Relatore: Professor Bruno OSIMO - Bruno Osimo, traduzioni ...

in the other subjects’ behaviour. These examples seem to be expressions of role
distancing, which the subjects employed to detach themselves from the
translator’s role they had been compelled to perform. In fact, Goffman
maintains (1961: 112) that in situation where novices or non-experts are
performing an unfamiliar role, manifesting role distance gives the performers
some elbow room in which to manoeuvre. By expressing role distancing, the
role performer is telling the observers that ‘I am not to be judged by this
incompetence’. Goffman also points put that such ‘out-of-character situations
can easily be created experimentally by asking subjects to perform tasks that
are inappropriate to persons of their kind’ (1961: 112). Even though the non-
professional subjects might not have felt that the translation task was
inappropriate, they probably did feel that the task was not within their sphere
of competence.
As was mentioned earlier, manifestations of role distance are harder to
find in the professional translators’ behaviour, with one notable exception,
namely Lucy. To my mind, Lucy’s behaviour in the experiment resembled
closely Goffman’s description of displays of role distance in what he calls an
‘unserious setting’, i.e. the merry-go-round. Goffman describes the behaviour
of the operator of the merry-go-round as follows (1961: 109):
Not only does he show that the ride itself is not – as a ride – an
event to him, but he also gets off and on and around the moving
platform with grace and ease that can only be displayed by safely taking
what for children and even adults would be chances.
The ‘grace and ease’ of Lucy’s decisions to solve problems by contacting
experts could be considered as manifestations of role distance.
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