Synopses & Reviews
Based on thorough and extensive research, this book examines in detail traditional status signals in the translation profession. It provides case studies of eight European and non-European countries, with further chapters on sociological and economic modelling, and goes on to identify a number of policy options and make recommendations on rectifying problem areas.
Review
“An informative and highly accessible book. Taking a global look at a profession that is as vital to the twenty-first century as it is difficult to pin down, the authors provide a wealth of data and analysis that will be of great interest to practitioners, trainers and policy makers.” —Valerie Henitiuk, MacEwan University, Canada and Editor of the journal “Translation Studies”
Review
“The translation profession now has empirical data to illustrate market conditions for soft values like status, quality and the importance of customer signalling. It is now up to the associations to convert the data into member information and draw the relevant conclusions for the future development of translation and the linguistic community.” —Jeannette Ørsted, Executive Director, International Federation of Translators
Review
“An important and timely book. A wealth of richly diversified statistical data coupled with selected case studies provides a solid basis for recommendations about the future of the translating profession.” —Juliane House, Hamburg University, Germany
Synopsis
This book examines in detail traditional status signals in the translation profession. It provides case studies of eight European and non-European countries, identifying a number of policy options and making recommendations on rectifying problem areas.
About the Author
"Anthony Pym is professor of translation and intercultural studies and coordinator of the Intercultural Studies Group at the Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona, Spain.
François Grin is professor of economics at the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting of the University of Geneva.
Claudio Sfreddo has a PhD in political economy and a diploma in economics and finance from the University of Geneva, as well as a bachelor’s in business management from the University of Lausanne.
Andy L. J. Chan has a PhD in translation and intercultural studies from the Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona, Spain as well as a master’s in economics from the University of Virginia, USA.
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Table of Contents
GENERAL INTRODUCTION; 1. METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES 1.1. What Do We Mean by Status? 1.2. What Do We Mean by “Signalling” and “Asymmetric Information”? 1.3. What Do We Mean by “Certification”, “Accreditation”, and “Authorisation”? 1.4. Data-Gathering Methodology; 2. RESULTS 2.1. What is the Status of Translators in Official Categorisations? 2.2. What is the Relative Status of Educational Qualifications and Training? 2.3. The Status of Translators of Official Documents 2.4. The Role of Translator Associations; 3. CASE STUDIES 3.1. Germany 3.2. Romania 3.3. Slovenia 3.4. United Kingdom 3.5. Spain 3.6. United States 3.7. Canada 3.8. Australia; 4. SOCIOLOGICAL MODELLING 4.1. Models of Professionalisation 4.2. The Changing Role of Translator Associations 4.3. A Majority of Women – So What? 4.4. A Profession of Part-Timers and Freelancers? 4.5. The Role of Employer Groups 4.6. Comparison between Translators and Computer Engineers as Emerging Professions; 5. ECONOMIC MODELLING 5.1. Information on Rates of Pay 5.2. Estimations of Earning Equations 5.3. Asymmetric Information, Signalling, and Equilibrium on the Market for Translations; 6. POLICY OPTIONS FOR ENHANCED SIGNALLING 6.1. Free Market or Controlled Entry? 6.2. One Signal or Many? 6.3. Signalling as a Commodity or a Service? 6.4. Modes of Possible Intervention; 7. Recommendations; APPENDIX A. Translator Associations: Years of Foundation and Numbers of Members; APPENDIX B. Why There Are About 333,000 Professional Translators and Interpreters in the World; APPENDIX C. Online Translator–Client Contact Services: New Modes of Signalling Status; APPENDIX D. Types and Use of Economic Perspectives on Translation; APPENDIX E. Equilibrium on the Translation Market; NOTES; REFERENCES; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; NOTES ON THE RESEARCH TEAM