ANNA LÍGIA POZZETTI
Translation: Jeffrey D. Stewart
Revision: Lynnea Hansen
I believe it’s safe to say that all fellow interpreters working in the United States have had to interpret English spoken by a non-native speaker on one occasion or another. In fact, it’s probably a common occurrence for all language professionals with English as one of their working languages. Beyond the challenges involving aspects of accent and prosody, cultural difference, directly impacting our style of communication, adds an additional layer of difficulty to our job, which already places a significant cognitive load on our brains.
As an interpreter working with Japanese and Portuguese who grew up in Japan, I will showcase a specific aspect of the Japanese language that, in my humble estimation, I believe could, to some extent, offer a minor contribution to the inevitably arduous task confronting those interpreting a Japanese individual speaking English.
Perhaps some of you were put off by the way I structured that previous declaration—employing language such as “humble estimation,” “I believe I could,” “to some extent,” “minor,” “arduous.” Makes sense, yet it represents one of the cultural aspects present with Japanese speakers. My objective is to show that there are subtleties that we will be able to capture by, for example, studying the culture of eventgoers. These subtleties represent a repository of knowledge that we acquire over the years, which can make our work that much more captivating.
The Japanese have a complex design of honorific lexicon (keigo 敬語), that is, words used to signify a heightened level of respect that an individual has toward another. To show the individual I am addressing that I consider them hierarchically superior to me, I employ a series of extremely sophisticated words (nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs), and, in so doing, I display the utmost reverence and politeness toward them. I would never exalt what is mine or what is associated with my person. Instead, I would employ terms of humility (kenjōgo 謙譲語) which will indicate to the addressee that I am not speaking from a place of arrogance or pretentiousness, thus showing respect through modesty, too. It is for all of these reasons that my estimation, described here and to be read by such distinguished colleagues, could only be humble and minor! Knowing these aspects of the language could contribute to a more accurate interpretation of what Japanese people are trying to communicate that an English speaker may have difficulty understanding.
All of these rules and formalities in the language are not artificial; rather, they are the fabric of Japanese culture. In her classic work The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture, anthropologist Ruth Benedict notes that it is important in trying to understand their demand for hierarchy in the wider fields of government and economic life to recognize how thoroughly the habit is learned in the bosom of the family.[i] From a very early age, Japanese children are taught how to be cordial, deal with hierarchical formalities, and absorb the rules of proper place. As someone who was raised in Japan, I confirm the veracity of this reality.
In speaking of cordiality, it’s worth noting that there is a fundamental distinction to be made between Japanese and Brazilian forms of cordiality. In his classic work Raízes do Brasil, Sérgio Buarque de Holanda explains that the characteristic trait of our cordiality as Brazilians is linked to a horror of distances and an aversion to social ritualism—as is displayed in our famous saying “sinta-se em casa, não faça cerimônia” whenever we welcome someone into our home. We even use diminutives and omit an individual’s last name altogether in social settings. We distance ourselves from politeness and quickly draw ourselves close to others. Holanda further adds that Brazilians behave in a way that is the exact opposite of the Japanese, as, for Brazilians, ritual invades the area of social behavior and gives it greater rigor. In Brazil, it is precisely the rigor of the ritual that is loosened and humanized.[ii] Ritual is reflected in many aspects of social life in Japan—handing someone a visitor’s card with both hands, bowing your head before others, maintaining strict punctuality, keeping quiet when using public transportation. So, there are plenty of instances that we can capture once we gain the necessary knowledge and become more observant of others’ cultures.
In closing, I extend an invitation to my fellow interpreters. One of the most in-demand skills for success in an environment with individuals of different nationalities is cultural intelligence, that is, the ability to adapt and connect with new cultures. Knowing the customs, practices, rules of etiquette, history, society, taboos, and values of a given culture could be decisive in delivering quality interpretation. It’s a process that takes time, but the investment is worthwhile. After all, the job of an interpreter requires that the individual be capable of understanding the culture of both countries on a deep level. It is not solely having a high level of fluency in at least two languages. In other words, it’s not enough to be merely bilingual; you must also be bicultural. That’s something even a computer can’t do for us!
So, where to start? Not sure? One step to take toward piquing your curiosity and deepening your worldview of other countries is through reading. In the spirit of reading, allow me to recommend three books for us to gain a small glimpse of Japanese culture and society. All three were written by contemporary Japanese authors and were translated into English.
- Hiro Arikawa’s The Travelling Cat Chronicles (translated by Philip Gabriel)
- Aoko Matsuda’s Where the Wild Ladies Are (translated by Polly Barton)
- Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman (translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori)
The aim of our work as interpreters is to connect cultures. As such, it is my humble hope that these words and recommended books serve as a contribution as we learn from each other and respect each other’s differences more and more with each passing day.
ANNA LÍGIA POZZETTI is a conference interpreter working between Japanese, Portuguese, and English, certified by the University of Hawai’i at Manoa’s Center for Interpretation and Translation Studies. She is also a content creator on topics surrounding Japanese history and culture. Anna holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), completed one year of study at Tokyo’s Waseda University, and has a master’s degree in economic history from the Graduate Program of Economic Development at Unicamp’s Institute of Economics.
[i] Benedict, Ruth. 2005. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture. New York: First Mariner Books.
[ii] Holanda, Sérgio Buarque de. 2012. Roots of Brazil. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press.
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