Projects

2021

Kugikoya Foundation in Rikuzentakata: English Translation and Voiceover of Documentary Video

We undertook the task of translating and creating the English voiceover for the video "The Disaster Archive: 'Voices of Storytellers Bridging to the Future'" produced by the Kugikoya Foundation in Rikuzentakata. Prior to the translation work, we had the opportunity to engage in a discussion with the storyteller, Mr. Akira Kugi, where we were able to understand his thoughts and address his concerns regarding the translation. The work involved a complex process of information selection and translation into English. We were also responsible for the studio recordings and successfully finalized the entire project by March 11th.

Watch the video here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1449490455491516

Translation
Masaki Kato (fourth year student at College of Intercultural Communication)
Nanami Goto (fourth year student at College of Intercultural Communication)
Momoko Mitsuhata (fourth year student at College of Intercultural Communication)
Yunaga Yoshitake (fourth year student at College of Intercultural Communication)
Manami Kubo (second year student at College of Intercultural Communication)

English supervisors (Native speaker review and studio recording)
Denton Williams (second year student at Graduate School of Intercultural Communication
Elizabeth Ramos (third year student at College of Intercultural Communication)

Project management
Denton Williams (second year student at Graduate School of Intercultural Communication)
*Affiliation and school year as of 2021

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Alumni Interview: Online Event and Article Translation

In this project, we were involved in everything from planning and running an event, to translating the associated article. The Japanese version of the article can be found below.

RiCoLaS Café: Alumni Interview with Miki Watanabe (Class of 2017)

by: Denton Williams

On Sunday, November 14, 2021, RiCoLaS held an interview with alum Miki Watanabe ('17). Watanabe, a current in-house interpreter for Line Corporation in Tokyo, answered questions about her time at Rikkyo as an undergraduate, her work experiences after graduation, and the future trajectory of her career as an interpreter. The interview was conducted in-person at Rikkyo University's Ikebukuro campus by second-year undergraduate Manami Kubo, while complying with strict measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Thanks to the anecdotes and advice received from Watanabe, the interview served as a valuable source of insight for students interested in Rikkyo University's RiCoLaS program, future RiCoLaS students, and also translation and interpreting students in general.

As an undergraduate student in the Department of Intercultural Communication, Watanabe began her studies with an interest in English and international relations. Coincidentally, during her final year at Rikkyo, the Department established the Translator and Interpreter Training program for the first time. As a result, Watanabe decided to enroll in courses and give interpreting a try. She found that the skill was much more difficult than expected, but through reading, studying vocabulary, and reflecting on her shortcomings after every class, she developed a fondness for interpreting that would stick with her in the years to come.

After graduating from Rikkyo University, Watanabe first began working in Human Resources and General Affairs at a Japanese firm she originally had her sights on. Though it was not a long-devised plan to eventually become an interpreter, Watanabe decided with the conclusion of a project in her company to revisit her interest in interpreting. She contacted Professor Kayoko Takeda to consult with her about graduate studies in interpreting, and after building up enough motivation along with the right timing, she began her studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (USA). Watanabe graduated this year with a Master's degree in Conference Interpreting, and returned to Japan to begin working in June as an in-house interpreter in the IT field.

According to Watanabe, her career in interpreting has been filled with both rewards and challenges. Particularly this year with ensuing demands for long-distance, remote conferences, the usual challenges interpreters face have become compounded with additional issues related to technology: difficulty seeing clients' faces, fuzzy microphones, and switching language channels. Nevertheless, Watanabe's dedication and routine practices of listening to podcasts, watching news broadcasts in 1.2x speed, and gaining exposure to diverse English dialects has helped her continue to improve her interpreting skills and compensate for the challenges brought about by unpredictable work conditions.

At the end of her assignments, the encouragement from clients and coworkers gives her a sense of fulfillment that keeps her motivated to advance her career in interpreting. In 10 years' time, Watanabe hopes to have gained enough experience interpreting to be able to call herself an expert in a particular field of content. However, for now, she is excited to see where her job as an in-house interpreter takes her, and she encourages anyone interested in interpreting to give it a try just like she did.

RiCoLaSカフェ：渡部美樹さん（2017年卒）への卒業生インタビュー

記事：デントン・ウィリアムズ

2021年11月14日（日）にRiCoLaS主催の下、2017年ご卒業の渡部美樹さんをお招きしてインタビューが開催されました。本企画では、現在LINE株式会社の社内通訳として勤務されている渡部さんの立教での学生時代、ご卒業後の職務経験、そして通訳としての今後のキャリアプランについてお伺いしました。インタビューは厳重な新型コロナウイルス感染症対策を実施した上、学部二年生の久保舞菜美さんをインタビュアーとし、本学の池袋キャンパスにて対面形式で行われました。渡部さんより頂いた興味深い逸話や貴重なアドバイスは、本学のRiCoLaSプログラムに関心がある学生、今後RiCoLaSに参加する学生、また通訳翻訳を学ぶ学生一般にとって、示唆に富む有意義なものとなりました。

　渡部さんは当初、英語と国際関係学への関心から異文化コミュニケーション学部での勉強を始められましたが、たまたま4年生のときに通訳者・翻訳者養成プログラムが新設されたことから、通訳にも挑戦してみようと通訳科目の履修を決めたそうです。始めた当初は予想以上にとても難しく感じられた通訳も、読書や語彙のインプットを増やしたり、授業後に自身の弱点についての振り返りを重ねたりすることで、後に自身のキャリアにも繋がる通訳という職業への関心を養うことが出来た、と渡部さんは述べています。

　立教大学を卒業された後、渡部さんはまず自身の志望していた日本企業で人事総務系の仕事をされることとなりました。通訳者になるという計画はなかったのですが、自身が担当する案件がひと段落したときに、通訳の道について検討するようになったそうです。通訳を大学院で学ぶことについて武田珂代子先生に相談し、良いタイミングで自身のモチベーションも高まったため、アメリカのミドルベリー国際大学院モントレー校へ進学されることとなりました。渡部さんは会議通訳の修士号を2021年5月に取得され、帰国後にLINE株式会社の社内通訳として6月より勤務されています。

　通訳者としてのキャリアはやりがいが大きいが、壁にぶつかることもあると渡部さんは述べています。特に今はビデオ会議での遠隔通訳が続いており、通訳者が平時に経験する困難だけでなく、クライアントの顔が見えないこと、不明瞭な音声、日英チャンネルの切り替えといった、技術的な課題に直面します。このような状況下でも、日課としてポッドキャストを聞く、1.2倍速でニュースを視聴する、様々な英語のアクセントに聞き慣れるなどといった、渡部さんのたゆみない努力は通訳スキルの向上につながり、予測不能な仕事環境への対処に役立っているそうです。

　仕事の後にクライアントや同僚から毎回送られる応援の言葉が達成感となり、通訳の道を進む上で渡部さんの大きな励みとなっています。10年後には何か特定の専門と名乗れるほどの通訳経験を積みたい、という自身の意気込みを渡部さんは語りました。そのような夢を持ちつつも、今のところは社内通訳としてどこまで活躍できるか楽しみであるとし、自分と同様、関心がある人は是非通訳に挑んで欲しいとのことです。

(From left to right: Mitsuhata [staff], Ms. Watanabe [guest], Kubo [interviewer], Kato [staff])

Translation
Chenren Li (third year student at College of Intercultural Communication)

Editing
Kisa Ogawa (second year student at College of Intercultural Communication)

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College of Intercultural Communication: Survey Translation

At the request of the university, we took charge of the Japanese to English translation of a "Survey on Consciousness and Environment regarding Sexuality," along with the email in which the survey was sent out. Guided by the project manager, a team comprising four student translators and one native checker collaborated closely, engaging in multiple discussions throughout the process. We successfully completed the translation within the set deadline, always keeping in mind the intended use, purposes and requirements of the translation.

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Project of Subtitling

This was a long-term project lasting around six months from the planning of the event up to the hosting of the online event via Zoom in June and subsequent subtitling work. Our goal was to create content that could serve as an introduction for beginners in interpretation and translation, those interested in Japanese subtitling, and students planning to participate in RiCoLaS activities in the future. The irregular conditions due to the covid pandemic posed challenges for smooth communication. We faced difficulties in managing a long-term project, ensuring rule compliance and maintaining consistency in translations. The project team was composed of a project manager, five students responsible for translation and one native checker.

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