Professional issues

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 OVERVIEW

2. Code of Ethics: different codes for

interpreters and translators
3. Logistic issues: equipment, software,
rates
4. How to find translation jobs

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 Code of ethics
1. What are ethics?
2. The role of a code of ethics for a
profession
3. General principles for both translators
and interpreters
4. Code of ethics for interpreters
5. Code of ethics for translators

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 Code of ethics

1. What are ethics?

The principles of conduct governing an individual or a
profession.
2. The role of a code of ethics for a profession
• to safeguard the welfare of its clients
• to ensure that the professional activities of its members
are of a high standard
• to ensure that the profession has a high status in the
eyes of society.
• to have standards to base on in cases of professional
negligence or malpractice. (Gentile et al., 1996)

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 Code of ethics

3. Common ethics for both translators

and interpreters
• Ensure competence
• Ensure accuracy
• Ensure impartiality
• Ensure confidentiality

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 General principles for both
translators and interpreters
• Ensure competence
+ Only accept work which is within the
interpreter's or translator's competence
• Ensure accuracy
+ Translate accurately and completely all that is
said by all parties in a meeting or that is written
in a text (no additions, no omissions, no change)
+ Acknowledge and correct any interpreting or
translation mistakes.
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 General principles for both
translators and interpreters
• Ensure impartiality
Professional detachment must be maintained at all
times. Your service must not be affected by the
professional's personal likes, dislikes, preferences,
ideological leanings etc.
• Ensure confidentiality
+ Interpreters and translators must not disclose information
obtained in the course of translation
(unless permission is granted by their clients or if the law
requires disclosure)
+ Translated documents remain the client's property.

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4. Code of ethics for interpreters

4.1 Before interpreting assignment

• Briefing on the subject
• Preparation: prepare appropriately for
assignments (e.g. terminology)
• Punctual at all times (and if lateness is
unavoidable, advise clients immediately)
• Ready (pen, paper for notes...)

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4. Code of ethics for interpreters

4.2 During interpreting assignment

• Always be polite and courteous,
unobtrusive, firm and dignified
• Ensure accuracy
• Ensure impartiality
• Ensure competence

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4. Code of ethics for interpreters
4.3 After interpreting assignment
• No acceptance of gifts: decline gifts and
tips (except token gifts customary in some
cultures)
• Confidentiality
• Self-evaluation: review and re-evaluate
their work performance

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 5. Code of ethics for translators

• These are two very different levels of

translation ethics.
+ Level 1: Often support ideal loyalty to a
source text, author or sender
+ Level 2: codes of ethics are written for
translation as a profession, stating
regulations concerning the translator's
relations with other translators, with clients
and with questions like confidentiality.
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 5. Code of ethics for translators

• E.g. summary of the code of ethics of the Association

des traducteurs littéraires de France (ATLF), 1988:
Translators:
1. Must have adequate linguistic competence.
2. Must have knowledge of the pertinent subject matter.
3. Must refuse to translate from a TT unless with the
consent of the author.
4. May only alter a text with the author's consent.
5. Have the right to accept or refuse a translation.
6. May demand the documents necessary for the
translation.
7. Must respect professional secrets.

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5. Code of ethics for translators

8. Must translate personally and ensure that

their name appears on TT.
9. In the case of co-translation, the names of all
the translators must appear on TT.
10. Must demand the same conditions if co-
translating.
11. Must refuse work detrimental to a fellow
translator.
12. Must not accept work conditions inferior to
those established by the profession.
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 Logistic issues
• Equipment and software
• Payment

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 Logistic issues
1. Equipment and software
• A computer, a printer, a scanner, fax machine
• Internet connection
• Suitable dictionaries, preferably electronic or online
dictionaries
E.g.
+ Oxford advanced learner’s dictionary
+ Oxford Collocations Dictionary for students of
English
http://dictionary.cambridge.org (this is also linked to
other useful online dictionaries such as Cambridge
International Dictionary of Idioms)
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 Logistic issues
• Equipment and software (cont.)
• Encyclopedia preferably electronic:
e.g. Encarta
• Any software that provides one or more of the
following services: dictionaries, glossaries, and
terminology banks, reference resources,
storage of terms and phrases
E.g. Wordfast, Trados
• For further information on useful translation
software, go to http://
www.geocities.com/langtecheval/
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 Payment
• How will the translation be charged? Time,
per word, per sentence?
+ offer fee
+ charge fee
+ translation rates
+ interpreting rates
• How and when is payment to be made?
• What method of payment is to be used?
(cash, bank transfer, cheque?)
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 Seeking translation jobs
1. Translation agencies:
http://www.uniworldvietnam.net/en/dichvu/
http://giaiphapngonngu.com (Cong ty dich thuat
Golden Light)
2. Job-seeking websites
http://vieclam.thanhnien.com.vn/ www.kiemviec.com
www.jobvn.com
www.vietnamworks.com
www.ngocentre.org.vn

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 Seeking translation jobs

3. Major organizations:
United Nations Viet Nam: http://www.un.org.vn
World Bank in Vietnam:
http://www.worldbank.org/vn
United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) Viet Nam http://www.undp.org.vn
United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
www.unesco.org.vn

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 Seeking translation jobs
3. Major organizations (cont.)
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA):
vietnam.unfpa.org
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF):
www.unicef.org/vietnam
Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO): www.fao.org.vn
World Health Organization (WHO):
www.un.org.vn/who
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 Seeking translation jobs

• Publishers
• Networking: personal contact with
other translators

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 REFERENCES
• Chesterman, A. (1997). Ethics of translation. In M. Snell-
hornby, Z. Jettmarova, Z. Kaindl (Eds.), Translation as
intercultural communication: selected papers from the
EST Congress- Prague 1995 (pp. 147-160). Amsterdam
& Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
• Gentile, A. et al. (1996). Liaison interpreting: A
handbook. Australia: Melbourne University Press.
• Picker, C. (Ed.) (1989). The translator’s handbook.
London: Aslib.
• Samuelsson-Brown, G. (1993). A Practical Guide for
Translators. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters Ltd.
• Sofer, M. (1999). The translator’s handbook. USA:
Schreiber Publishing.

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