Gonzalez, E., Stachowiak-Szymczak, K., & Amanatidou, D. (Eds.). (2023). Community Translation: Research and Practice. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003247333 (pp. 248)

Community translation is defined as the translation of texts generated by the larger community (society) or by smaller communities (linguistic or ethnic communities within the larger society, local communities, religious groups, etc.) in order to ensure communication with all citizens [and residents] and allow their participation and, therefore, empowerment (Taibi, 2011: 214-215). Despite its crucial role in promoting social justice and cohesion, community translation has historically been overlooked in both society and academia. Initially focused on official documents related to identity and social status, it has evolved significantly since World War II due to increased immigration and the need for cross-cultural communication. More recently, the rise of Web 2.0 has further promoted community translation. As O’Hagan (2011: 12) notes, community translation has become increasingly “tied to the online community particularly in the specific context of Web 2.0”. This volume, Community Translation: Research and Practice, constitutes a timely contribution to the field, advancing our understanding of the historical landscape of community translation while engaging with its current practices, challenges, practical applications, and ethical considerations across both research and practice.

The volume begins with an introduction that offers a thorough overview of recent developments and emerging challenges in community translation research. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed pre-existing deficiencies in community translation management and quality assurance frameworks. As the pandemic unfolded, the critical role of community translation in disseminating public health information became increasingly clear, highlighting the urgent need for standardization in the field and more effective systems to ensure equitable access to crucial information.

Chapter 1 examines community translation services in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing gaps in translator recruitment, project management, and alignment of budgets and expectations. The chapter offers recommendations for language service providers, institutions, and authorities, including enhancing recruitment standards, implementing quality control measures, fostering stakeholder engagement, and supporting capacity building for languages spoken by new migrant communities.

Chapter 2 critiques existing training programs for community translators, arguing that they overlook essential soft skills necessary for serving marginalized communities. This chapter recommends integrating “emotional competencies” into the curricula of these training programs. Such an approach would enable translators to collaborate more effectively with institutions and negotiate on behalf of disempowered community members, ultimately fostering a more inclusive environment that better addresses the needs of marginalized groups.

Chapter 3 investigates the ethics of English-Japanese translators certified by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters in Australia. This chapter challenges traditional binary views that treat translator ethics as either impartial and neutral, or advocative for the disadvantaged party, demonstrating that ethical conduct in translation is guided by contextual needs. Such ethical conduct is not solely about impartiality, but also related to personal responsibility and the agency for which the translators work. The chapter argues for a flexible, nuanced approach to ethics in community translation.

Chapter 4 evaluates the translation of healthcare text in New Zealand within a multicultural framework. It highlights the importance of ensuring end-user comprehension and protecting their rights to accessible information. The chapter introduces new standards centered on pragmatic equivalence, emphasizing the need for translations to be understandable to general readers. It also recommends integrating the ‘Sounds Natural’ principle into translator education, underscoring the necessity for translations to align with sociocultural contexts of the target audience.

Chapter 5 explores the impact of community translation on health literacy among New Zealand’s diverse populations. The chapter presents compelling evidence that localized translations, deeply rooted in community engagement, significantly improve both access to and comprehension of healthcare service. Building on this insight, the chapter also proposes a comprehensive approach that integrates both visual and verbal elements to enhance health communication.

Chapter 6 examines the complexities of community translation in oncological and palliative care, focusing on the challenges of conveying sensitive medical information across linguistic and cultural barriers. It emphasizes the crucial need for specialized translator training and culturally tailored guidelines to navigate these challenges effectively. The chapter highlights the importance of meticulous translation practices in ensuring clear communication between healthcare providers and patients, which ultimately empowers patients to make informed decisions and actively engage in their care.

Chapter 7 sheds light on the critical role of wiretap translation in Spain’s public service and legal frameworks. The chapter traces the evolution of wiretap regulations, particularly drawing attention to the importance of judicial oversight. Moreover, this chapter emphasizes the need to enhance translator competence and specialization to safeguard community security, ensure justice, and balance legal mandates with ethical considerations.

Chapter 8 showcases how translating the life stories of displaced individuals empowers them and humanizes their experiences. The chapter demonstrates that these translations play a crucial role in the settlement process by amplifying refugee voices and forging connections with the host community. Additionally, such translations counteract dehumanizing media narratives, offering a more multifaceted and empathetic perspective on the refugee crisis.

Chapter 9 highlights a unique program at the University of Texas at Arlington, where students translate Latino family stories from Spanish into English as part of a community literacy initiative. The chapter presents how academic learning and community service can be integrated to improve students’ language skills, increase their cultural empathy, and heighten their sense of civic responsibility. This approach not only enhances students’ educational experiences, but also fosters stronger connections between the university and the local community.

The final chapter outlines strategies for teaching community translation in Australia’s multilingual context, stressing the need for specialized and balanced training that covers both established and emerging languages. The proposed curriculum, which employs service-learning and student-led initiatives to provide authentic experiences, cultivates students to be “work-ready” and “profession-ready”. Such innovative curriculum design is essential to respond to the evolving language needs driven by global migration.

Community Translation: Research and Practice stands as a transformative force in the field of translation and interpreting studies, illuminating this often overlooked area with unprecedented insight. The volume highlights the urgent need to enhance translator skills through specialized training, to cultivate culturally-appropriate guidelines, and to promote inclusive pedagogies that are crucial for navigating complexities in critical sectors like healthcare and law. By mapping an ambitious path towards comprehensive professionalization, the volume advocates for wide-field standards, systematic curricula, integrated technology, and collaborative engagement across stakeholders. These initiatives are essential not only for meeting globalization’s demands, but also for bridging cultural divides through effective intercultural communication. This volume solidifies its relevance across disciplines, emphasizing its profound impact on translation and interpreting studies.

While this volume makes significant contributions to the field of community translation, there are areas that future research could explore to enhance our understanding of the field. For an example, the volume’s focus on specific regions provides valuable case studies, but expanding the geographical scope in future work could enhance the generalizability of the findings. For another example, integrating quantitative empirical studies with the qualitative approaches employed could offer a more balanced methodological perspective.

Looking ahead, the future trajectory of community translation explored in this volume appears both promising and arduous. Escalating demand driven by intensifying globalization and population movements will necessitate ongoing professionalization through rigorous standards, specialized training, and integrated technology. Continual collaboration among diverse stakeholders in this rapidly evolving landscape is the key to ensure the discipline’s inclusivity and sustainability, ultimately contributing to a more equitable society as envisioned in this essential volume.

References

O’Hagan, M. (2011). Community Translation: Translation as a Social Activity and Its Possible Consequences in the Advent of Web 2.0 and Beyond. Linguistica Antverpiensia, New Series – Themes in Translation Studies, 10, 11-23. https://doi.org/10.52034/lanstts.v10i.275

Taibi, M. (2011). Public Service Translation. In K. Malmkjaer and K. Windle (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Translation Studies (pp.214-227). Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199239306.013.0016

Taibi, M., & Ozolins, U. (2016). Community Translation. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Authors

Huadong Li

Shanghai Maritime University, China

hdli@shmtu.edu.cn

Jia Zhang

Shanghai Maritime University, China

202340810003@stu.shmtu.edu.cn