Why self-translate? - An autobiographical author-translator's perspective

摘要

Motivation has been studied in self-translation research rather extensively. Recent studies have indicated that many of those who choose to self-translate often describe their practice of self-translation as 'painful'. If so, why do they keep self-translating? What are the purposes of self-translation? Some may choose to self-translate due to socioeconomic conditions such as exile or immigration, while others may be motivated to self-translate out of their own free will and for their artistic expressions. Self-translation is thus motivated by unique needs and drives and influenced by a number of factors such as distance. In this paper, focusing on different aspects of motivation, I ask the question 'Why self-translate?' rather personally as I, too, chose to self-translate - I translated my autobiography from Japanese (my first language) to English (my second language). In pursuit of answers to the question, I examine my own self-translation experience, while reviewing other self-translators' experience and testimonials.