Exploring Translators' Agency in Historical Document Translation

Exploring Translators' Agency in Historical Document Translation: An Analysis of Paratextual Elements

By Akiko Sawada

This study explores translators’ agency as demonstrated in the translation of Occupation-era documents. Through a qualitative analysis of translators’ notes as key paratexts, it highlights the active decisions made, or agency exercised, by translators. Building on Paloposki’s (2009, p. 191) definition of "paratextual agency", i.e., “translators’ role in inserting and adding notes and prefaces”, this research analyzes the functions of translators’ notes to uncover translators’ agency.

The study focuses on the Kanagawa Military Government Team Monthly Military Government Activities Report: Annex E, E-1, E-2 [November 1947–October 1949] (Kanagawa Prefectural Integrated Education Center, 2010), which is a compilation of translated reports from the Prefectural Team of the Occupation Forces, detailing Kanagawa Prefecture’s educational administration during the Occupation period. These translations include extensive translators’ notes judged necessary for contemporary readers, offering a rich dataset for exploring the agency of translators. Using a thematic analysis method, the study identifies the functions of the notes and the agency they reflect. Furthermore, as multiple individuals contributed to the translation project, it also discusses the work from the perspective of collaborative agency.

By exploring translators’ agency in historical document translations, this study ultimately contributes to re-evaluating the social role and value of human translators in an era of advancing AI translation technologies and adds new insights to the limited research on historical document translation.