Sota, käännöskulttuurit ja toimijuus

Abstract

In military encounters with the enemy or with brothers-in-arms, mediation practices with translation and interpreting (T&I) are developed that can be described as translation cultures. The concept was coined by Erich Prunc in 1997 to denote a set of socially determined norms, conventions, expectations and values that constrain the T&I activities in a given society or institution. Through this definition, Prunc’s concept creates a link to official language mediation policies as well as to personal agencies of those involved as interpreters and translators in the military operations on the front, in the headquarters or in the POW camps. After a short overview of available studies on this topic, this article offers first drafts of the military translation cultures in World War II in Finland. It draws on some of the most recent publications on the two Finnish military conflicts against the Soviet Union (the Winter War in 1939–1941 and the Continuation War in 1941–1944) and on preliminary research data from archived military records.