Language CPR

Today I visited a conference at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. It was on translation and endangered languages, with a focus on the importance of keeping languages alive. It was encouraging. It was also really good for networking.

I had a nifty control panel in front of me with buttons I never used, a microphone, and headphones wired to 6 different translators. I am proud to say that I only used the headphones once since all of the speakers were in either English or French.

A Japanese woman talked about how translation in Japan has undergone a concept shift with the younger generation of translators. Originally, you had to be faithful to the source. Now a lot of Japanese translators feel like they have to be faithful to the client (the audience). One said, "Clients are "gods", I must be compliant with their requirements." Some also feel the need to express their own style in their translation, either for the sake of individuality or to make the audience relate better to the work. One said, "I prioritize equivalence in atmosphere over that of literal meaning."

The speaker seemed heavily opposed to both trends. She pointed out that much of cultural exchange happens through translation. She said "Translators mediate foreign cultures into Japan. They should think seriously about their role as cultural mediators. If they mistranslate, everyone misunderstands." She also said that "translation brings about different values and understandings." She concluded by drawing a diagram. On the bottom were the amateurish translators who felt constrained to serve their audience and were concerned about style. On the top were the experienced translators who understood the importance of their work for bringing about change and therefore being bold enough to translate faithfully.

I think translators need to consider their audience for the sake of clarity, but I think they need to be really hesitant about changing the source to make it more stylistically / socially / culturally palatable. It's not just amateurish, it's dangerous. Like she said, if they do it wrong, everyone understands wrong.