Translation and politicized language
Really interesting thoughts on translation below, from someone who is multilingual (I am monolingual).
This past fall, when I attended the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) board meeting with people from 14 different countries, about 12 of whom spoke a language other than English as their first language, we got into an intense conversation about the continued use of the phrase "sex worker."
It's been a struggle to get the phrase "sex worker" used instead of "prostitute" in international forums and policies. But these days, that English phrase is the accepted language. The English phrase is technically gender neutral - though you wouldn't know it, as most journalists assumes that all sex workers are cis females.
The translation isn't so neat - at the NSWP meeting, Spanish, Portuguese, and Hindi speakers all said that there either wasn't an equivalent non-slang phrase that means "sex worker" or that the exact translation was gendered. There was some discussion about shifting the language - the Hindi speakers said that they use a phrase that is roughly equivalent to "people in prostitution" and there was some enthusiasm around using phrases that means "people in the sex trades." These phrases are not just about the linguistics, but are also a political statement. "Sex worker" doesn't work for lots of people, because it implies an identity, which many people do not hold or identify with. But it is virtually impossible for there to be a phrase that would work in all languages, or even just the six official UN languages.
If you also add in another translation element - the Google translate tool - you get other problems as well, like translations that are closer to the phrase "sex maker" or "sex tool."
Here's another example of the wielding of language power:
However, here's the thing, translation, for me, is more than a word by word transcription from one language to another. Subjectivity and my personal experience of the culture also play a role. When I pick a word, I discard another which, for another translator would probably be a better choice. I try to pick the words that, I believe, best illustrate a concept, idea or cultural framework; even if said word might not be the number one technical choice.
Sometimes, when I hit a roadblock like the one mentioned above, I check out forums for translators to see what other people did when faced with the same situation. And this is when I came across this gem. In a discussion about the Women's Police Stations, a very specific phenomenon born out of Latin America's approach to gender violence, a (male) translator believes that, when rendering the concept in English, they should be called "Family Police Precincts" in order to be inclusive of men and keep them in mind so that they do not feel alienated. Which completely distorts the meaning and cultural background of these police precincts as they are meant unequivocally for women, children and the very specific gender related violence they face.
Translation and the rhetorical interpretation of ideology. I guess that's a whole can of worms.
