Denise Merkle

Notes on the status of (official) translation and translators in Canada: Facts and fiction

The (low) status of translation and translators has come under increasing scrutiny of late. For example, Jean Delisle (2013) describes working conditions at the turn of the 20^th century that were so stressful that federal translators died from mental exhaustion. Today, with increased technologization, the industry no longer seems to place a high value on linguistic excellence and translator decision-making. Translators increasingly fear a loss of linguistic competence and deskilling of their profession. From dying while burning the midnight oil to produce translations of Parliamentary debates in a timely manner to subordinating human translator decision-making to a machine, the translator’s working conditions and role have changed dramatically since 1867. This paper will present an overview of the evolving status of (official) translators. Initial research would indicate that broader general literacy and greater use of technology are having a negative impact on the status of official translation and translators in Canada.

Keywords: Canada, official translation, status fact and fiction

Biography

Denise Merkle is Professor and Director of the Department of Translation and Languages at the Université de Moncton. She holds a PhD in French Studies and an MA in French-English Translation. She has taught translation for over 20 years and has published extensively in Translation Studies journals such as TTR, Babel and Target. Professor Merkle has also edited or co-edited a number of volumes, including Territoires de l’interculturalité (2013) and Translation and Censorship in Nineteenth-century Europe (2010). From 2002 to 2004, she was President of the Canadian Association of Translation Studies. She has been a member of the editorial board of TTR since 2010.