They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
After taking part in the top Japanese interpretation competition for years, Aloha Komatsu MATI ’25 has followed in the footsteps of fellow translation and interpretation students and taken first prize.
As an undergraduate, Aloha Komatsu noticed something about the winners of the Simultaneous Grand Prix, hosted by the Japan Association of Conference Interpreters (JACI).
“I saw that Middlebury Institute students were always getting first place,” she said. “I strongly believed that if I attended MIIS I would be able to win.”
Translation and interpretation students have taken the top prize every single year since the contest went virtual during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Komatsu worked to learn from them.
“After listening to [other winners’] interpretation, I realized that my interpretation was very verbatim and was not considering the listeners,” Komatsu said. “Not only was their diction accurate, but their interpretation was also so smooth that it sounded as if they were the original speaker.”
In fall 2023, Komatsu took another big step forward—she enrolled at the Institute.
For the 2024 contest, Komatsu completed two preliminary rounds where she simultaneously interpreted two 10-minute speeches. She then became one of only four student interpreters to reach the final round, where she interpreted two 20-minute speeches, one about the LGBTQ+ community and the other about regional revitalization. Professional and student interpreters with less than three years of experience are eligible to compete.
“Learning from my mistakes, I focused on grasping the main idea of the speech and speaking in a calm tone during the contest,” Komatsu said. “I was elated to see my efforts come out positively when the judge commented that my interpretation sounded natural.”
I strongly believed that if I attended MIIS I would be able to win.
Komatsu first entered the contest in her sophomore year of undergraduate study and has registered for it every year. This year was the first time Komatsu reached the final round.
“I have dreamed of getting first place in the JACI Simultaneous Grand Prix ever since I started studying interpretation. Until now, I was unable to pass the preliminary round,” she said. “I am delighted to win first place the year I finally made it to the final round and happy to keep the winning streak going.”
In last year’s contest, Nozomi Ambe MACI ’23 took first place (Grand Prix) and Mai Yamada MATI ’23 took second place (Semi Grand Prix). Ambe is now an interpreter at Nikon and Yamada is an interpreter at Universal Studios Japan.
Winning JACI holds deep significance for Komatsu as she maintains focus on her career goal to work as an in-house interpreter in Japan.
“Winning first place in this contest and having that on my résumé would guarantee my skills to the companies hiring,” she said. “This gives me the confidence to continue on the path of interpretation.”
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