eased its operations in 1991. There are three major tasks that are assigned to the broadcasting interpreters:
. Interpreting the news programmes.
. Translating documentary programmes and checking the translation.
. Voicing-over of documentary programmes.would like to focus on the first task since it is the one most similar to the activity carried out by broadcasting interpreters working for NHK, the biggest broadcasting organisation in Japan.programmes consist of two parts, the lead and the piece. The lead is the introduction which is then followed by the piece or the correspondent s report. The piece is also called TX .for the lead are usually filed in the computer system beforehand. It is the responsibility of the interpreter who is in charge of interpreting the anchor on that day to prepare the Japanese translation. Since the interpreter reads aloud the translation at the very same time as the programme goes on air, the translation has to be as long as the original and fit within the same time frame as the English source text. If the interpretation is too long it will spill over into the TX, and will obstruct the interpretation of this section. This can have a very negative effect since the lead and the piece are interpreted by different interpreters.are almost no transcripts available for interpreters who are in charge of the piece but correspondents reports are usually filed in the computer system in video format; interpreters can download the footage in order to prepare the Japanese translation. As in the case of the lead, when read aloud the translation should fit within the time frame of the original. The translation should also occur in concert with what is happening on the TV screen so that there is no conflict between the interpretation and the picture. If there is not enough time to prepare the Japanese translation, interpretation takes place simultaneously while on air. Simultaneous interpretation is also called for in the case of live coverage, when for example the anchor interviews a guest in the studio, or the correspondent files a live report.policy and quality controlquality of the Japanese is greatly emphasised by the editor, stressing that the standards should be comparable to NHK news. Under the slogan of less is more, interpreters are asked to edit the information so that the interpretation is not only accurate but also easy for the viewers to understand. Delivery is considered important and interpreters are offered elocution training in Japanese. Interpreters are asked to comply with the less is more policy even when they are interpreting simultaneously; a rapid and somewhat garrulous delivery, which is rather common in simultaneous interpretation, is not welcomed.BBC World TV, the interpreter s name does not appear on the screen, making it difficult for the viewer to identify the interpreter when there is any misinterpretation. Although editors are in charge of checking the output of the interpreters, they tend to focus on purely technical matters such as voice level, paper rustle, etc. rather than on the linguistic merits of the translation. Besides, given the time pressure, it is almost impossible for the editors to check the entire output.for checking word usage, this is basically left to the interpreters to cross-check among themselves. Under this system, the translation of new words tends to cause debate among the interpreters. In order to solve this problem, there have been attempts at forming a Translation Standardisation Committee in charge of making the use of certain terms consistent. However, it is very difficult to create a consensus among the interpreters and, so far, the attempts have not resulted in any committee being formed. Nonetheless, a Standard Translation Database System is now in place, where interpreters take turns to define the translation of new words and add them to the database. In any case, editors have the final say in deciding which Japanese term should be used.interpreters at NHKinterpreters for NHK are provided by NHK Joho Network Inc., an affiliate company of NHK. The Bilingual Center, one of the divisions of NHK Joho Network Inc., is in charge of selecting and arranging interpreters and translators. More than one thousand interpreters and translators in some 60 languages ??are registered at the Bilingual Center.NHK interpreters work on a freelance basis, they have considerable flexibility. They can decide if they do not want to work very late or very early hours. When there is a high volume of work, interpreters are called in more often, which means an increase in their income, as for example during the reporting on the War in Iraq in spring 2003. However, working on a freelance basis means that there is no income security, and it can be very difficult for interpreters to rely entirely on the income from NHK to make a living. Besides, it is r...
