Research Article
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Reflections and Metaphoric Perceptions of Translator Trainees Related to Translators’ Status

Year 2020, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 149 - 160, 30.11.2020
https://doi.org/10.30613/curesosc.751173

Abstract

Throughout history, translation has had a notable role in the spread of knowledge. Contrary to what is assumed, translation is not confined to just finding the equivalences of words. Translators are quite active in the translating process, and translation, as a multidimensional act, requires various skills and responsibilities. However, despite the fact that translation is a very old human activity, translation as a profession seems to require more time to gain the desired status, which is the focus of this study. This study aims to reveal prospective translators’ perceptions about their future profession before they start working as professional translators, and it focuses on students’ viewpoints about translation, translators, status of translators and the probable ways to enhance the status of translators. Hence, 23 second-year students enrolled in the Department of Translation and Interpreting Studies were included in this study. Data were collected qualitatively through reflection papers and open-ended question forms that aimed to elicit the participants’ views regarding the definition of translation and suggestions about improving the status of translators. The findings indicate that translator trainees have different descriptions regarding translation, translators, and translation processes and think that translators have low-status. The study provides a number of suggestions of prospective translators to increase the status of the profession.

References

  • Abbasi, G., Salehzadeh, S., Janfaza, E., Assemi, A., & Dehghan, S. S. (2012). Language, translation, and culture. In International Conference on Language, Medias and Culture, 33, 83-87.
  • Acioly-Régnier, N. M., Koroleva, D. B., Mikhaleva, L. V., & Régnier, J. C. (2015). Translation competence as a complex multidimensional aspect. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 200, 142-148.
  • Akalın, R., & Gündoğdu, M. (2010). Akademik çeviri eğitiminin temel ilkeleri üzerine düşünceler: Uygulanan ders izlenceleri bağlamında hedefler ve beklentiler. Mersin Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 6(1), 79-93.
  • Alfaori, N. A. D. M. (2017). Equivalence problems in translation. Sino-US English Teaching, 14(2), 86-97. doi:10.17265/1539-8072/2017.02.003
  • Aly, E. H. A. (2018). Translators’ occupational prestige: A comparison of translators’ and non-translators’ views. MTM Journal, 8, 309-330.
  • André, J. S. (2014). Thinking through translation with metaphors. Routledge.
  • Bahk-Halberg, J. H. (2007). In their own words: Korean perspectives on becoming interpreter/translators. Doctoral Dissertation. Indiana University of Pennylvania.
  • Bassnett, S. (2002) Translation studies (3rd ed.). London & New York: Routledge.
  • Baykan, A. (2005). Sosyal-kültürel faktörlerin çevirideki rolü. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 14, 177-197.
  • Bedeker, L., & Feinauer, I. (2006). The translator as cultural mediator. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 24(2), 133-141. doi: 10.2989/16073610609486412
  • Berg B. (2001) Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
  • Chesterman, A. (2009). The name and nature of translator studies. HERMES-Journal of Language and Communication in Business, 42, 13-22.
  • Coban, F. (2015). Analysis and training of the required abilities and skills in translation in the light of translation models and general theories of translation studies. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 197, 707-714. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.07.074
  • Dam, H. V., & Zethsen, K. K. (2009). Translation studies: Focus on the translator. Hermes Journal of Language and Communication Studies, 42(1), 7-12.
  • Dam, H. V., & Zethsen, K. K. (2008). Translator status: A study of Danish company translators. The Translator, 14(1), 71-96.
  • De Toro, C. G. (2007). Translation studies: An overview. Cadernos de tradução, 2(20), 9-42.
  • Ersoy, H., & Erkut, G.Ş. (2014). Kültür planlayıcısı olarak çevirmenin ve çevirini erek kültür/toplumda sosyal değişimlere etkisi ve bu bağlamda geliştirilmesi gereken devlet politikaları. Uluslararası Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 7(33), 120-134.
  • Ferreira-Alves, F. (2011). Job perceptions, identity-building and interpersonal relations among translators as a professional group in northern Portugal. Traductionet Ergonomie, 14, 2-13.
  • Green, J. M. (2010). Thinking through translation. University of Georgia Press.
  • Göktaş, N. (2014). Yorumlayıcı çeviri kuramından çeviri eğitimine: Yorumlayıcı çeviri yöntemi. Diyalog Interkulturelle Zeitschrift Für Germanistik, 2(2), 46-60.
  • Hermans, J., & Lambert, J. (1998). From translation markets to language management: The implications of translation services. Target, 10(1), 113-32.
  • Hönig, H. G., & Kußmaul, P. (1982). Strategie der übersetzung: Ein lehr-und arbeitsbuch (Vol. 205). Gunter Narr Verlag.
  • Ili, M., & Komissarov, V. N. (2016). Çeviride dil ve kültür: Paydaş mı yoksa rakip mi?. Çankırı Karatekin Üniversitesi Karatekin Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 4(1), 91-102.
  • Kang, M. S., & Shunmugam, K. (2014). The translation profession in Malaysia: The translator’s status and self-perception. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 14(3), 191-205.
  • Katan, D. (2009). Translation theory and professional practice: A global survey of the great divide. HERMES-Journal of Language and Communication in Business, 42, 111-153.
  • Kızıltan, R. (2017). Tarihte çeviri: Antik çağdan 19. yüzyıl sonuna kadar edebi çeviri kuramları-1. Antik çağdan barok çağın sonuna kadar. DTCF Dergisi, 40, 71-88.
  • Koskinen, K. (2000) Institutional illusions. Translating in the EU Commission. The Translator, 6(1), 49-65.
  • Leech, W. (2005). The translator’s visibility: an investigation into public perceptions of the translator and how to raise the translator’s status in society. Unpublished Masters thesis, University of London, London.
  • Lörscher, W. (1991). Translation performance, translation process, and translation strategies: A psycholinguistic investigation. Tübingen: Gunter Narr.
  • Melkumyan, S., & Dabaghi, A. (2011). The benefits of translation: With a special reference to the Armenian translation of five short stories by W. Saroyan. Asian Social Science, 7(10), 128. doi:10.5539/ass.v7n10p128.
  • Miles, M.B., & Huberman, A.M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Munday, J. (2008). Introducing translation studies: Theories and applications. London: Routledge.
  • Neubert, A. (2000). Competence in language, in languages, and in translation. In C. Schäffner and B. Adab (Eds.), developing translation competence (pp. 3-18). Amsterdam, John Benjamins.
  • Patience, A. U. (2016). The role of translation in national development. Humanity & Social Sciences Journal, 11(1), 1-7. doi: 10.5829/idosi.hssj.2016.11.1.1159
  • Pym, A., Grin, F., Sfreddo, C., & Chan, A. L. (2012). The status of the translation profession in the European Union. Anthem Press.
  • Risku, H. (2004) Migrating from translation to technical communication and usability. In G. Hansen, K. Malmkjær and D. Gile (Eds.), Claims, changes and challenges in translation studies (pp. 181-95). Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
  • Rothwell, E. (2010). Analyzing focus group data: Content and interaction. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 15(2), 176-180.
  • Sandelowski M. (2000) Whatever happened to qualitative description? Research in Nursing & Health 23, 334–340.
  • Schmitt, R. (1995). Metaphern des helfens [Metaphors of helping]. Weinheim: Psychologie Verlags-Union.
  • Schmitt, R. (2005). Systematic metaphor analysis as a method of qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 10(2), 358-394.
  • Schwarz, N., Stıegelbauer, L. R., & Husar, D. B. (2016). Translation problems and difficulties in applied translation processes. Studii De Ştiintă Şi Cultură, 12(3), 51-58.
  • Sdobnikov, V. V. (2012). Strategy and tactics of translating special texts. Журнал Сибирского федерального университета. Серия: Гуманитарные науки, 5(6), 816-867.
  • Setton, R., & Liangliang, A. G. (2009). Attitudes to role, status and professional identity in interpreters and translators with Chinese in Shanghai and Taipei. Translation and Interpreting Studies. The Journal of the American Translation and Interpreting Studies Association, 4(2), 210-238. doi: https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.4.2.05set
  • Shirinzadeh, S. A., & Mahadi, T. S. T. (2015). Translators as cultural mediators in transmitting cultural differences. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 208, 167-174. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.11.193
  • Sinković, D. (2018). Perception of translator status among the students of humanities and social sciences. Master’s Thesis, University of Zagreb.
  • Štefčík, J. (2015). Evaluating machine translation quality: A case study of a translation of a verbatim transcription from Slovak into German. Vertimo Studijos, 8(8), 139-153.
  • Sunel, A. H. (1988). Çeviri ve bir çevirinin düşündürdükleri. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 3, 153-168.
  • Venuti, L. (1995) The translator’s invisibility. A history of translation. London & New York: Routledge.
  • Yalçın, P. (2015). Çeviri stratejileri: Kuram ve uygulama. Ankara: Grafiker.
  • Yıldız, Ş. (2004). Çeviride eşdeğerlik ve çeviri kuramları bağlamında karşılaştırmalı bir çalışma. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 12, 375-386.

Çevirmen Adaylarının, Çevirmenlerin Statüleri ile İlgili Görüşleri ve Metaforik Algıları

Year 2020, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 149 - 160, 30.11.2020
https://doi.org/10.30613/curesosc.751173

Abstract

Çeviri, tarih boyunca bilginin yayılmasında önemli bir rol oynamıştır. Sanılanın aksine, çeviri sadece kelimelerin eşdeğerlerini bulmaktan ibaret değildir. Çevirmenler, çeviri sürecinde oldukça aktiftirler ve çok yönlü bir eylem olan çeviri çeşitli beceri ve sorumluluk gerektirir. Ancak, çeviri çok eski bir eylem olsa da çevirmenlik mesleğinin istenen statüye ulaşması için daha çok zamana ihtiyacı vardır. Temel noktası çevirmen statüsü olan bu çalışma, mütercim tercümanlık öğrencilerinin profesyonel olarak çevirmenliğe başlamadan önce gelecekteki meslekleri hakkındaki algılarını incelemeyi amaçlamakta ve öğrencilerin çeviri, çevirmen, çevirmen statüsü ve statülerini iyileştirmenin olası yolları hakkındaki görüşlerine odaklanmaktadır. Bu nedenle, Mütercim Tercümanlık Bölümüne kayıtlı 23 ikinci sınıf öğrencisi çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. Veriler nitel olarak, yansıtma kağıtları ve açık uçlu soru formları yoluyla toplanmıştır. Bulgular, öğrencilerin çeviri ve çevirmene dair farklı tanımlamalarının olduğunu ve çevirmenlerin düşük bir statüye sahip olduklarını düşündüklerini göstermiştir. Çalışma, mesleki statünün artırılması konusunda öğrencilerin önerilerini sunmuştur.

References

  • Abbasi, G., Salehzadeh, S., Janfaza, E., Assemi, A., & Dehghan, S. S. (2012). Language, translation, and culture. In International Conference on Language, Medias and Culture, 33, 83-87.
  • Acioly-Régnier, N. M., Koroleva, D. B., Mikhaleva, L. V., & Régnier, J. C. (2015). Translation competence as a complex multidimensional aspect. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 200, 142-148.
  • Akalın, R., & Gündoğdu, M. (2010). Akademik çeviri eğitiminin temel ilkeleri üzerine düşünceler: Uygulanan ders izlenceleri bağlamında hedefler ve beklentiler. Mersin Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 6(1), 79-93.
  • Alfaori, N. A. D. M. (2017). Equivalence problems in translation. Sino-US English Teaching, 14(2), 86-97. doi:10.17265/1539-8072/2017.02.003
  • Aly, E. H. A. (2018). Translators’ occupational prestige: A comparison of translators’ and non-translators’ views. MTM Journal, 8, 309-330.
  • André, J. S. (2014). Thinking through translation with metaphors. Routledge.
  • Bahk-Halberg, J. H. (2007). In their own words: Korean perspectives on becoming interpreter/translators. Doctoral Dissertation. Indiana University of Pennylvania.
  • Bassnett, S. (2002) Translation studies (3rd ed.). London & New York: Routledge.
  • Baykan, A. (2005). Sosyal-kültürel faktörlerin çevirideki rolü. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 14, 177-197.
  • Bedeker, L., & Feinauer, I. (2006). The translator as cultural mediator. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 24(2), 133-141. doi: 10.2989/16073610609486412
  • Berg B. (2001) Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
  • Chesterman, A. (2009). The name and nature of translator studies. HERMES-Journal of Language and Communication in Business, 42, 13-22.
  • Coban, F. (2015). Analysis and training of the required abilities and skills in translation in the light of translation models and general theories of translation studies. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 197, 707-714. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.07.074
  • Dam, H. V., & Zethsen, K. K. (2009). Translation studies: Focus on the translator. Hermes Journal of Language and Communication Studies, 42(1), 7-12.
  • Dam, H. V., & Zethsen, K. K. (2008). Translator status: A study of Danish company translators. The Translator, 14(1), 71-96.
  • De Toro, C. G. (2007). Translation studies: An overview. Cadernos de tradução, 2(20), 9-42.
  • Ersoy, H., & Erkut, G.Ş. (2014). Kültür planlayıcısı olarak çevirmenin ve çevirini erek kültür/toplumda sosyal değişimlere etkisi ve bu bağlamda geliştirilmesi gereken devlet politikaları. Uluslararası Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 7(33), 120-134.
  • Ferreira-Alves, F. (2011). Job perceptions, identity-building and interpersonal relations among translators as a professional group in northern Portugal. Traductionet Ergonomie, 14, 2-13.
  • Green, J. M. (2010). Thinking through translation. University of Georgia Press.
  • Göktaş, N. (2014). Yorumlayıcı çeviri kuramından çeviri eğitimine: Yorumlayıcı çeviri yöntemi. Diyalog Interkulturelle Zeitschrift Für Germanistik, 2(2), 46-60.
  • Hermans, J., & Lambert, J. (1998). From translation markets to language management: The implications of translation services. Target, 10(1), 113-32.
  • Hönig, H. G., & Kußmaul, P. (1982). Strategie der übersetzung: Ein lehr-und arbeitsbuch (Vol. 205). Gunter Narr Verlag.
  • Ili, M., & Komissarov, V. N. (2016). Çeviride dil ve kültür: Paydaş mı yoksa rakip mi?. Çankırı Karatekin Üniversitesi Karatekin Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 4(1), 91-102.
  • Kang, M. S., & Shunmugam, K. (2014). The translation profession in Malaysia: The translator’s status and self-perception. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 14(3), 191-205.
  • Katan, D. (2009). Translation theory and professional practice: A global survey of the great divide. HERMES-Journal of Language and Communication in Business, 42, 111-153.
  • Kızıltan, R. (2017). Tarihte çeviri: Antik çağdan 19. yüzyıl sonuna kadar edebi çeviri kuramları-1. Antik çağdan barok çağın sonuna kadar. DTCF Dergisi, 40, 71-88.
  • Koskinen, K. (2000) Institutional illusions. Translating in the EU Commission. The Translator, 6(1), 49-65.
  • Leech, W. (2005). The translator’s visibility: an investigation into public perceptions of the translator and how to raise the translator’s status in society. Unpublished Masters thesis, University of London, London.
  • Lörscher, W. (1991). Translation performance, translation process, and translation strategies: A psycholinguistic investigation. Tübingen: Gunter Narr.
  • Melkumyan, S., & Dabaghi, A. (2011). The benefits of translation: With a special reference to the Armenian translation of five short stories by W. Saroyan. Asian Social Science, 7(10), 128. doi:10.5539/ass.v7n10p128.
  • Miles, M.B., & Huberman, A.M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Munday, J. (2008). Introducing translation studies: Theories and applications. London: Routledge.
  • Neubert, A. (2000). Competence in language, in languages, and in translation. In C. Schäffner and B. Adab (Eds.), developing translation competence (pp. 3-18). Amsterdam, John Benjamins.
  • Patience, A. U. (2016). The role of translation in national development. Humanity & Social Sciences Journal, 11(1), 1-7. doi: 10.5829/idosi.hssj.2016.11.1.1159
  • Pym, A., Grin, F., Sfreddo, C., & Chan, A. L. (2012). The status of the translation profession in the European Union. Anthem Press.
  • Risku, H. (2004) Migrating from translation to technical communication and usability. In G. Hansen, K. Malmkjær and D. Gile (Eds.), Claims, changes and challenges in translation studies (pp. 181-95). Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
  • Rothwell, E. (2010). Analyzing focus group data: Content and interaction. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 15(2), 176-180.
  • Sandelowski M. (2000) Whatever happened to qualitative description? Research in Nursing & Health 23, 334–340.
  • Schmitt, R. (1995). Metaphern des helfens [Metaphors of helping]. Weinheim: Psychologie Verlags-Union.
  • Schmitt, R. (2005). Systematic metaphor analysis as a method of qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 10(2), 358-394.
  • Schwarz, N., Stıegelbauer, L. R., & Husar, D. B. (2016). Translation problems and difficulties in applied translation processes. Studii De Ştiintă Şi Cultură, 12(3), 51-58.
  • Sdobnikov, V. V. (2012). Strategy and tactics of translating special texts. Журнал Сибирского федерального университета. Серия: Гуманитарные науки, 5(6), 816-867.
  • Setton, R., & Liangliang, A. G. (2009). Attitudes to role, status and professional identity in interpreters and translators with Chinese in Shanghai and Taipei. Translation and Interpreting Studies. The Journal of the American Translation and Interpreting Studies Association, 4(2), 210-238. doi: https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.4.2.05set
  • Shirinzadeh, S. A., & Mahadi, T. S. T. (2015). Translators as cultural mediators in transmitting cultural differences. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 208, 167-174. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.11.193
  • Sinković, D. (2018). Perception of translator status among the students of humanities and social sciences. Master’s Thesis, University of Zagreb.
  • Štefčík, J. (2015). Evaluating machine translation quality: A case study of a translation of a verbatim transcription from Slovak into German. Vertimo Studijos, 8(8), 139-153.
  • Sunel, A. H. (1988). Çeviri ve bir çevirinin düşündürdükleri. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 3, 153-168.
  • Venuti, L. (1995) The translator’s invisibility. A history of translation. London & New York: Routledge.
  • Yalçın, P. (2015). Çeviri stratejileri: Kuram ve uygulama. Ankara: Grafiker.
  • Yıldız, Ş. (2004). Çeviride eşdeğerlik ve çeviri kuramları bağlamında karşılaştırmalı bir çalışma. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 12, 375-386.
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Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Gökçe Dişlen Dağgöl 0000-0003-1920-0208

Duygu İşpınar Akçayoğlu 0000-0001-9031-5011

Publication Date November 30, 2020
Acceptance Date November 27, 2020
Published in Issue Year 2020 Volume: 6 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Dişlen Dağgöl, G., & İşpınar Akçayoğlu, D. (2020). Reflections and Metaphoric Perceptions of Translator Trainees Related to Translators’ Status. Current Research in Social Sciences, 6(2), 149-160. https://doi.org/10.30613/curesosc.751173