When I was a university student working part time as an interpreter, my instructor often cautioned me, “Neither add to, nor subtract from, what you are supposed to be translating. Remember to remain completely ‘invisible.’”

I deserved the warning because whenever I was surprised or flummoxed on the job, it would show on my face. Every time I was told that other people found my reactions irritating, I acutely felt the difficulty of this job.

Masao Kunihiro (1930-2014), dubbed the “god of simultaneous interpretation,” was my hero. I once wrote him a letter. To my surprise and utter delight, he wrote me back, encouraging me to “study and master the basics.”

But I had neither the quickness of mind nor the moxie he considered essential to the profession, and I eventually gave up.

Ippei Mizuhara, the long-time interpreter of Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been fired over suspected illegal gambling.

In a statement he issued during a news conference on March 26, Ohtani said his feelings “could not be easily described in words.” They must have been quite complex, given his closeness to Mizuhara.

Watching a different interpreter sitting next to Ohtani, it suddenly occurred to me that I had never seen Mizuhara take notes even during formal news conferences.

I remember being taught to “write down numbers and proper nouns,” but Mizuhara may have been blessed with an outstanding memory.

He translated even lengthy questions by U.S. reporters with apparent ease, sometimes “embellishing” or “editing out” to ensure clarity.

When Ohtani was injured and his mobility was hampered, Mizuhara brought him food and took him to physical therapy appointments. During the Home Run Derby preceding an All-Star Game, he even served as Ohtani’s catcher.

Mizuhara’s role far exceeded that of an interpreter. He was perhaps able to translate without taking notes because he was fully confident of his unshakable relationship of mutual trust with Ohtani.

Interpretation may well have been his calling. But it ended all too abruptly.

--The Asahi Shimbun, March 27

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.