Current location:style >>
VOX POPULI: Ippei Mizuhara’s interpretation skills make the news even sadder
style257People have gathered around
IntroductionWhen I was a university student working part time as an interpreter, my instructor often cautioned m ...
When I was a university student working part time as an interpreter, my instructor often cautioned me, “Neither add to, nor subtract from, what you are supposed to be translating. Remember to remain completely ‘invisible.’”
I deserved the warning because whenever I was surprised or flummoxed on the job, it would show on my face. Every time I was told that other people found my reactions irritating, I acutely felt the difficulty of this job.
Masao Kunihiro (1930-2014), dubbed the “god of simultaneous interpretation,” was my hero. I once wrote him a letter. To my surprise and utter delight, he wrote me back, encouraging me to “study and master the basics.”
But I had neither the quickness of mind nor the moxie he considered essential to the profession, and I eventually gave up.
Ippei Mizuhara, the long-time interpreter of Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been fired over suspected illegal gambling.
In a statement he issued during a news conference on March 26, Ohtani said his feelings “could not be easily described in words.” They must have been quite complex, given his closeness to Mizuhara.
Watching a different interpreter sitting next to Ohtani, it suddenly occurred to me that I had never seen Mizuhara take notes even during formal news conferences.
I remember being taught to “write down numbers and proper nouns,” but Mizuhara may have been blessed with an outstanding memory.
He translated even lengthy questions by U.S. reporters with apparent ease, sometimes “embellishing” or “editing out” to ensure clarity.
When Ohtani was injured and his mobility was hampered, Mizuhara brought him food and took him to physical therapy appointments. During the Home Run Derby preceding an All-Star Game, he even served as Ohtani’s catcher.
Mizuhara’s role far exceeded that of an interpreter. He was perhaps able to translate without taking notes because he was fully confident of his unshakable relationship of mutual trust with Ohtani.
Interpretation may well have been his calling. But it ended all too abruptly.
--The Asahi Shimbun, March 27
* *
*Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Global Glance news portal”。http://tokelau.adventistmissionjapan.org/article-37f099953.html
Related articles
Who is Abi Carter? Inside the American Idol winner's unconventional family life
styleCalifornia-native Abi Carter was crowned the American Idol winner for season 22 on Sunday. The 21-ye ...
【style】
Read moreOlly Murs shares he's juggling nappies and late nights as he gives insight into fatherhood while on
styleOlly Murs has given fans an insight into fatherhood after welcoming his newborn daughter Madison las ...
【style】
Read more3 children in minivan hurt when it rolled down hill, into baseball dugout wall in Illinois
styleWOODSTOCK, Ill. (AP) — Three children were hurt when the minivan they were in rolled down a hill Sat ...
【style】
Read more
Popular articles
- Sale continues dominant run as Braves beat Padres 3
- Anthony Edwards scores 36 points, Timberwolves beat Suns 126
- Inside one
- Chinese scientists propose new solutions for fast
- Norwegian Cruise Line, Wix.com rise; Cushman & Wakefield, Target fall, Monday, 5/20/2024
- Rams hope they drafted a new defensive core in post
Latest articles
Dali cargo ship is finally brought back to port
Bonmati shines as Barcelona ousts Chelsea in Women’s Champions League semis
Commanders get their QB in Jayden Daniels, fill several holes in the NFL draft
Christine Quinn claims estranged husband Christian Richard put quarter
Digital technologies restore looks of 2,200
Team Penske's Power, McLaughlin lock up front row at IndyCar after controversial week
LINKS
- China, Pakistan pledge to enhance pragmatic cooperation in various fields
- Chinese vice premier visits Uzbekistan, co
- Vindicated by Supreme Court, CFPB director says bureau will add staff, consider new rules on banks
- Chinese premier meets Putin on bilateral ties
- Las Vegas Aces sell out a WNBA
- What to expect in Oregon's primaries
- Peng Liyuan visits Hungarian
- Security footage appears to show that Alaska man did not raise gun before being killed by police
- Security footage appears to show that Alaska man did not raise gun before being killed by police
- Judge says South Carolina can enforce 6