The history of interpreting. For an understanding of worst practices

TL;DR

The speaker challenges the focus on interpreting in the history of translation and emphasizes the importance of studying alternative solutions to multilingual communication problems.

Transcript

so I've been working on the history of translation but increasingly I'm trying to work on a history of solutions to the problems of communicating between languages which includes obviously language learning and people using a lingua franca or lingua Franca's has has been in East Asia and the use of translation and the use of interpreting and the us... Read More

Key Insights

• 🔇 The speaker believes that understanding the failures and ethical issues in multilingual communication is crucial for a comprehensive history of translation and interpreting.
• 👾 They highlight the importance of considering the specific dimensions of time and space in oral communication compared to written communication.
• 😀 The speaker identifies the importance of events and face-to-face encounters in communication, particularly in relation to motivation and aspiration.
• 🪡 They emphasize the need to study all the players and solutions in complex communication situations, rather than focusing on a single aspect, such as interpreting.
• 💡 The speaker challenges the idea of a continuous national tradition in translation history and emphasizes the influence of borrowing and transfer of ideas between cultures.
• ❓ They argue for a more critical and situational approach to translation studies, focusing on the actual situations and complexities of communication.
• 🤙 The speaker critiques the emphasis on quantity in translation studies, such as counting translated words, and calls for a deeper understanding of the actual situations and complexities of communication.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why does the speaker believe focusing on interpreting in the history of translation is problematic?

The speaker believes that focusing solely on interpreting overlooks alternative solutions to multilingual communication problems and limits our understanding of the broader history of communication.

Q: How does the speaker approach teaching interpreting and translation research?

The speaker challenges interpreting students to think about the difference between oral and written communication and asks them to consider how interpreting offers a unique contribution to communication that is worth studying.

Q: What does the speaker believe is missing from the history of translation?

The speaker believes that the history of translation should emphasize the discontinuity between different time periods and cultures, rather than assuming a continuous national tradition. They argue that there is much borrowing and transfer of ideas between cultures.

Q: How does the speaker see the role of interpreters and translators in communication?

The speaker suggests that interpreters and translators are important mediators in communication but argues that the focus should be on what is being communicated and achieved, rather than solely on the individuals performing the tasks.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker discusses the need for a history of solutions to multilingual communication problems, including language learning, use of lingua franca, translation, interpreting, and language technologies.

• They highlight the importance of research in understanding multilingual communication and producing knowledge about oneself and the activity of translation and interpreting.

• The speaker explores the discontinuity in translation history and emphasizes the need to look at all the players and solutions in complex communication situations.