Translator ethics, Anthony Pym

TL;DR

Understanding the importance of cooperation, risk management, and trust in translator ethics and their relevance in crisis situations such as COVID-19 and climate change.

Transcript

uh my my mission here is to paint with very broad strokes uh what cooperation means in translator ethics and i want to push that and it's it's old stuff i did it years ago i'm going back to it and i'm i'm justifying myself as old people tend to do and my purpose here is to attach that to the concepts that i've been working with more recently which ... Read More

Key Insights

• 💱 The role of cooperation, risk management, and trust is crucial in translator ethics and their relevance in crisis situations such as COVID-19 and climate change.
• ✳️ Translator ethics should go beyond concepts like faithfulness and equivalence and focus on enhancing cooperation through risk management and trustworthy communication.
• 🖐️ Trust plays a significant role in the reception and application of translations. Without trust, cooperation becomes impossible.
• 🪡 Translations in the context of COVID-19 highlight the need for clear and trustworthy communication to facilitate behavior change and cooperation.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why does the speaker argue against using faithfulness and equivalence as criteria for translator ethics?

The speaker believes that meaning is not inherent in texts but is constructed through use. Therefore, concepts like faithfulness and equivalence are social fictions and do not hold value in serious ethics.

Q: How does the speaker connect cooperation to risk management in translation?

Cooperation defines successful communication, and risk management involves assessing and mitigating the probabilities of non-cooperation. Translators, who are generally risk-averse and tend to transfer risks, need to take more risks and make trade-offs to enhance cooperation.

Q: How does the speaker view trust in translation?

Trust is essential in translation as it affects how translations are received. Translators must gain trust from both clients and users to facilitate cooperation. Trust is not a condition for cooperation but an active part of it.

Q: What do translations in the context of COVID-19 reveal about translator ethics?

COVID-related translations highlight the limitations of translation and the importance of other forms of communication, such as spoken language by mediators. Trustworthiness and clear, dialogue-based communication are key for behavior change and cooperation.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The content explores the concepts of cooperation, risk management, and trust in translator ethics and their connection to current issues such as COVID-19 and climate change.

• Cooperation is defined as a win-win situation where both parties benefit from successful communication, while risk management involves assessing the probabilities of failure and taking appropriate actions.

• Trust plays a crucial role in translation as it affects how translations are received and applied, and without trust, cooperation becomes impossible.