南向き翻訳事務所 岩渕デボラ ブログ

Deborah Davidson, a Hokkaido-based translator who has devoted most of her career to translating the works of Japanese author Miura Ayako (subject of a future entry), is also active in a project to introduce the Ainu oral tradition to English speakers.

She was recently awarded a grant to translate Iyomante-Meguru inochi no okurimono, a tale centered around the Ainu “bear-sending” ceremony. In this posting on her blog she discusses the difficulty of translating “tricky spots,” passages that are integral to the story but difficult to work with considering the cultural sensitivities of readers of the translation. This is a point I too have struggled with, and Debbie’s comments offer valuable insight.