Translator - A.O.
PhD in International
and Public Affairs
10 yrs. experience
Could you tell me your subject area in which you are specialized?
My major is mainly in the field of social sciences, such as international public policy, international development studies, public administration, NPO/NGO management, especially International development studies. When you hear “International Development Studies”, you might think of developing country as an object of research, but I am interested in examining how developed countries can support developing countries. Further, I am researching citizen mobilization theory of Japanese NGO organization.
Why did you select to be a translator?
I spent my childhood in in Japan, and moved to America for further studies. Fortunately, I shifted to USA after I had sufficiently developed my Japanese language skills; I have native speaker abilities in both English and Japanese. As a child, I wanted to take advantage of these abilities in future. Hence, I decided to become a translator; I believed that acting as a bridge between Japanese and English papers as a translator would be my strength for providing translation with the correct style and expression.
How are you able to maintain and improve your English skills?
I try to read as much as possible in both Japanese and English. I think that I will be able to enhance my vocabulary and style of expression by adding various descriptions and styles. Also, I think that I would be able to create high quality translation by translating as many papers as possible.
What is your most remarkable translation ever done?
It was a few years back when I translated an interview recorded for a documentary film. Since its theme was “Atomic Bomb”, the manuscript had many stories narrated by victims. I felt a high sense of responsibility, since my translation will be their voice on the film. My desire was to translate their voice with as high quality as possible, since the translation will directly affect the audience impression. I saw the documentary film on the TV by chance, and I was very happy and felt motivated.
What type of Translator do you want to be?
I want to be a translator who is told by the author “Yes! This is exactly what I wanted to say”. Once I start translation, I gradually hear the author’s voice through the manuscript. I somehow understand why this author has researched this topic and why he is attracted by it. I really feel the obligation to translate accurately to convey the author’s voice. Of course, the translation must reflect author’s intention accurately, but at same time, I think translation should be cogent enough as per the theory of the paper.
