METM26 presentation

When words aren’t enough: challenges in translation and interpretation

Sandra Young, Birmingham, UK; James Lupton, Brighton, UK

This talk examines how the challenges of translatability – and the possibilities that emerge when facing them – are central to ensuring minoritised voices are heard and to demonstrating the value of language professionals. We will demonstrate our point drawing on our experience interpreting for the Beyond Compliance Consortium, a group of researchers and practitioners investigating the relevance and limitations of international humanitarian law (IHL) concepts for people living in conflict situations.

During this collaboration, we have faced translation challenges that gave rise to broader discussions with the consortium about whether IHL concepts are understood in the same way by minoritised people, and what their translatability means in terms of international law. Our clients have included both native Spanish speakers and a bilingual indigenous leader who spoke Spanish and Nasa Yuwe. This highlighted two vital aspects that appeared to be echoed in other settings: the complexity of translating concepts across languages and the fundamentally different ways of perceiving the world, including the relationship between individuals and the collective.

We use this specific experience to illustrate our point. However, we believe that these questions are also important for other language professionals – interpreters, for example – in their reflections on translatability and how this can positively contribute to the profession, in particular by recognising the agency of (often minoritised) target language speakers. Our talk further seeks to demonstrate how cultural negotiation can be used to give voice to people who are commonly silenced and reveal the multiplicity of the – often hidden – borders translation must navigate. We believe that successfully communicating the relevance of cultural negotiation will help language professionals demonstrate their worth in today’s world.

We hope our story will be of interest to attendees from many disciplines, and they will be invited to share their different opinions and approaches surrounding cultural negotiation.

About the presenters

	Sandra Young is a translator and interpreter specialised in human rights and international law. A passion for giving people a voice has always been a driving force behind her work, as has sharing ideas and worldviews with a great diversity of people.
	James Lupton is an SP<>EN translator, interpreter and editor. He has some 40 years’ experience providing specialised translation and interpretation services in legal, humanitarian, environmental and related fields. For several years he was Christian Aid’s Country Representative in Colombia and he also worked for many years in advocacy.