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Translation and the Construction of Identity: Abstracts
Date: 12-14 August 2004
Venue: Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, Korea
Dorothy Kelly University of Granada, Spain Translation has long been considered an individual
rather than a social occupation, the traditional stereotype of the lone
translator surrounded only by books - or more recently shut up at home with
only the computer for company - often being contrasted with that of the
sociable and extrovert interpreter. This paper will challenge that view, and
suggest that translation, particularly in its current professional form, is
an eminently social task, involving complex interpersonal relations of
differing kinds. The social skills required of a translator cover dealing
with other translation professionals (peers: fellow translators,
documentalists, terminologists, text-layout specialists; superiors:
revisers, project managers) and with professionals and non-professionals
from other fields (clients; expert informants; IT specialists, accountants,
lawyers, judges, scientists, depending on the context of the translation and
the subject matter it deals with). The paper will go on to suggest that
training programmes tend to be based on the traditional view of translation
as carried out by individuals alone, and thus ignore the complexity of these
relations and the need for the social skills to cope with them. The point is
made that there is a pressing need for professional self-awareness and
interpersonal skills to be incorporated into training programmes, if they
are truly to prepare future translators for current professional practice
and to join the professional community. Finally, the paper will link its
proposals to the concept of transferable skills, arguing that, despite its
initial narrowly vocational appearance, translator training is in fact
eminently adaptable in nature, offering sound training for many different
job opportunities, and particularly good preparation for lifelong learning
and adaptability, essential tools for the twenty-first century.
Panel 8: Teaching Translation - Global Challenges for the Twenty-First Century
The Construction of Translator Identity: Interpersonal Competence in
Translator Training
© IATIS 2003