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Article published In: Language Problems and Language Planning
Vol. 45:3 (2021) ► pp.261–283

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Translation as inclusion?

An analysis of international NGOs’ translation policy documents

 | Dublin City University
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Published online: 28 February 2022
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https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.21002.tes
Abstract
International NGOs (INGOs) are important agents in delivering the UN’s sustainable development agenda, but their linguistic practices have received little attention in the field of language policy and planning. This article aims to add new insights to the field by exploring the link between INGOs’ organisational value of inclusiveness and their institutional approaches to translation. It does so through a case study of Oxfam GB’s and Tearfund’s translation policy documents. The analysis reveals that the policy documents focus on written translation into a handful of lingua francas. In other words, they largely overlook the need for interpreting and translation from and into local languages. In addition, the policy documents do not make any overt links between principles of (linguistic) inclusiveness and the need for translation. The article summarises the advantages and drawbacks of creating a translation policy, and provides guidance on linking translation policy more overtly to values of inclusiveness.
Résumé
Les ONG internationales (ONGI) sont des agents importants dans la mise en œuvre du programme de développement durable de l’ONU, mais leurs pratiques linguistiques ont reçu peu d’attention dans le domaine de la politique et planification linguistique. Cet article vise à ajouter des nouvelles perspectives dans le domaine en explorant le lien entre les valeurs d’inclusivité des ONGI et leurs approches institutionnelles de la traduction. L’article présente une étude de cas des documents de politique de traduction d’Oxfam GB et de Tearfund. L’analyse révèle que les documents de politique se concentrent sur la traduction écrite dans une poignée de lingua francas. En d’autres termes, ils négligent largement le besoin d’interprétation et de traduction depuis et vers les langues locales. De plus, les documents de politique ne font aucun lien manifeste entre les principes d’inclusion (linguistique) et le besoin de traduction. Pour conclure, l’article résume les avantages et les inconvénients de la création d’une politique de traduction et fournit des conseils sur la manière de lier plus ouvertement la politique de traduction aux valeurs d’inclusivité.
Resumo
Internaciaj ne-registaraj organizoj (INROj) estas gravaj agantoj en realigo de la tagordo de UN pri daŭripova evoluigo, sed la studkampo de lingvaj politiko kaj planado donas al iliaj lingvaj praktikoj malmultan atenton. La nuna arrtikolo celas aldoni novajn ekkomprenojn al tiu kampo per esplorado de la ligo inter, unuflanke, la organizaj valoroj de INROj pri inkluzivo kaj, aliflanke, iliaj instituciaj aliroj al tradukado. La artikolo tion faras per kazostudo de la dokumentoj pri traduka politiko de Oxfam GB kaj Tearfund. La analizo montras, ke la dokumentoj fokusiĝas je skriba tradukado en manplenon da interlingvoj. Alivorte dirite, ili plejparte malatentas la bezonon de interpretado kaj tradukado en kaj el lokaj lingvoj. Krome, la politikaj dokumentoj ne eksplicite ligas la principojn de (lingva) inkluzivo kun la bezono de tradukado. La artikolo resumas la avantaĝojn kaj malavantaĝojn de kreado de traduka politiko, kaj proponas gvidon pri ligado de traduka politiko pli eksplicite al valoroj de inkluzivo.
Article outline
  • Analytical framework and data
  • Organisational background
  • What do NGOs’ translation policy documents aim to regulate?
  • What were the organisational circumstances that led to the creation of these policies?
  • (How) can these policies contribute to organisational values, particularly aspirations of inclusion?
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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