ABSTRACT
Oral translation from French into the native languages assumes a particular importance in Burkina Faso, a francophone African country, because of the language diversity, the high illiteracy rate and the urgency of development tasks requiring effective modes of communication. After noting the poor state and status of translation into Burkinabè languages, this article 1 argues that a closer look at instances of effective performances by outstanding untrained interpreters can give interesting insights into the role and practices of interpreting in similar contexts. Of particular interest is the innovative use of the skills and strategies deployed by interpreters in traditional Africa referred to in the literature as the king's linguists (Bandia 1998). The samples analysed show that although what is involved can be rightly categorized as consecutive translation of speeches, this activity shares many features with dialogue interpreting because it is carried out face-to-face with an audience (the interpreter's handling of interpersonal communication, his facial expressions, gestures and interjections, direct forms of address, etc). These aspects key in with previous studies on the interpreter's footing, face, power, distance. The paper then considers some methodological issues to be solved in an in-depth study of this mode of interpreting.
