The image of translators in the press and on social media

Over the decades, the translator’s profession has changed considerably and so has its representation. From the stereotypical image of a professional working with pen and paper on the translation of a literary work, today we are faced with a substantially different reality, in which translators work almost exclusively in front of a screen consulting online glossaries and databases.

In the digital age, technology is not only both a threat to and a tool for translators, but it is also one of the means by which they show themselves to the world. The image of translators is present both on social media, where professionals show the reality of their work, and in the press, where, on the other hand, their image is almost always conveyed by journalists, who are generally outsiders to the profession.

Social media has revolutionised the way translators present themselves to the world, interact with each other and with the public. Social media allows them to share professional experiences, to offer followers – both colleagues and laypeople – linguistic advice and to create a space for networking among professionals and with potential clients.

On social media, numerous professional profiles can be found, such as that of Martina Di Carlo (on Instagram @martinadicarlo_translator), whose posts range from:“Tre cose che avrei voluto sapere a inizio carriera” (“Three things I wish I had known at the beginning of my career”) to a reel on “Come si dice ‘essere al verde’ in inglese e in tedesco?” (“How do you say ‘essere al verde’ in English and German?”).

The best social media platform for professional networking with colleagues and clients is LinkedIn. On this platform there are numerous translator profiles, including that of Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo, who shows how regular use of LinkedIn over time has proven to be one of the most effective tools in building professional and client relationships.

Since social media is a space for self-representation where translators show their professional life from their own point of view, it offers a means to break down the prejudices that often affect this professional category. An article published on the Italian webpage Il Post entitled La solitudine dei traduttori (The Loneliness of Translators) reads: “In the ranking of lonely professions, translators compete for first place with lighthouse keepers”. However, all this is belied by posts on Instagram such as those by Francesca Castellitto (on Instagram @traduteacher), who shows with simple photos how the life of translators can also be full of interpersonal relationships, travel and satisfaction. Castellitto herself explains in a caption how the flexibility that characterises this job has allowed her to cultivate hobbies and travel freely, combining free time with work, a privilege she would not have had had she chosen another profession.

If, as we have seen, social networks allow translators to describe themselves professionally, in newspapers translators are often represented from an outsider’s perspective. There are cases in which journalists take the side of translators, not only arguing that this professional category, though threatened by technology, remains irreplaceable, but also extolling the value of a profession that is all too often forgotten or unappreciated. Journalists, in fact, write about translators as professionals whose merits are not sufficiently recognised, including in terms of remuneration, a narrative which is based on a sense of injustice and lack of recognition felt by the translators themselves. Journalists support this cause, concretely reporting on the translators’ demand to see their names on the covers of the books they translate. See, for example, the various articles in The Guardian^[i]  reporting on the battle waged by translator Jennifer Croft, who declared on Twitter that she no longer intends to translate any books until she sees her name on the cover.

On the other hand, journalists can also be particularly harsh in judging the work of translators, focusing only on the final product rather than considering the translation process as a whole. One example is the criticism of alleged translation errors with catastrophic consequences, including the inaccurate rendering of Japanese Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki’s response to the American ultimatum, which is often described by the press as the reason the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.^[ii]

The image of translators on social networks and in the press is therefore the result of a significant transformation resulting from the very rapid technological and social evolution we have witnessed and are still witnessing today. Social networks and newspapers are radically different means of communication and expression, in terms of their purpose, creators and consumers. It follows that the representation of the profession varies depending on the communication channel. Social media offers professionals a space to express their ideas in the first person, also giving them the opportunity to dispel stereotypes and false myths. On the other hand, newspapers have the power to amplify the voice of translators and shape public opinion. Therefore, journalists need to ensure that their representation of translators is based on a fair, respectful and accurate view of the profession, taking into account the value of translators’ work as mediators between languages and cultures in an interconnected and globalised society.

Sitography

https://www.atanet.org/business-strategies/social-media-and-translators/

https://www.internazionale.it/notizie/anna-franchin/2024/04/09/traduttori-automatici-studiare-lingue
 

[i] https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/sep/10/why-translators-should-be-named-on-book-covers; https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/03/translation-is-an-art-why-translators-are-battling-for-recognition.

[ii] https://www.nsa.gov/portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/tech-journals/mokusatsu.pdf.