PROFESSIONAL ETHICS IN THE SML:
TRANSLATING AND INTERPRETING
Dr Sandra Salin
School of Modern Languages
sandra.salin@ncl.ac.uk
Thanks to Angela Uribe de Kellett and Francis Jones
▪ Undergraduate and Postgraduate Levels
▪ 3 examples:
Undergraduate level:
→ Introduction to liaison interpreting
→ The Real Translation project
Postgraduate Level:
→ Assessment and Research Methods
GENERAL CONTEXT
ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM
Ethics: “The basic concepts and principles of right
human conduct”.
(http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/ethics.html)
INSTITUTE OF TRANSLATION & INTERPRETING
CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
→ STANDARDS OF CONDUCT
→ STANDARDS OF WORK
STANDARDS OF CONDUCT
Between members of the professional body
Mutual assistance : assist each other / conduct themselves
loyally
Members unable to accept without infringing the provisions of
this Code / cannot complete by the deadline
→ to another member who has the necessary skills.
Exploitation of knowledge acquired: Members must carry out
all work with complete impartiality.
Confidentiality: Members must maintain complete
confidentiality at all times.
STANDARDS OF WORK - EXAMPLES
Translation:
▪ Translate only into a language which is either their
mother tongue or languages they can demonstrate they
have the requisite skills.
▪ At all times maintain the highest standards of work
according to their abilities, ensuring fidelity of meaning
and register.
▪ draw attention on any significant ambiguities, errors,
omission or imprecise language in the material on
which they work.
STANDARDS OF WORK- EXAMPLES
Interpreting
▪ Take all reasonable steps to ensure complete and
effective communication between the parties, including
intervention to prevent misunderstanding and
incorrect cultural inference.
UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL
▪ Final year students
▪ Language skills / professional skills
Introduction to interpreting → Methods of assessment
(Meaning / Language / Management)
Management: « Take all reasonable steps to ensure
complete and effective communication between
the parties, including intervention to prevent
misunderstanding and incorrect cultural inference
→ pauses / delays / breakdowns
→ register (formal / informal)
→ cultural awareness / asking for explanations
→ attitude / politeness / body language etc
UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL: THE REAL TRANSLATION PROJECT
PROFESSIONALISM WITH AN ETHICAL AIM
▪ Professional practice with real translation tasks completed
in groups
▪ Texts provided by charities (local / national / international)
“Ethics includes the study of universal values such as
human rights, concern for health and safety and,
increasingly, also for the natural environment”.
(http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/ethics.html)
→ Make the students work ethically on ethical issues for
the benefit of an ethical institution.
THE REAL TRANSLATION PROJECT
Work ethically:
▪ Respect deadlines / individuals etc
▪ Impartiality (inc. awareness of target audience)
▪ Work in groups: “Assist each other” to get “the necessary skills” to
complete the task “to the highest standard of work according to
their abilities”.
▪ « Draw attention on any ambiguities, errors or omissions” (inc.
direct contact with charities) .
On ethical issues such as Children rights in Benin / Human rights in
Bolivia / Education for all in Newcastle / English heritage in
Wallington / Campaign against racism on line etc
For ethical institutions such as Plan International / Sucess4All,
National Trust etc.
THE REAL TRANSLATION PROJECT: OPTIONAL MODULE?
▪ Ethics = integral part of the curriculum
▪ Theory = professional codes of conduct (guidelines on professional
competence)
▪ Practice = personal code of ethics (personal moral dilemmas) / charity
work
Examples: To translate or not to translate?
« You receive some documents to translate. While reading them, you
realise that they are about ante-natal testing to determine birth defects
and procedures including abortion ». http://www.naati.com.au/PDF/Booklets/Ethics_Booklet.pdf
▪ What would you do if you were against abortion?
▪ What about if it was to be used in a country where abortion is illegal?
→ Right and duty to refuse (example of the European Commission).
→ Give students a choice of sources.
POSTGRADUATE LEVEL: MA programmes
in translating and interpreting
Translation projects :
▪ Copyrights – permission to translate
▪ Marking criteria – Example: Transfer quality (1st):
No critical errors (i.e. errors that may carry legal, safety, health or financial consequences or
errors that may result in potentially offensive statements)
No major errors (errors that result in a significant change in meaning where the user may be
misled; serious omissions and mistranslations which misrepresent ST; etc
Less than 10 minor errors (accuracy errors that result in slight changes in meaning; formatting
errors, minor errors of grammar and syntax, typos and misspellings that do not result in a
loss of meaning)
Session: “Ethics and working with people”
→ Introduction to ethical awareness for questionnaires and interviews
Dissertations:
Ethics awareness form – to complete and discuss in the first supervision meeting
Supervisor to monitor implementation during the supervision process.
CONCLUSION
SML:
▪ Professional ethics introduced progressively
→ Introduced via concrete situations
→ Reinforced in practical sessions on ethics
→ Applied in assessments and research methods
▪ Use ethics and ethical issues in different ways
→ To develop professional skills
→ To learn to act , behave and think loke a professional
translator / interpreter
→ As a subject
→ For ethical clients and purposes