Translation as a Social

Practice in Real-Life
Situation
PRESENTED BY YOUSSEF EL BOUTAIBI
Outline
Translation in Multilingual Institutions
Translation in Multilingual and Multicultural Societies
The Working Environment of Translators
Ethics in the Practice of Translation
Translation and Conflict in the Practice of Translation
Audiovisual Translation as a Site of Collaboration
 Translation in Multilingual Institutions

* the Impact of these Institutions on Translators

* Translation is a socially situated practice
* An official role of a Translator
* Translation as a team: working collectively in groups/committees
* Anonymity: texts are translated invisibly both inside and outside
* Norms, Conventions and ideologies: translation is a tool for
implementing the language policy
A sample: the European Union
* they propagate an equality of all European languages
* they form a culture of their own: a shared system of
knowledge, aims and norms
* An equivalence-driven ideology
* They want to hide the fact that a translation is
translation. They state that translations are language
versions
* There is an institutional pressure for uniformity
 What is the impact of this ideology on
the role and function of the translator?
* retaining their individual voice
* Equality is an illusion: No equal status between languages

Kosinen ironically remarks: “ Sometimes the primary

function of the translation of a particular official document
is simply to be there, to exist."
 Translation in Multilingual and
Multicultural Societies
 Migration has created majority and minority groups
 An important role of translation: translating into minority languages helps:
- reinforce the pride and confidence of their speakers
- ensure the recognition and survival of these languages
 A monolingual perspective is no longer tenable and should be replaced by a multicultural
perspective: Translation preserves this diversity
The case of Germany: more need for translators and interpreters because of refugees
- to avoid linguistic and cultural misunderstanding
- to help migrants feel comfortable in a foreign environment
The Working Environment of Translators
 the computer and internet age offer translators more agents, aids and tools
An intensive interaction with the computer and other devices
Translators are subject to spatial, temporal and technological constraints

CAT

Output Quality
translation Translation

by the Computer by the Human Translator

The Working Environment of Translators
Cognitive
Physical

The situated
workplace of the
Emotional translator

Technolpogical

Organizational
Translation Devices
Translation Electronic
Memory Dictionaries
Project
management
software

Terminology
Concordancing
Managers
programs
Full text
Grammar
Search checkers
tools
 Ethics in the Practice of Translation
* Can we equate Ethics with objectivity?
* The idea is to help translators gain a heightened transcultural
consciousness : reflecting on their translational actions and the
complicated ethical relationship between:
Author, Text and Translator
 Ethics: morality, justice, honesty, truth
and fidelity
1. Are translators honest mediators and innocent builders of
bridges between languages and cultures?
2. Example of conflict zones?
For Juliane House:
« Ethical Action depends to a large extent on
liberating oneself from the politically acceptable
mood of the day if our concsience tell us to do this. It
is the translator‘s conscience which frees the
translator to decide on the right and responsible
course for her translation.« ( 2018: 163)
 Models for Ethics: A. Chesterman
 Ethics of Representation ( fidelity to the source text and author)
Expanding ethics of service ( a brief negotiation between translator
and client)
 Ethics of Communication ( focused on exchanges with a member
of another culture)
Norm-based ethics ( ethical stances and behaviors depend on
particular expectations of a specific cultural location)
Ethics still survive:
 lend themselves for subjectivity, generalizations and bias.
 Extremely difficult to give any clear , non-ambivalent
guidelines and general statements about a concept of ethics
relating to the individual translator‘s responsibility.
 Applying narrative theory in Translation: "a translator
participates actively in configuring intercultural encounters
which are embedded in the existent narratives.“ (2018: 165)
 Baker has replaced 'translation as mediation' by 'translation as
intervention‘. The translator is an active participant.
Equivalence: Juliane and Baker
* It is not the relationship between source
text and target text.
* the relationship of both ST and TT to
events in the world around us and an
ethically responsible stance on the part of
the translator.
Translation and Conflict in the Practice of
Translation
* In addition to their involvement in community practices in hospitals, courts, prisons, business
and diplomatic contexts, Translators have a growing interest in the issue of war and conflict.
* More focus on the current ideologically dominant discourse on terrorism, security and
intelligence.
Factors: * some serve these existing ideologies because they work within a system
* others work towards a recognition of the important role of translation in constructing
and representing as well as resisiting the dominant framing of such discourses of conflict and
war. ( influenced by post-colonial studies and by the political engagement of many
contemporary translation studies.
* Example: the Commited Approach
 Inner conflict of Translators
 In situations of war and bilateral conflicts, translators are confronted with their
own personal, professional and political beliefs.
Example: a Mexican interpreter translating a text by president Trump:
“ Mexicans should build a war and should pay for it.“
 the translator‘s crucial role in: negotiating, making war acceptable, invading
other countries and constructing other party as evil.
 Many biased translators construct evil enemies to maintain current
conceptions of their worthwhile political friends.