The development of interpretation in the context of Estonia's evolving statehood
Date
2018-03-16
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Abstract
Väitekiri on esimene terviklik uurimus suulise tõlke arengu ajaloost Eestis, hõlmates kahte perioodi: iseseisvat Eesti Vabariiki (1918–1940), ja Nõukogude Eestit (1944–1991). Autori tõestab, et tõlkimist on kasutatud riigi toimimise esimestest päevadest alates, hoolimata murrangulistest poliitilistest, majanduslikest ja ühiskondlikest sündmustest.
Väitekiri annab põhjaliku ülevaate suulise tõlke erisustest eri perioodidel, esitab varaseid fakte järel- ja sünkroontõlke ning varaseimate dateeritud tõlgi kasutamiste kohta Eesti Vabariigis. Suulise tõlke uurimist raskendab aga terminoloogiline segadus: sageli ei tehta vahet mõistetel tõlk ja tõlkija.
Audiovisuaalsed ja dokumentaalsed allikad, mälestused, arhiividokumendid, ajalehed ja ülemnõukogu istungite stenogrammid võimaldasid koguda usaldusväärse andmestiku. Autor leidis tõlkimise kohta sõjaeelsest perioodist 364 ajaleheartiklit: 278 artiklis oli mainitud tõlkimist Eestis ja 86 artiklis välismaal. Aastate 1944–1991 kohta kogus autor 145 filmikroonikalõiku ja 524 fotot, mis tõendasid suulist tõlkimist nõukogude perioodil ning intervjueeris 69 tõlki ja tõlke värvanud ning tõlget kasutanud inimest.
Juba riikluse kujunemise algul, Venemaaga peetud läbirääkimistel kasutati Eesti Vabariigi riigikeelt koos tõlkega vene keelde. Laiendades Pierre Bourdieu sümboolse kapitali mõistet üksikisikult riigile, näitab autor, et eesti keele kasutamine oli otseselt seotud riigi prestiižiga ning osutas riigi sümboolse kapitali kasvule. Diplomaatilist tõlget käsitletakse kui mõjufaktoreid riigi sümboolse kapitali akumuleerimisel.
Peale teist maailmasõda muutus Eestis mitte ainult riigikord, vaid ka keelekeskkond. Muutused ühiskonnas avaldasid mõju ka suulisele tõlkele: suuline tõlge eesti keelest vene keelde võimaldas jätkata eesti keele kasutamist ka avalikel ametlikel üritustel, ajal, mil vene keelt suruti peale rahvastevahelise suhtluse keelena. Autor käsitleb suulist tõlget kui eesti keele kasutamist domineeriva võõrkeele keskkonnas.
The present dissertation is the first to explore the evolution of interpreting in the Republic of Estonia over two different periods: the Republic of Estonia (1918–1940) and Soviet Estonia (1944–1991). The author provides factual evidence that interpreting has been used in Estonia, despite different political orders and throughout periods of profound political, economic and social transformation. The research provides a comprehensive overview on interpretation in Estonia, maps the factual evidence, identifies interpreters and finds the potentially earliest cases (since independence in 1918) of consecutive and simultaneous interpretation in the country. The authentic material gathered comprises archival, audiovisual and documentary sources, memoirs, 69 interviews, newspapers and verbatim reports. To cover the first period the author’s search yielded 364 newspaper articles: 278 referred to interpretation being used in Estonia and 86 informed readers about international events. For the second period, 145 film clips and 524 photos retrieved are informative. This dissertation is, to the author's knowledge, the first to associate interpreting in Estonia with the creation of symbolic capital for the state. Expanding upon Pierre Bourdieu’s approach to symbolic capital, the author applied it not just to individuals but to states. The use of the state language (and interpretation) was directly linked with the prestige of the state and enhanced the state’s symbolic capital. After World War II not only the political order but also the linguistic environment changed in Estonia, and with an influx of Russian-speaking population there was obviously the need to ensure communication between the two population groups. In post-war Estonia the use of interpreting became highly contextualized: the dominant Soviet ideology aimed at expanding the use of Russian, whereas interpreting into Russian allowed Estonian to be used in the conference room, as well.
The present dissertation is the first to explore the evolution of interpreting in the Republic of Estonia over two different periods: the Republic of Estonia (1918–1940) and Soviet Estonia (1944–1991). The author provides factual evidence that interpreting has been used in Estonia, despite different political orders and throughout periods of profound political, economic and social transformation. The research provides a comprehensive overview on interpretation in Estonia, maps the factual evidence, identifies interpreters and finds the potentially earliest cases (since independence in 1918) of consecutive and simultaneous interpretation in the country. The authentic material gathered comprises archival, audiovisual and documentary sources, memoirs, 69 interviews, newspapers and verbatim reports. To cover the first period the author’s search yielded 364 newspaper articles: 278 referred to interpretation being used in Estonia and 86 informed readers about international events. For the second period, 145 film clips and 524 photos retrieved are informative. This dissertation is, to the author's knowledge, the first to associate interpreting in Estonia with the creation of symbolic capital for the state. Expanding upon Pierre Bourdieu’s approach to symbolic capital, the author applied it not just to individuals but to states. The use of the state language (and interpretation) was directly linked with the prestige of the state and enhanced the state’s symbolic capital. After World War II not only the political order but also the linguistic environment changed in Estonia, and with an influx of Russian-speaking population there was obviously the need to ensure communication between the two population groups. In post-war Estonia the use of interpreting became highly contextualized: the dominant Soviet ideology aimed at expanding the use of Russian, whereas interpreting into Russian allowed Estonian to be used in the conference room, as well.