Ethics and Sustainability for Today's Translation Professional
| Dates: | 19 October 2023 |
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| Times: | 13:00 - 14:30 |
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| What is it: | Seminar |
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| Organiser: | School of Arts, Languages and Cultures |
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| Speaker: | Dr Joseph Lambert |
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Abstract: While ethical issues have now long been an important concern for translation scholars, professionals, and students alike, the challenging contemporary environment that we find ourselves in has arguably brought these questions into sharper focus than ever before. Beyond grappling with more “traditional” ethical responsibilities including textual fidelity, loyalty, and impartiality – many of which are enshrined in codes of ethics across the industry – today’s ethical professional faces an ever-expanding range of ethical concerns that pull them in different directions, which can be paralysing.
In this talk, I use the concept of sustainability as a productive means of reframing discussions and drawing together the most pressing challenges facing today’s translation profession(al). Building upon John Elkington’s ubiquitous, three-pillar conceptualisation of sustainability, I consider the ways in which environmental, economic, and social concerns can be construed in this context, and the complex interplay between these three pillars.
Despite the general health of the language industry, in the UK at least a key sustainability concern is the retention of human capital, with industry reports flagging an intensifying “talent crunch”, which may even undermine the long-term existence of the translation profession if left unchecked. There are a range of key disruptors at work here, including continued technological developments that impact the way that translation is viewed and the way the people at the heart of the industry conduct their work, and data show concerns in relation to status, pay, well-being, and working conditions. I conclude by reflecting on potential means of changing this situation in the translation classroom and beyond.
Note: The event will be followed by a tea and cake welcome recpetion in the North Foyer of the Samuel Alexander Building.
Speaker
Dr Joseph Lambert
Organisation: Cardiff University
Biography: Joseph Lambert is a Lecturer in Translation Studies at Cardiff University. His primary area of research interest is the ethics of translation, with a particular focus on ethics and sustainability in the translation profession. He has published a range of articles and book chapters on codes of ethics, rates of pay, and status to date and is the author of the new Routledge textbook Translation Ethics. His current research includes a range of projects exploring the related themes of working conditions, self-care and wellbeing among translators.
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
A101
Samuel Alexander Building
Oxford Rd
Manchester
Manchester
