I think everyone involved in the language services industry has heard this one once or twice. It is normally accompanied by the gnashing of teeth and an “if looks could kill” expression on the face of the translator being asked.

I can completely understand where people get this idea from – people who don’t speak different languages aren’t to know that machine translations are largely useless, and they often don’t consider the knowledge required to assess and translate the nuances and connotations of a particular utterance. That said, most first aiders recognise that they are not qualified to perform heart surgery, so why is translation different? Despite the fact that it is a highly academic discipline, and one which requires years of training, people just don’t recognise it as a legitimate profession. As Chiara mentioned in her article about Translation Day, there seems to be very little knowledge of the industry, and this can lead to misunderstandings.

Personally, I think that we all need to be a little less tetchy about this, and start to look at the positives. Someone just asked you a question about jour job, for a start. They actually showed an interest, so explain to them what goes into a good translation. We’re certainly not going to improve the image of the industry by biting people’s heads off for asking an innocent question. If we take these opportunities to educate people, and give them a glimpse into the business we work in, we have a much better chance of gaining recognition.

So, next time someone asks you this question, perhaps you will retort: “Well I know how to count, does that mean I should be Chancellor of the Exchequer?” Or, you may look at this as a positive, and end up having a pleasant discussion about the industry, and increasing understanding of an often ignored profession. Your choice, of course…

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