Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
IUED Institute of Translation and Interpreting
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
THINKING AND WORKING OUT OF THE BOX:
TAPPING THE INTERDISCIPLINARY POTENTIAL OF TRANSLATION
RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
Gary Massey
Director, IUED Institute of Translation and Interpreting
2ND SHANGHAI SEMINAR: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
INTERDISCIPLINARITY
SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL STUDIES UNIVERSITY (SISU)
3-4 NOVEMBER 2017
1
Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
• Translators are multiprofessional (Pym 1998)
• Translation Studies is a polydiscipline and interdiscipline
mixed theoretical and methodological approaches
more complex, nuanced analysis (Chesterman 2002; Gambier & Van Doorslaer, 2016;
Snell-Hornby, 1994 etc.)
What is the role and the impact of TS on translating practices?
Does TS question the division of knowledge among disciplines? (Gambier & Van Doorslaer, 2016)
CROSSING BORDERS
2
THE INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF TRANSLATION STUDIES:
SOME ISSUES FOR RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
A true interdiscipline is [...]
the Phoenician trader
among the settled nations.
(McCarty, 1999; in Munday, 2012: 23)
Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
3
FROM SUBDISCIPLINE TO DISCIPLINE:
PUTTING TRANSLATION STUDIES ON THE MAP
THE HOLMES/TOURY MAP
APPLIED:
• Pedagogy (“training”)
• Technology (“aids”)
• Quality (“criticism”)
“PURE”:
• Theoretical
• Descriptive
Toury (1995: 10)
Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
FROM LINGUISTICS TO TRANSLATION STUDIES:
SHIFTING VIEWPOINTS, PARADIGMS AND TURNS
PRAGMATIC CULTURAL
INTERDISCIPLINE
EMPIRICAL
GLOBALISATION SOCIOLOGICAL
ICONIC
TURNS
4
GRAMMAR TEXT
LANGUAGE AND TEXT IN USE
RETRO-SPECTIVE PROSPECTIVE
Snell-Hornby (2006, 2011); Resch (2000)
Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
TRANSLATION STUDIES PROPER:
TURNS AND LOCI OF RESEARCH INTEREST
CULTURAL
EMPIRICAL
GLOBALISATION SOCIOLOGICAL
ICONIC
5
Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
TRANSLATION STUDIES PROPER:
TURNS AND LOCI OF “PURE” RESEARCH INTEREST
6
TEXT ACT EVENT IMPACT
SOCIETY
SOCIO-TECHNICAL ENVIRONMENT
TRANSLATOR
TEXT
Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
GENRE
MEDIUM / MODE
INTERCULTURALITY
INT. PROCESS
COGNITION
SELF-CONCEPT
EXT. PROCESS
TECHNOLOGY
ACTORS
ORGANISATION
DISCOURSES
ETHICS
INCLUSION
TRANSLATION STUDIES PROPER:
SOME “PURE” RESEARCH INTERESTS
7
SOCIETY
SOCIO-TECHNICAL ENVIRONMENT
TRANSLATOR
TEXT
Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
QUALITY
COMPETENCE
ROLE
EMPLOYABILITY
PROCESS DESIGN
INFO-MANAGEMENT
ERGONOMICS
EFFICIENCY
MONTORING
REPUTATION
RISK
ACCESS
TRANSLATION STUDIES PROPER:
SOME APPLIED RESEARCH FOCI
8
SOCIETY
SOCIO-TECHNICAL ENVIRONMENT
TRANSLATOR
TEXT
Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
QUALITY
COMPETENCE
ROLE
EMPLOYABILITY
PROCESS DESIGN
INFO-MANAGEMENT
ERGONOMICS
EFFICIENCY
MONTORING
REPUTATION
RISK
ACCESS
TRANSLATION STUDIES PROPER:
SOME APPLIED RESEARCH FOCI
9
Business/ Process/
Quality Management,
Information Science/
Technology,
Occupational
Therapy/ Ergonomics,
Technical
Documentation etc.
Psychology,
Cognitive
Sciences,
Expertise
Studies,
Neurosciences
Educational
Sciences etc.
Sociology,
Discourse Analysis,
Media Studies,
Corporate/ Technical
Communication,
Risk Management,
Accessibility/
Integration Studies etc.
(Cognitive)
Linguistics,
Pragmatics,
Cultural/
Intercultural
Studies,
Literary
Studies etc.
Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
Professional
T&I
10
Meta-
professional T&I
Para-
professional T&I
Barrier-free
Communication Technical
Communication
Corporate
Communication
TRANSLATION STUDIES AS AN INTERDISCIPLINE:
TRANSLATION RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
Access
Ergonomics
Cognition
Professional
T&I
11
TRANSLATION STUDIES AS AN INTERDISCIPLINE:
TRANSLATION RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
• Providing and managing
access to information,
messages and services
• Gaining access to
stakeholders
• Cognitive
• Physical
• Organisational
Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
Professional • Future-proof solutions to the challenges of
interprofessional convergence
expanded roles and responsibilities
technologisation
adding human value (adaptive expertise vs AI)
eroding status
THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF TS ON TRANSLATING PRACTICES?
12
TRANSLATION STUDIES AS AN INTERDISCIPLINE:
TRANSLATION RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
Organisational • Process and workflow optimisation
• Staff efficiency and well-being
• Enhanced quality and reduced risk
• Building reputation and trust
Societal • Integration, inclusion and multilingual message placement
13
TRANSLATION STUDIES AS AN INTERDISCIPLINE:
TRANSLATION RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF TS ON TRANSLATING PRACTICES?
Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
Educational • Modelling and developing competence
Individual and group profiling
Product-based and process-oriented performance measures
Self-concept and self-regulation
Socio-technical integration
Socio-ethical role awareness
14
TRANSLATION STUDIES AS AN INTERDISCIPLINE:
TRANSLATION RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF TS ON TRANSLATING PRACTICES?
Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
15
TRANSLATION STUDIES AS AN INTERDISCIPLINE:
TRANSLATION RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
DOES TS QUESTION THE DIVISION OF KNOWLEDGE AMONG
DISCIPLINES?
I think it does; and we must remain Phoenician traders to tap the
full potential of translation research and practice.
Thank you for your attention. Gary Massey
THINKING AND WORKING OUT OF THE BOX: TAPPING THE INTERDISCIPLINARY
POTENTIAL OF TRANSLATION RESEARCH AND PRACTICE