解釈 and 翻訳: interpreting meaning and translating between languages
Compare interpretations of a poem or rule with translations of novels and a manual. Distinguish reading a translation from being its translator.
Interpreting an expression or rule
解釈 (かいしゃく) means interpretation. 「詩の最後の一行にはさまざまな解釈がある。」 says the poem’s final line has various interpretations.
「規則を自分に都合よく解釈してはいけない。」 prohibits interpreting the rules to one’s own advantage. It does not report that someone has already done so.
Moving content between languages
翻訳 (ほんやく) means translation. 「海外の小説を日本語に翻訳する仕事をしている。」 describes working on translations of overseas novels into Japanese.
「説明書の翻訳を読み、機械の設定を変更した。」 says a translated manual was read and the machine settings changed. The reader is not automatically the person who produced the translation.
Overlapping work and different roles
Translation can involve interpreting the source’s meaning. Distinguish interpreting content from moving it between languages without making the two activities mutually exclusive.
The novels’ source language is not stated. Retain Japanese as the target language without supplying English as the source.
Which role is established in 「説明書の翻訳を読み、機械の設定を変更した。」: translator or reader of a translation?
Show the answer and why
The reader of a translation. The person read the translated manual and changed the machine settings; producing the translation is not stated.