The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2022 - 12

The way in which we render words
in a target language is affected
by our histories, perspectives, and
biases, whether we're aware of
them or not.
Does identity play a role in
how we translate? The short
answer is yes. As we go about
the work of translation, we
bring far more than the skills
we've learned. We bring
a lifetime of experiences
along with attitudes that
were formed in childhood
and beyond. We come to
our work with assumptions
and biases embedded in the
cultures of our families and
communities beyond what
we may realize. The way in
which we render words in a
target language is affected by
our histories, perspectives,
and biases, whether we're
aware of them or not.
Identity plays a
particularly crucial role
today in translating texts
that deal with or include
vocabulary related to race,
women's issues, or LGBTQ+
persons. Most translators
who are women, who
identify as LGBTQ+, or who
come from communities
of color are already
sensitive to how words are
used-both positively and
negatively-in relation
to their own experiences.
Other translators need to
deepen their awareness of
the nuances of words in the
source text so that terms can
be expressed appropriately,
faithfully, and respectfully in
the target language.
For instance, how would
you translate the term woke?
12 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2022
As it's used in the U.S. today,
the term has come to mean
more than one thing. In
marginalized communities
and among allies, the
word originally signified a
deep awareness of racial,
economic, and gender
disparities. Over time,
however, it has also come
to be appropriated by
others as a pejorative
term suggesting kneejerk
political correctness.3
Translators who come across
this word need to understand
its context and the nuances
of the author's intent.
Here's another example.
Texts dealing with issues of
race, gender, and other areas
of disparity often include
the term intersectionality.
This term is used to describe
overlap within various
social identities of the ways
in which the concerns of
different marginalized
communities often intersect
and relate to one another.
How do translators find the
right word(s) to convey the
complex social, economic,
and political dynamics
implied by this term?
Let's turn now to some
specific examples related to
race, women's issues, and
LGBTQ+ persons. How can we
find translation solutions that
take into account the nuances
of the following terms?
Race
Black: In " The Hill We Climb, "
Amanda Gorman wrote this
memorable line: " where a
skinny Black girl descended
from slaves and raised by
a single mother can dream
of becoming president only
to find herself reciting for
one. " This one simple word,
Black, has been used in the
U.S. with both derision and
pride. How can a translator
discern the author's
intent and contextualize
it in such a way that the
author's or speaker's intent
is communicated in the
target language? One can
only create an authentic
translation after gaining a
deep familiarization not only
with the source text, but
with the author, their life
story, their concerns, and
their context.
Karen: Unfortunately for
people named Karen, this
word has become a symbol
of racism attributed to
entitled White women who
call the police on Black
people entering their own
homes or engaging in other
normal, everyday activities.4
The term came into wider
use in the wake of videos
portraying appalling racist
behavior, such as the woman
who called the New York
City police and made a false
accusation against a Black
birdwatcher in Central
Park.5
Translators face the
challenge of finding the
word(s) that describe the
satirical character of this
term and express its various
elements. In Spain, at least
some of the nuances of the
American " Karen " are being
expressed with the name
" Charo. " 6
It's important
to know if a similar
phenomenon is happening in
your language combination.
Women's Issues
Mansplaining: I'm
completely aware that
as a man, I may be on
shaky ground in trying
to explain this term and
its implications. Words
We're Watching from the
www.atanet.org
http://www.atanet.org
The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2022

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