Bracia Malinche, czyli o tym, jak Fortuna sprzyja śmiałym tłumaczom. Szkice

In my essay I present a gallery of portraits and silhouettes of military interpreters: La Malinche, Hernan Cortés’ interpreter during the conquest of Mexico, 1519; Manuel, a Cuban student involved in traffic with Russian generals, 2000; an anonymous Indian woman, Nicolas Federmann’s interpreter during the conquest of Venezuela, 16th c.A.C.; Iraqi interpreters for Polish troops, 2003; Gaius Valerius Proculus, Cesar’s interpreter, 4th c.B.C.). By these examples, taken from chronicles and novels (A. Carpentier, La aprendiz de la bruja, J. Diaz, Las cuatro fugas de Manuel), I try to define the specificity of military interpreter’s profession.