Direct Speech in Japanese-Thai Court Interpreting

Abstract

Direct speech is regarded as a standard interpreting style. In Thai interpreting, however, this style can create difficulty when the gender of the primary speaker and the interpreter(s) differs because first-person pronouns and formality-marking particles in Thai correspond with the gender of the person speaking. This study examines how Japanese-Thai interpreters have interpreted Japanese first-person pronouns in court settings. It also investigates how reporting verbs and formality-marking particles are used. The analysis includes the performance of five interpreters from authentic and mock trials, combined with interview data. The results show that only one interpreter used Thai first-person pronouns, and did so in accordance with the gender of the primary speaker. Additionally, two types of formality-marking particle usage were identified across all interpreters: those based on the interpreter’s gender, and those based on the primary speaker’s gender. The latter, however, could be considered to increase the cognitive load of the interpreter.