Joanna Drugan

Bringing Ethics into Translator Training: An Integrated, Inter-disciplinary Approach

Abstract Translator training programmes have expanded exponentially since the 1990s against a backdrop of increasing economic and cultural globalization. A growing body of literature contends that, if the effects of globalization are to be dealt with effectively, translation studies should return to questions of ethics (Venuti 1998, Pym 2001a). Thus training in ethics for future translators is arguably more important than ever, as graduates will work in a climate of lowered trade barriers, increasing competition among translators, globalized business practices, crowdsourcing and growing public debates on ethical consumerism. The authors’ recent survey of translator training programmes in the UK, however, indicates that ethics is typically not taught at all or is offered only as part of optional modules. One way out of this impasse is for translation studies to learn from other professions where training in ethics has been integrated in the recent past. The authors’ combined experience of integrating ethics training across many subject fields and running one of the UK’s largest translation Masters programmes is frst used to define key relevant ideas from the study of ethics and identify the main ethical questions that translators face every day in their work. Real, practical case studies of such ethical issues in translation are then outlined, and a range of ways of assessing and reacting to these issues is presented. The paper thus proposes a tried and tested approach to embedding ethics training in the curriculum which can be adopted in translation studies.

Translation, ethics and social responsibility

The third Cross-Cultural Pragmatics at a Crossroads conference at the University of East Anglia in 2013 included a strand on ‘Professional Mediation’, in which the theme of social responsibility em...

Ethics and social responsibility in practice:: interpreters and translators engaging with and beyond the professions

ABSTRACT Interpreting and translation are unregulated activities in most countries, yet interpreters and translators perform challenging work in sensitive domains, such as the law, medicine and social work. Other professionals working in these sectors must complete formal ethics training to qualify, then subscribe to Codes of Practice or Ethics. When they face ethical challenges in their work, they can access ongoing support. They must undertake regular refresher training in ethics. Interpreters and translators rarely have access to this sort of ethical infrastructure. This places the onus on interpreters and translators to reflect on ethical aspects of their practice, for reasons related to both professional performance and social responsibility. This contribution presents original UK-based research with one type of professional ‘clients’ who rely on interpreters and translators, social workers and social work students prior to their first work experience placement. Findings suggest that insufficient attention has been paid to such professional clients and that ethical aspects of professional communication can be compromised as a result. By framing ethics training and ongoing support in terms of social responsibility, we point to some ways in which the different professional groups might communicate and work more effectively with one another and with service users.

Translation in Superdiverse Legal Contexts

What does superdiversity mean for communication, especially in complex settings such as the legal system? Translation and interpreting play critical roles in legal contexts, notably in ensuring equality of access to justice and transparency, but superdiversity brings substantial new challenges for established working practices, and potentially for justice itself. This chapter looks critically at the impact of superdiversity on translation in legal contexts, with a particular focus on the UK. We argue that superdiversity affects significant aspects of provision, including translation quality, ethics and policy. In the Introduction, we explain why translation matters in legal contexts, provide definitions of key terms and ideas, and summarise important developments which are impacting on translation in UK legal contexts at the same time as superdiversity. In Part 2, Historical Perspectives, we present a critical account of existing research on translation in legal contexts, and of training for translators and interpreters who will work in these contexts. We argue that both research and training have been slow to consider superdiversity and its effects. In Part 3, Core Issues and Topics, we focus on the effects of superdiversity for four important areas: the logistics of translation in legal contexts, translation quality, translation ethics, and policy issues. We draw on research and direct experience of translation and interpreting practice (our own and others’), to consider how superdiversity affects the conduct and impact of transla-tion and interpreting. In Part 4, New Debates, we explain some challenges for those researching translation in superdiverse legal contexts, summarise recent and emerging work, and consider the implications of superdiversity for translation studies and translator training. In the Conclusion, we link superdiversity and translation in legal contexts to broad principles of justice and fairness, point to some new research directions, and suggest further reading.

Translation Quality, Quality Management and Agency: Principles and Practice in the European Union Institutions

Translation quality and translation quality management are key concerns for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation (DGT), and the European Union institutions more broadly. Translated texts are often legally binding, politically sensitive, confidential or important for the image of the institutions. For legislative texts, an important principle of EU law is that there is no ‘original’: all language versions are equivalent and equally authentic. Consistency in translation strategies and in the approach to quality is therefore critical.

Employability as an ethos in translator and interpreter training

ABSTRACT ‘Employability’ is now a key term in university strategies in the UK and increasingly across Europe. Pressure to implement such strategies can lead to bolted-on rather than embedded activities within curricula. This paper argues that employability should be an embedded ethos, particularly for translation and interpreting courses. Employability can be addressed effectively by using real-world applications of learning, to enrich the discipline but also to provide distinct types of intellectually stimulating content. The University of East Anglia (UEA) has a long history of this approach. We outline UEA case studies of effective practice at Masters and undergraduate level, including students working for real clients. Such an endeavour poses logistical and ethical challenges: how can we integrate real-world contexts without taking work away from professionals? This issue can be unwisely ignored or a source of academics’ reluctance to engage in such activities. Using original data from a recent alumni survey and semi-structured interviews, we map the outcomes of such an ethos and ask whether engaging in real-world oriented activities as students affects the professional paths of alumni.