Watch Your Tongue: Issues in Translation and Cross-Cultural Research

Abstract

Considering the large amount of research being undertaken in Eastern Europe and elsewhere involving the use of more than one language, there has been a remarkable silence in sociological debate about the status of this research. In this article I argue that such issues should be of concern to social scientists generally as well as to linguists. Using my own research with British-Polish communities, I raise some concerns surrounding the translation of concepts. I suggest one way of beginning to address these problematics: an opening of discussion on an analytical level with those who are often seen as mere technicians, translators and interpreters.

‘I really tried’: Management of normative issues in accounts of responses to infertility

“…The translations enabled us to examine how interpreters reformulate respondents' and interviewers' utterances, and thereby contribute to the production of meanings and actions. Hence, this paper highlights the need to treat interpreters as active contributors to conversations rather than neutral messengers (Temple, 1997;Wadensjo, 1998), and this is relevant to other studies which use interpreters, including numerous studies of ethnic minorities in the west.…”

Translating Genetics Leaflets into Languages Other Than English: Lessons from an Assessment of Urdu Materials

“…If the word cannot be found in a dictionary, the translator might choose an approximate equivalent in the target language or coin a new term or phrase or else leave the term untranslated. The decisions that translators make in these cases can significantly shape the meaning of the resulting text (Birbili, 2000;Sechrest et al, 1972;Temple, 1997;Twinn, 1997).…”

Nice and Tidy: Translation and Representation

“…Arguably, none of positions discussed in this paper achieve this, including those of Temple ( 1997) and Edwards (1998) who ultimately sanitise and domesticate presentation so that everyone 'reads' the same. The many versions of translations that are discussed with translators are narrowed to one version with words/concepts presented as if there were no choices to be made.…”

“…Other researchers have attempted to actively engage interpreters and translators during the research process (Temple 1997, Edwards 1998Temple and Edwards 2002). For example, Edwards (1998) uses the concept of interpreters/translators as 'key informants' and advocates a reflective evaluation of social location, values and beliefs and an understanding of the relationship between the researcher and people taking part in research.…”

“…For example, Edwards (1998) uses the concept of interpreters/translators as 'key informants' and advocates a reflective evaluation of social location, values and beliefs and an understanding of the relationship between the researcher and people taking part in research. Temple (1997) similarly uses the concept of 'intellectual auto/biographies' (Stanley 1990):…”