Translator ethics

Pym, Anthony

doi:10.4324/9781003127970-12

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…A fact not often acknowledged in translation studies is the increasingly small proportion of translations done by professional translators worldwide. However, it has been recently estimated that 99% of the translations produced globally are not done by professional human translators (Pym, 2020b). Much of this trend is a consequence of the rapid rise of MT.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human evaluations of machine translation in an ethically charged situation

Asscher

Glikson

2021

New Media & Society

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Despite the immense influence of machine translation (MT) on cross-cultural communication worldwide, little is known about end users’ predispositions toward MT. Our online experiment ( N = 284) compares people’s perceptions of MT and human translation in an ethically charged situation, in which the translation serves an immigrant worker in an interaction defined by power imbalance. Using hierarchical linear regression, we found that an otherwise identical translation was evaluated differently when it was attributed to MT or human translation. Results reveal that translators and non-translators alike exhibit a negative bias toward the MT product when asked to assess its accuracy and reliability, its ability to convey cultural and emotional otherness, and its potential effectiveness in helping the disadvantaged immigrant in need of the translation. We also demonstrate how lower evaluations of the MT product lead to a stronger wish to intervene in the translation by introducing changes to the original message. Our results suggest that predispositions toward MT must be taken into account in any consideration of MT-mediated communication, as these predispositions may shape the communicative act itself.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human evaluations of machine translation in an ethically charged situation

Asscher

Glikson

2021

New Media & Society

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“…A more engaging question is whether Marina Gross was wholly a professional interpreter in this case, since she was also an employee of the State Department and thus belonged to the same institutional system that was asking her to testify -this is basically the identity problem of Sperthias and Bulis in Pym (2012). As role-identity analysis might tell us (Forde 2021), Gross could have assumed that one identity prevailed over the other and responded accordingly.…”

Section: Addressing Problemsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Cooperation, risk, trust

Pym

2021

stridon

Self Cite

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Within the general approach known as translator ethics, complementary roles are played by the concepts of cooperation, risk, and trust. Cooperation, as a technical term, describes the attainment of mutual benefits as the desired outcome of an interaction, indeed as the foundation of social life. In translator ethics, the aim is more specifically to enhance long-term cooperation between cultures. The concept of risk is then used to think about the probabilities of that general aim not being obtained and what kinds of strategies and efforts can be employed to avert that outcome by increasing mutual benefits. Trust, finally, characterizes the relationship that translators must have with those around them in order for them to contribute to cooperation, such that the most critical risk they face is that of losing credibility. Together, these concepts are able to address some of the thornier issues in translator ethics and provide a frame for ongoing discussion and research.

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“…The ethical roles and responsibilities of translators are contested in the literature. According to Chesterman (2001, 2020) and Pym (2012, 2020), professional ethical responsibilities apply narrowly to the professional situation in which the translation is created. In contrast, Cronin (2003), Tymoczko (2007) and Rossi (2021) opine that translators also have sociocultural and political responsibilities, while Robinson (2003) and Kruger and Crots (2014) also include the dimension of personal ethics.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The translation theorists, including Pym (2012, 2020), Kruger and Crots (2014), Tyulenev (2021) and Hutchings (2022), have all explored the ethics and responsibilities of translators. Many translation theorists consider translators communicators of messages, with the role contributing to social justice during the translation process.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revisiting the notions of translation ethics in Saudi Arabia: a survey of translators' perceptions

Asiri

Sahari²,

Alasmri³

et al. 2022

SJLS

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PurposeThis paper investigates professional translation practice in Saudi Arabia with a particular focus on translation ethics. Following an examination of varying opinions and contentious concepts relating to translation, this paper suggests that Saudi Arabia should establish a code of ethics for translation services. It investigates the ethical challenges that translators encounter during their professional work and considers their responses to these challenges.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative methodology was adopted to collect data from forty participants. This self-completed survey uncovered 11 ethical dimensions that translators encounter during the translation process and the researchers used descriptive analysis to calculate the mean and standard deviation of their frequency and importance. Participants' responses to the multiple-choice questions were categorised as personal, professional ethics or sociopolitical activism, and their overall percentages calculated.FindingsFor all 11 dimensions, the mean scores fell in the mid-frequency range between 2.74 and 3.88, inferring that the respondents faced these ethical challenges neither particularly frequently nor infrequently. Regarding the importance rankings, the mean scores varied between 1.58 and 2.04, consistently lower than the experience frequency rankings, which indicates that these challenges were considered important regardless of their frequency. The majority (40.27%) related to professional notions of ethics, followed by personal ethics (35.22%) and sociopolitical and activist conceptions of ethics (24.14%), while less than 1% (0.37%) reflected mixed motivations.Originality/valueThe study's concept and methodology are both novel. The researchers believe that this is the first study to examine professional translation ethics in the Saudi context. Unlike most studies in this field, this study adopted a quantitative approach, thus calling for the development of an effective professional code of ethics for translators.

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Translator ethics

Cited by 6 publications

References 1 publication

Human evaluations of machine translation in an ethically charged situation

Human evaluations of machine translation in an ethically charged situation

Cooperation, risk, trust

Revisiting the notions of translation ethics in Saudi Arabia: a survey of translators' perceptions

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