize in Literature in
1994, Haruki Murakami’s acceptance speech for the Jerusalem Prize in 2009,1 and Empress
Michiko’s two speeches at the congresses of the International Board on Books for Young People(IBBY) in 1998 and 2002 (the topic of this study). The 1998 speech was the keynote speech forthe 26th Congress of IBBY, which was videotaped and delivered in New Delhi, and the 2002TOSHIOKA, Saeka, “Translation Shifts in Japanese–English Translations of Speech Scripts Case Studyof Two Speeches Given by Empress Michiko,” Interpreting and Translation Studies, No.14, 2014. Pages
203-217. © by the Japan Association for Interpreting and Translation Studies

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ࠗ㏻ヂ⩻ヂ◊✲࠘ྕ  speech was the speech given at the opening ceremony of the Jubilee Congress held in Basel,
Switzerland.
The contents of both speeches convey the speaker’s positive evaluation of IBBY for its
work in connecting children with books. However, there are slight differences in terms of theirfocuses. The 1998 congress was called “Peace through Children’s Books,” and the speech itself
was titled “Reminiscences of the Childhood Reading.” In the speech, the Empress gives adetailed account of her experience of reading as a child during the Second World War anddescribes what reading meant to her. The focus of the 2002 speech was to congratulate IBBY on
its 50th anniversary.
The Empress’s two speeches were translated by two different translators. The 1998
speech was translated by Eileen Kato, and the 2002 speech was translated by Kyoko Matsuoka.
The two ST–TT pairs were published on the Ministry of the Imperial Household’s webpage;
moreover, they were individually published in books in 1998 and 2003. One might argue thatboth of the published texts are the Japanese and English “versions” of the speeches. However,
because the English text was translated from the Japanese text, this study considers the Japanese
text to be the original (ST) and the English text to be its translation (TT). The speaker did not
mention that her speeches were produced through translators when she gave the addresses, andtherefore, the audience might have assumed that the speeches were being given in the original
language in which they were written. However, when the Japanese script of one of the speeches
is considered alongside its English translation, comparing the two texts and discovering theirdifferences are possible. The differences indicate translation shifts which are the alterations
made by a translator to the text while translating ST into the target language.
This study discusses the translation shifts observed in the translations of the two
speeches given by Empress Michiko at the two IBBY congresses. Section 2 reviews the relevant
literature concerning translation shifts and speech script translations. Then, Section 3 compares
the two ST-TT pairs and classifies and discusses their translation shifts.
2. Literature review
2.1 Translation shift
The term “translation shift” was first coined by Catford, who, from a contrastive linguistic
viewpoint, explains that translation shifts are “departures from formal correspondence in theprocess of going from SL to TL” (1965: 73). Malmkjær (2004: 16) has recently studied
translation shifts in terms of “translational stylistics,” with the aim of recovering translators’
intentions or their own writing styles.
Translation shifts occur for several reasons. First, some are the results of linguistic
differences between the source language (SL) and the target language (TL). As Catford (1965)
describes, some shifts are inevitable because there are linguistic differences between SL and TL.

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Translation Shifts in Japanese–English Translations of Speech Scripts

This is the case for Japanese–English translations. The translation of even one sentence, forinstance, requires the modification of the sentence’s structure because of linguistic distinctions
between the two languages.
In addition, certain features of ST can cause translation shifts. Hatim and Mason argue
that a marked use of a language is an example of one such textual feature because it reflects
certain intentions of the ST author (1997: 30). This allows more room for the translator in
his/her choice of translation strategies, for there are various ways to recreate the equivalentmarkedness in the textual features of TT.
Moreover, some shifts can be the result of censorship. For instance, Baker (2006: 114)
maintains that shifts can be due to the translator’s intentional manipulation of the text to makethe translation fit the ideological framework of the translator or of his/her society, bystrengthening or undermining particular aspects of the narrative.
Furthermore, the translator’s biases or preferences may also cause translation shifts.
Munday (2010: 81) argues that the translator’s “evaluation” of ST can lead to shifts. Evaluation
in a written language can be defined as “the broad cover term for the expression of the speaker orwriter’s attitude or stance toward, viewpoint on, or feelings about the entities or propositions thathe or she is talking about” (Hunston and Tompson, 2000: 5). Accordingly, the translator’s
evaluation of ST is his/her attitude or stance toward, viewpoint on, or feelings about ST or a partof ST. However, unlike evaluation in text, the translator’s evaluation can only be found through a
comparison of ST with TT (Munday, 2010: 91).
Thus, there are four main motivations for translation shifts indicated by the literature
discussed above: language differences, a marked use of a language in ST, censorship, and thetranslator’s own biases or preferences. However, these may not be sufficient for explaining thetranslation shifts that are observed in the translation of a speech script. Social expectations that
influence the translator in the particular communicative situation in which the speech is given
can also affect his/her choice of translation strategy. The section below will discuss the social
expectations that may affect the translation of speech scripts.
2.2 Speech script translation
Vermeer (2004: 228) has proposed the Skopos theory. This theory claims that the particularpurpose for a translation is determined by the communicative situation in which the translationis performed. This, in turn, governs the translator’s choice of the translation method andapproach. It is true that there are cases in which translators are required to make their own
ethical decisions when translating (Baker, 2011: 274); however, to a certain extent, theirperformance as translators may still be consciously or unconsciously determined by social
expectations related to their role in the communicative situation.

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ࠗ㏻ヂ⩻ヂ◊✲࠘ྕ  One expectation concerning the translation of a speech script is that the audience should
not feel the presence of the translator. It is expected that the audience will assume that a speech
given in English is the speaker’s own words, not the product of a translator, and the audience
will therefore assume that the speech directly reflects the speaker’s own personality, thoughts,
and evaluation of the subject matter.
In this sense, the translation of a speech script shares characteristics with a “covert
translation,” i.e., a translation in which the translator reproduces the function of the original(House, 2001: 250). Gutt (2002: 219) explains that such a translation is a shortcut to produce theequivalent in TL. In other words, as Hermans states, covert translations are “pragmatic
substitutes for their originals” (Hermans, 2007: 23).
This suggests that in addition to the four motivations described in the previous section,
the shifts observed in a speech script translation may also indicate that the translator is aiming to
produce a TT appropriate to the communicative situation in which the speech is given; i.e., thetranslator may have to translate not only the content but also the stylistic features of the text
carefully for the TT to become accessible to the target audience. Thus, this study suggests that
there are three factors that the translator may be conscious of regarding the communicative
situation: audience, style, and the content of the message. The section below will offer ananalysis of the Empress’s two IBBY speeches based on this threefold classification oftranslation shifts.
3. Analysis of features of translation shifts
The translation shifts observed in the two ST–TT pairs can be classified into three categories
depending on what the translator appears to be conscious of regarding the communicative
situation in which the speech is given: (1) audience-conscious shifts, (2) style-conscious shifts,and (3) message-conscious shifts. These categories may overlap at some instances. For example,
an alteration in style can result in emphasizing/diminishing the message conveyed via text.
3.1 Audience-conscious shifts
Both ST–TT pairs show the instances of additions, the primary function of which is to supply
information that is not given in ST. In the two examples given below, the proper nouns written
in italics appear to have been added to supply information. My English translation of ST is
added in parentheses. The italicization is also mine.
1.
ST: ࡇࡢ᫬ึࡵ࡚ྡ๓ࢆ▱ࡗࡓࣂ࣮ࣔࣥࢺࡢリேࡀ [the poet of Vermont whose name I
first learnt at that time]
TT: Robert Frost, the poet of Vermont whose name I first learnt through this poem (1998)

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Translation Shifts in Japanese–English Translations of Speech Scripts2.
ST: ༑ᩘᖺ࡟ࢃࡓࡾᣍ࠿ࢀ࡚࠸ࡓⱥリᮁㄞ఍ [the poetry reading circle to which I had
been invited for over ten years]
TT: The poetry reading circle in Tokyo to which I had been invited for over ten years (2002)
These translation shifts appear to have been made to account for an international audiences’
better understanding of the information conveyed in the speech.
3.2 Style-conscious shifts
3.2.1 Hendiadys
The analysis shows that the translators of the speeches used hendiadys when translating several
parts of STs, as shown in Tables 1 and 2. My English translation of ST is added in parentheses.
The italicization, which indicates hendiadys in TT, is also mine.
Table 1. Hendiadys in 1998 SpeechST࠿࡞ࡾ஘ᭀ࡞ [very rough]TTrough and rudeᝒࡋࡳ [sorrow]pain and sorrow┤⥺ⓗ࡟⤖ࡧࡘ࠸࡚࠸ࡿ [linking directly]

bound closely and directly⚾ࢆࡍࡗ࠿ࡾ೺ᗣ࡟ࡋ [make me completely
healthy]୙ ᛮ ㆟ ࡜ ࡑࡢ Ẹ ᪘ ࢆ ㇟ᚩ ࡋ ࡲ ࡍ [somehow
symbolize the people of that country]Ᏻᐃࡢ᰿ [root of stability]

grew strong and healthy඲ ࡚ ࢆ ࡰ ࢇ ࡸ ࡾ ࡜ ឤ ࡌ ࡓ ࡔ ࡅ [I felt
everything in a vague way]ᚰ࠿ࡽឤ᭹ࡋࡓࡢࡣ [I admired from heart][not

I felt everything in only a vague andconfused way
stirred my heart with wonder andadmiration
not a smooth and easy roadᚰࡢᨭ࠼࡜࡞ࡿᮏ [books that can provide
sustenance for the heart]௚ᅜ⌮ゎ [understanding of other countries]TTmental and spiritual sustenance that books
can offer mostunderstanding other countries and people᪥ࠎࢆ୙Ᏻࡢ୰࡟㐣ࡈࡍᏊ౪ࡓࡕ[children
who spend their days in uneasiness]ᚿࢆྠࡌࡃࡍࡿࡶࡢࡀ [people with common
aspiration]

children who are forced to spend their daysin fear and dread
People with common interests andaspiration࡞ࡔࡽ࠿࡞ࡶࡢ࡛ࡣ࡞࠿ࡗࡓ
something smooth]

symbolize the people of that country in a
strange and wonderful way
root of stability and security

Table 2. Hendiadys in 2002 Speech

ST

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ࠗ㏻ヂ⩻ヂ◊✲࠘ྕ  ⤒ 㦂 ࢆ ศ ࠿ ࡕ ྜ ࠸ ព ぢ ࢆ ஺ ࢃ ࡍ [shareexperience and exchange ideas]

to share experience and ideas

The function of hendiadys is to emphasize a certain part of text; however, because this alteration
is observed throughout these two speeches, it appears that it was used to give the English scripts
this stylistic feature and not to emphasize certain aspects of the speeches.
3.2.2 Metaphorical coherence
Another translation shift, which appears to have been made for stylistic purposes, creates textual
coherence in TT using metaphors. This shift is specifically found in the 1998 speech.
One example of this type of shift can be found in the passage where the speaker recalls her
memories of reading as a child. Here, she explains that through reading, she learned thateveryone in the world has his/her own sorrow. She refers to this “sorrow” three times in her
speech.
However, in ST, the expressions that co-occur with “sorrow” are inconsistent. As shown
below, “has sorrow,” “my sorrow,” and “carries his sorrow” are used. In contrast, in TT, theexpression “burden of sorrows” is consistently used throughout the speech. The underlining in
ST is my addition. My English translations for the underlined parts are inserted in ST.
Furthermore, I have italicized the corresponding parts in TT.
3.
ST: ࡑࡋ࡚ࠊ࡛ࢇ࡛ࢇ⹸ࡣࡸࡗ࡜ࠊᝒࡋࡳࡣㄡ࡛ࡶᣢࡗ࡚࠸ࡿࡢࡔ [everyone has
his/her own sorrow]ࠊ࡜࠸࠺ࡇ࡜࡟Ẽ௜ࡁࡲࡍࠋ⮬ศࡔࡅ࡛ࡣ࡞࠸ࡢࡔࠋ⚾ࡣࠊ⚾ࡢᝒࡋࡳ [my sorrow] ࢆࡇࡽ࠼࡚࠸࠿࡞ࡅࢀࡤ࡞ࡽ࡞࠸ࠋ
TT: So the snail at last came to realize that everyone had his burden of sorrows to bear. “Itis not only me. I, too, must bear my own burden of sorrows.” (1998)
4.
ST: ࡑࡋ࡚࠾ヰࡢ୰ࡢ࡛ࢇ࡛ࢇ⹸ࡢࡼ࠺࡟ࠊᝒࡋࡳࡣㄡࡶࡀ⫼㈇ࡗ࡚࠸ࡿࡶࡢࡔ
[everyone carries his sorrow on his back] ࡜࠸࠺ࡇ࡜ࢆࠊᏊ౪㐩࡟▱ࡗ࡚࡯ࡋ࠸࡜
࠸࠺ᛮ࠸ࡀ࠶ࡗࡓࡢ࡛ࡋࡻ࠺࠿ࠋ
TT: And also, did he perhaps feel he wanted children to learn, like the little snail in thestory, that everyone has his own burden of sorrows? (1998)
This example suggests that the translator altered the language of the speech to employ the same
metaphorical expression to describe how people bear sorrow in their lives.

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Translation Shifts in Japanese–English Translations of Speech Scripts

As Lakoff and Johnson (1980: 6) argue, from the perspective of conceptual metaphor theory,the function of a metaphor is to understand and experience one thing in terms of another.
Therefore, when the same metaphor is employed repeatedly throughout the speech, it provides theaudience with a consistent way of perceiving this idea. Thus, the use of a consistent metaphor
produces not only textual coherence in TT but also a consistent understanding of the idea to which
the metaphor refers.
Similarly, the next example shows that the translator used a consistent metaphor to alter asentence in such a way that the introduction an extended metaphor in TT by employing theexpression “burgeoned” would produce metaphorical coherence in TT.
5.
ST: ࡑࡢᚋࡢ⮬ศࡢ⪃࠼᪉ࠊឤࡌ᪉ࡢࠕⱆࠖ࡟࡞ࡿࡼ࠺࡞ࡶࡢࢆṧࡋࡓ࡜ᛮࢃࢀࡿ
ఱ෉࠿ࡢᮏ [books that left something like “buds” of my later ways of thinking andfeeling] ࢆᛮ࠸ฟࡋࠊ
TT: recall a few books which left “buds” as it were in me that burgeoned later within me
into ways of thinking and of feeling… (1998)
This metaphor also connects with different parts of the text. The vehicle of this extended
metaphor, “plant,” is also the vehicle of another metaphor used in the following example citedfrom the 1998 speech, in which the word “root” is metaphorically used. This metaphor was
originally employed in ST and reproduced in TT.
6.
ST: ∗ࡀࡃࢀࡓ⚄ヰఏㄝࡢᮏࡣࠊ⚾࡟ࠊಶࠎࡢᐙ᪘௨እ࡟ࡶࠊẸ᪘ࡢඹ㏻ࡢ♽ඛࡀ࠶ࡿࡇ࡜ࢆᩍ࠼ࡓ࡜࠸࠺ព࿡࡛ࠊ⚾࡟୍ࡘࡢ᰿ࡗࡇࡢࡼ࠺࡞ࡶࡢࢆ୚࠼࡚ࡃࢀ
ࡲࡋࡓ [gave me something like a root]ࠋᮏ࡜࠸࠺ࡶࡢࡣࠊ᫬࡟Ꮚ౪࡟Ᏻᐃࡢ᰿
[root of stability] ࢆ୚࠼ࠊ᫬࡟࡝ࡇ࡟࡛ࡶ㣕ࢇ࡛࠸ࡅࡿ⩼ࢆ୚࠼࡚ࡃࢀࡿࡶࡢࡢ
ࡼ࠺࡛ࡍࠋ
TT: In the sense that it taught me how, aside from our individual families, the people havea common ancestry, the book of myths and legends that my father brought gave me asomething very like a root. Sometimes a book can give a child the root of stability andsecurity. Other times it seems a book gives wings to soar and fly just anywhere. (1998).
Thus, the alteration above is an extended metaphor created through the vehicle of “plant,” which
produces a consistent understanding of the idea as well as textual coherence in TT.
These examples of metaphorical coherence indicate translation shifts that provide TTwith this stylistic feature. Note that these examples can also be categorized as message-

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ࠗ㏻ヂ⩻ヂ◊✲࠘ྕ  conscious shifts because these alterations also provide the audience with a consistentunderstanding of an idea, as well as giving textual coherence to TT.
3.3 Message-conscious shifts
As mentioned earlier, the 1998 speech focuses on describing the importance of the Empress’s
childhood reading experience, whereas the 2002 speech congratulates IBBY on its anniversary.
Both ST–TT pairs reflect translation shifts, such as elaboration in the text, which result in anemphasis on the respective focuses of both speeches. Moreover, there are also instances ofsimplification in which some information is left out through omission and summarization.
3.3.1 Elaboration
3.3.1.1 Childhood reading experience
In the 1998 speech, the speaker talks about her experience reading as a child. The expressions
used in TT to describe her feelings about the books she was given are slightly different fromthose originally used in ST. The underlining in ST is my addition. My English translations forthe underlined parts are inserted in ST. Furthermore, I have italicized the elaborated parts in TT.
7.
ST: ᩍ⛉᭩௨እ࡟࡯࡜ࢇ࡝ㄞࡴᮏࡢ↓࠿ࡗࡓࡇࡢ᫬௦࡟ࠊࡓࡲ࡟∗ࡀᮾி࠿ࡽᣢࡗ
࡚ࡁ࡚ࡃࢀࡿᮏࡣࠊ࡝ࢇ࡞࡟Ꮀࡋ࠿ࡗࡓ࠿ࠋ෉ᩘࡀᑡ࡞࠸ࡢ࡛ࠊᝰࡋࡳᝰࡋࡳ
ㄞࡳࡲࡋࡓ[I would read them wishing that they would not end]ࠋ
TT: At that time when, apart from school textbooks, there was so little reading matter to be
had, what a happiness it was to get the books which Father, now and then, would bringfrom Tokyo! Since I had so few volumes, I would read every bit of them and I prized
them highly. (1998)
In the example above, when ᝰࡋࡳᝰࡋࡳㄞࡳࡲࡋࡓ [I would read them wishing that theywould not end] is translated as “read every bit of them and I prized them highly,” the expression“prized them highly” is used. TT appears to express more explicitly the Empress’s positive
feelings about her memories of reading during her childhood.
In addition, the examples below show how elaboration in the text results in an emphasis on
the tragic aspect of a folktale she read as a child. The tale is about a prince and his wife who are
eventually killed by their enemies after several escapes.
8.
ST: ࡇࡢࡋࡤࡽࡃ๓ࠊ೺㸦ࡓࡅࡿ㸧࡜ᘵᶲ㸦࠾࡜ࡓࡕࡤ࡞㸧࡜ࡣࠊᗈ࠸ᯤ㔝ࢆ㏻ࡗ࡚࠸ࡓ᫬࡟ࠊᩛࡢㅛ࡟఍ࡗ࡚ⲡ࡟ⅆࢆᨺࡓࢀࠊ⇞࠼ࡿⅆ࡟㏣ࢃࢀ࡚㏨ࡆࡲ࡝࠸ࠊ

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
Translation Shifts in Japanese–English Translations of Speech Scripts஑Ṛ࡟୍⏕ࢆᚓࡓࡢ࡛ࡋࡓ [they were caught in their enemy’s stratagem of setting
fire to the grass, fled this way and that chased by the raging flames, and scarcely
survived]ࠋ
TT: Some time before this, while Takeru and Oto-Tachibana were crossing a withered plain,
their enemy devised a cruel stratagem of setting fire to the grass, leaving them
engulfed in raging flames, fleeing this way and that, in peril of their lives
9.
ST: ࡇࡢ᫬ࠊ௜ࡁῧࡗ࡚࠸ࡓྡྷࠊᘵᶲẚ኎࿨㸦࠾࡜ࡓࡕࡤ࡞ࡦࡵࡢࡳࡇ࡜㸧ࡣࠊ⮬ศࡀᾏ࡟ධࡾᾏ⚄ࡢ࠸࠿ࡾࢆ㙠ࡵࡿࡢ࡛ࠊⓚᏊࡣࡑࡢ౑࿨ࢆ㐙⾜ࡋそዌࡋ࡚࡯ࡋ࠸ࠊ࡜ப࠸ධỈࡋ [cast herself into the water]ࠊⓚᏊࡢ⯪ࢆ┠ⓗᆅ࡟ྥ࠿ࢃࡏࡲ
ࡍࠋ
TT: Then his consort, Princess Oto-Tachibana, who was accompanying him, declared that
she herself would go into the sea to appease the wrath of the god of the sea-crossing.
With that, she cast herself into the stormy waters, which immediately grew calm, and
the Prince’s boat was able to sail on to his appointed destination (1998).
One might argue that the latter example reflects an audience-conscious shift because it
appears to explain what ධỈ [cast herself into the water] means in greater detail. However,when all the italicized words in TT are considered together, they appear to enhance theemotional and tragic aspects of the story. Therefore, the elaborated translation of ධỈ [castherself into the water] should also be considered as an example of a message-conscious shift,rather than just an explanatory translation of a culturally specific word. By emphasizing theemotional aspects of the story, this translation shift stresses how vividly the images remain witha person throughout his/her childhood reading experience.
3.3.1.2 Respect for IBBY
The translator made alterations in the text to emphasize the speaker’s respect and sympathy for
the work of IBBY in the 2002 speech through the use of elaboration.
While the elaboration in the 1998 speech emphasizes the Empress’s memory of herchildhood reading experience mostly through the addition or alteration of words/phrases, theelaboration in the 2002 speech includes the addition of much longer phrases and even an entire
sentence. My English translation for ST is added in parentheses. The italicization in TT is alsomine, which indicates the elaborated parts.
For instance, in the example below, a phrase that describes the Empress’s relation to IBBY
is added.

211211ࠗ㏻ヂ⩻ヂ◊✲࠘ྕ  

10.
ST: 1998 ᖺࠊIBBY ࡢࢽ࣮ࣗࢹ࣮ࣜ኱఍࡟࠾ࡅࡿᇶㄪㅮ₇ࢆồࡵࡽࢀࡲࡋࡓ[I was
asked to deliver a keynote speech at the IBBY Congress in New Delhi]ࠋ
TT: My link with IBBY went a step further, when I was asked to deliver a keynote speech at
the 26th Congress in New Delhi. (2002)
In addition, in the two examples below, the parts in which the speaker expresses her respect
for and gratitude toward the organizers of IBBY are elaborated in TT.
11.
ST: IBBY ࡢ 50 ࿘ᖺࢆ⚃࠺ࡇࡢ኱ࡁ࡞఍ࢆࠊ࠶࡞ࡓࡣ࡝ࢇ࡞࡟ᚰࢆࡇࡵ࡚‽ഛ࡞ࡉࡗࡓࡇ࡜࡛ࡋࡻ࠺ [How much you put your heart into the preparation of this big
congress celebrating 50th anniversary of IBBY] ࠋ
TT: I can well imagine how much thought and care you have put into the planning andpreparation of the Congress and how wholeheartedly you have been working till today.
(2002)
12.
ST: ࡇࡢᗘࡢ఍㆟࡟ฟᖍࡋࠊⓙᵝ᪉ࡢάືࡢ୍➃࡟ゐࢀࡿࡇ࡜࡟ࡼࡾࠊ⚾⮬㌟ᑡࡋ࡛ࡶ῝ࡃ IBBY ࢆ▱ࡿࡇ࡜࡜࡞ࡾࠊࡇࢀ࠿ࡽࡶ㐲ࡃࡼࡾࡇࡢάື࡟ᚰࢆᐤࡏ࡚
࠸࠿ࢀࡿࡢ࡛ࡣ࡞࠸࠿࡜ឤࡌ࡚࠾ࡾࡲࡍ [I feel that by attending the conferences
and knowing part of your activities, I will be able to learn about IBBY deeper as muchas possible and continue to keep my heart closer to the activity from far] ࠋ
TT: …I feel that after experiencing this Jubilee Congress, I shall be able to better follow
your work and continue giving moral support, with a deeper understanding towards
your commitment to bring books and children together in so many different parts of
the world. (2002)
These examples suggest that these alterations are intended not only to add explanation but also
to emphasize the speaker’s positive evaluation of the work performed by the organizers.
3.3.2 Simplification
The translators omitted or summarized details that do not appear to affect the speech as a whole.
In the three examples given below, the words in parentheses in TTs are omitted.


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Translation Shifts in Japanese–English Translations of Speech Scripts13.
ST: ⚾ࡣ௒ࠊࡑࢀࡀᏊ౪ྥࡅ࡟⌧௦ㄒ࡟┤ࡉࢀ࡚࠸ࡓࡢ࠿ࠊཎᩥࡢࡲࡲゎㄝࡀ௜ࡉࢀ࡚࠸ࡓࡢ࠿ᛮ࠸ฟࡍࡇ࡜ࡀฟ᮶࡞࠸ࡢ࡛ࡍࡀ
TT: …I cannot now rightly remember whether it was given in a modern rendering [forchildren] or in the original Old Japanese with explanation attached. (1998)
14.
ST: ͐௒ࠊ⮬⩦ୡ⏺࡛Ꮚ౪ࡓࡕࡢㄞࢇ࡛࠸ࡿᮏࢆ㏦ࡗ࡚࡯ࡋ࠸ࠊ࡛ࡁࢀࡤ⤮ᮏࡸᤄ⤮ࡢ࠶ࡿᮏࢆࠊ࡜࠸࠺ࣞࢵࣉ࣐ࣥࡢせᮃࡣࠊࡸࡀ࡚ୡ⏺࡟Ⓨಙࡉࢀࠊ
TT: She sent a plea to the world that books then being read by children in the free world[picture books or books with pictures if possible] be sent to the German children.
(2002)
15.
ST:⚾ࡣ➨஧ḟୡ⏺኱ᡓࡢᮎᮇࠊᑠᏛ⏕࡜ࡋ࡚␯㛤ࡋ࡚࠸ࡓ᫬ᮇࡢㄞ᭩ࡢᛮ࠸ฟࢆ࠾
ヰࡋ࠸ࡓࡋࡲࡋࡓࠋ
TT: I spoke about my memories of childhood reading, especially of the time toward the endof World Warϩwhen I [, as an elementary school student,] was evacuated from thecity. (2002)
These omissions suggest that the translator cut details that are not necessary to the overall
message of the speech.
In addition, the example given below shows that the translator summarized the part of the2002 speech that is in parentheses.
16.
ST: ⚾ࡀࡇࡢࡓࡧࣂ࣮ࢮࣝ࡟ཧࡾࡲࡋࡓࡢࡣࠊ⚾⮬㌟ࡀ࠿ࡘ࡚Ꮚ౪࡜ࡋ࡚ࠊᮏ࠿ࡽ
ከࡃࡢᜠᜨࢆཷࡅࡓ⪅࡛࠶ࡗࡓ࠿ࡽ࡛ࡍࠋ
TT: [I came to Basel because I myself was once benefited greatly from books as a child.]
When I was invited to attend this Congress, I hesitated at first thinking that I lacked
professional qualifications. (2002)
These examples of translation shifts suggest that the translator is likely to cut repetitive
information or details that do not affect the audience’s understanding of the message conveyed
by the speeches.


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3.3.3 Different ways of elaborating the text
The analysis above suggests that there are slight differences between the two speeches regarding
how elaboration/simplification occurs. There appears to be a tendency in the 2002 speech for
longer additions when compared with the 1998 speech.
One reason the 2002 speech includes longer additions than the 1998 speech might be thelengths of the two speeches. As shown in the table below, the two speeches differ in length. The
1998 speech is almost one-third as long as the 2002 speech.
Table 3. Quantitative Overview of ST and TT

1998 speech

2002 speech

Number of characters in ST

11929

3834

Number of words in TT

5870

1815

The 1998 speech possibly could not be longer because of the time constraints, and therefore,
unnecessary details were left out. In fact, the webpage has a note concerning the 1998 speech,
which states that the actual speech given by the Empress was shortened because of time
limitations, although the omitted parts are restored in the published text. This suggests that there
might have been a scope for additions when the Japanese script of the 1998 speech wastranslated into English.2
Thus, in addition to the general restrictions for producing the equivalent text, as
discussed in section 3, this suggests that another constraint when producing a speech scripttranslation can be a constraint on time.
4. Conclusion
This study has discussed the translations of the speech scripts of Empress Michiko’s two
speeches given at two IBBY congresses, focusing on translation shifts. This paper suggests thattranslation shifts observed in the speech script translations can be classified into three categories
depending on what the translator seems to be conscious of regarding the communicative
situation in which the speech is given: audience-conscious shifts, style-conscious shifts, andmessage-conscious shifts.
The adaptability of the classification schema in this study may need to be examinedfurther in other similar case studies; however, the study shows that this classification can be
useful for explaining the features of the translation shifts observed in speech script translations
as follows. Audience-conscious shifts can be found when some information is added to help theaudience better understand the speech. Style-conscious shifts include alterations made to
produce hendiadys and metaphorical coherence. These shifts appear to be made to improve the

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

texts’ accessibility, rather than to emphasize certain aspects of the two speeches. Messageconscious shifts are divided into elaboration and simplification. In the 1998 speech, the tragic
aspects of the folktale that the Empress mentions are elaborated through the cumulative effects
of additions and alterations. In the 2002 speech, elaboration results in greater emphasis on the
Empress’s respect for IBBY. Conversely, simplifications are observed in places where the text
includes information that is not necessary for understanding the speech’s message orinformation that can be considered repetitive.
Moreover, the different ways of elaborating the text that can be observed in acomparison of ST and TT suggest that time restrictions can be another factor that determines theapproach to translation shifts; however, this needs to be researched further, and more evidence
should be provided.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the Korean Association of Translation Studies for giving me theopportunity to present part of this project at the international conference “Rethinking
Perspectives in Translation Research and Practice,” held at the Hankuk University of Foreign
Studies on October 18–19, 2013.
……………………………
About the Authorṓᒸ෪㤶 (TOSHIOKA Saeka) ኱㜰኱Ꮫᅜ㝿ᩍ⫱஺ὶࢭࣥࢱ࣮≉௵ຓᩍࠋ኱㜰኱Ꮫ኱Ꮫ㝔ゝㄒᩥ໬◊✲⛉ゝㄒᩥ໬Ꮫᑓᨷ༤ኈᚋᮇㄢ⛬ಟ஢ࠋ༤ኈ㸦ゝㄒᩥ໬Ꮫ㸧ࠋᑓ㛛ࡣ᪥ⱥㄒ⩻ヂ◊✲ࠊㄆ▱ⓗ࣓ࢱࣇ࢓࣮◊✲ࠋ᭱㏆ࡢⴭ᭩࡟ A Study on Metaphorical Evaluation in Written Texts froma Perspective of Cognitive Linguistics㸦Osaka University Press, 2014)ࡀ࠶ࡿࠋ
……………………………
Notes
1

Translations of Hauki Murakami’s Jerusalem Prize Acceptance speech was discussed in Toshioka(2014) Chapter 6.
2

As for the 2002 speech, there is a note that appears on the webpage, which states that the English

translation is not a literal translation of the Japanese text as it was modified to make it moreaccessible to the audience at the ceremony.
……………………………
References
Primary Sources
The Empress Michiko’s keynote speech of the 26th Congress of IBBY held in New Delhi in 1998.
[Online] Japanese text available at [http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/okotoba/01/ibby/koen-h10sknewdelhi.html] (accessed August 8, 2013) English text available at

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2013)
The Empress Michiko’s speech given at the opening ceremony of the Jubilee Congress tocommemorate the 50th anniversary of the IBBY held in Basel Swiss in 2002. [Online] Japanese
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