[New publication] The Translator, 23:4. Special Issue: International English and Translation

Michaela Albl-Mikasa, Giovanna Fontana, Laura Maria Fuchs, Lena Meret Stüdeli & Aline Zaugg (2017) Professional translations of non-native English: ‘before and after’ texts from the European Parliament’s Editing Unit, The Translator, 23:4, 371-387,

DOI: 10.1080/13556509.2017.1385940

Abstract: Since English has become the dominant global language, research efforts have mostly concentrated on spoken English as a lingua franca (ELF). Written ELF is largely under-researched both in relation to translation and otherwise. This study examines ‘before and after’ texts made available by the European Parliament’s Editing Unit. The original texts were written by non-native English speakers (before) and subsequently revised by native English editors (after) with a view to delivering consistent edited source texts as a basis for translation into different EU languages. In a pre-study, 12 texts (and their edited versions) were scrutinised for potential translation problems. In the main study, three of the 12 originals and their three edited counterparts were translated by six professional translators. A mixed-method approach was adopted: product-based analysis of the translations for actual translation problems combined with screen-recording prompted retrospective translator comments and screen-recording-based indicators for the time taken to translate edited and non-edited segments. The results suggest that there is a sufficiently large number of challenges arising from non-standard source segments to prolong translational decision-making and provoke inadequate solutions.

Kathleen Kaess (2017) English in the OECD: transcultural tool or embodiment of symbolic power?, The Translator, 23:4, 404-415, DOI: 10.1080/13556509.2017.1385942

Abstract: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) contributes increasingly to the generation and dissemination of public knowledge. Its publishing division and the OECD iLibrary provide access to around 219,700 publications. While the OECD offers translated summaries of some of its key titles in up to 25 languages, the majority of publications are authored in English, and are stylistically regulated in accordance with Anglo-Saxon writing standards, as set out in the OECD Style Guide. This article discusses the language effects (Pennycook 1994) – that is, the worldmaking implications – of the OECD’s predominant use of English in processes of knowledge production. It presents two contrasting perspectives: 1. (the OECD’s own view) that the English language standards imposed by the organisation mean that the knowledge generated becomes widely accessible, which in turn contributes to a transcultural knowledge world; 2. (an external critique) that the dominance of English language publications embodies the OECD’s symbolic power, so that knowledge can only be generated and accessed by accepting English as the legitimate language of authority (Bourdieu 1977). Attention will be drawn to the diverging role of translation in both scenarios, and to the concept of institutional translation (Koskinen 2008).

Pin-Ling Chang (2017) China English: its ideological nature and implications for

translation and interpreting, The Translator, 23:4, 416-427,

DOI: 10.1080/13556509.2017.1385943

Abstract: China English, a term coined in 1980, is now widely recognised both inside and outside China as a developing variety of English loaded with characteristics of the Chinese culture and language. Using China English rather than the international variety enables the Chinese general public to retain their national and cultural identity and Chinese interpreters and translators to safeguard the national interest and dignity. For some, it is also a way of breaking the hegemony of English as a global language while establishing itself as a hegemonic discourse in its place. By discussing its development, theoretical foundations and application in the training and practice of translation and interpreting, this paper aims to uncover the ideological nature and implications of China English for the world.

Lingjuan Fan (2017) English as lingua academica: The case of the Chinese Translation Fund for the Humanities and Social Sciences, The Translator, 23:4, 428-440,

DOI: 10.1080/13556509.2017.1385944

Abstract: In recent years, China has been attempting to raise its international profile in the domain of academic research. However, in the humanities and social sciences, this process has been hindered by the inadequate English academic writing skills of Chinese scholars, as well as by cultural differences between China and the West as regards ideological preference, aesthetic taste and reading habits. In order to overcome these problems and promote China’s cultural influence in the world, a special fund has been set up to support translations of Chinese humanities and social science research, known as the ‘Chinese [Translation] Fund for the Humanities and Social Sciences’. Based on data derived from funded translation projects that ran from 2010 to 2015, this paper examines whether there have been discrepancies between the goals and outcomes of the fund, and investigates to what extent the translation of academic works may encounter ideological divergences between China and the West, and how this might affect the reception of translated Chinese works. Finally, the paper discusses any potential problems of exporting Chinese academic output globally as part of a political agenda.

Alexandra Assis Rosa (2017) Rethinking the hegemony of English in twentieth-century Portugal: some figures and beyond, The Translator, 23:4, 441-455,

DOI: 10.1080/13556509.2017.1385945

Abstract: To pinpoint the hypothesized change of status of French and English as the hypercentral language in Portugal by the mid-twentieth century, this paper follows the methodology suggested by Johan Heilbron for the identification of a world system of book translation. It accordingly maps relations between language groups and analyses translation flows regarding source languages, considering data on translation in Portugal by Index Translationum, Pordata, and the National Library of Portugal and on literary translation by the online database Intercultural Literature in Portugal 1930–2000: A Critical Bibliography. This paper thereby endeavours to track the evolution of the announced hypercentrality of English in the Portuguese (literary) system in the twentieth century. The data analysed in this paper show that it was Spanish, rather than English, that became the quantitatively hypercentral language in the Portuguese literary book market once the cultural clout of France began to wane. This evidence, therefore, calls for a rethinking of the oft-mentioned centrality of English in contemporary Portugal and for the possible consideration of a regional system. However, it also suggests the need for a rethinking of the conceptual frameworks used to address linguistic imperialism and cultural hegemonies, so as to not only consider numerical data but also go beyond them.

Abstract: This article examines translation into English as a lingua franca through the theoretical lens of fan translation. The phenomenon of scanlation is here taken into consideration as a case study of informal translation practices into English for an international readership. This article focuses in particular on the translation of the Japanese graphic narratives known as manga into English, and the negotiations that take place between scanlators and their readers. The article first explains the practice of scanlation and the policies that scanlation groups have adopted with regard to the recruitment of translators and proofreaders. Actual examples of scanlated manga are then analysed, with a focus on the translation of social deixis and honorific suffixes. Finally, the article presents the readers’ point of view through an analysis of the results of an opinion poll on the topic of scanlation.