| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Generally speaking, do you think that we translators are intellectuals? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Generally speaking, do you think that we translators are intellectuals?".
This poll was originally submitted by Ramona Ali. View the poll results »
| | | | | Not necessarily | Jan 5, 2016 |
Interesting question. I think it depends on the individual's temperament and the interest they take in their work and in the study of languages and cultures.
| | | | EvaVer (X) 
Local time: 22:50
Czech to French
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1) How exactly do you define an "intellectual"?
2) Accepting a rough definition - we should be, but I have met some of my colleagues...
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Definitely —all good translators are intellectuals, and they have to be, even those engaged in technical or scientific translation. Translation is one of the most demanding, intellectually, professions.
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Max Deryagin
Russian Federation
Local time: 01:50
Member (2013)
English to Russian
EvaVer wrote:
1) How exactly do you define an "intellectual"?
2) Accepting a rough definition - we should be, but I have met some of my colleagues...
You'd also need to define a "translator", I reckon.
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Where was the straight "no" option?
Let's face it, most translators are just jumped-up bilingual typists, not intellectuals.
The days I'd hang around cafés with Noel and Henry and Albert mulling over life's big questions are long gone; these days I'm more a mildly enhanced version of Google Translate.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 22:50
Spanish to English
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Intellectual: noun
1. a person possessing a highly developed intellect.
synonyms: intelligent person, learned person...
According to that definition, we probably should be. However, judging from what I've seen out there, I'd say that a substantial percentage of people claiming to be translators would be better described as numpties, for want of a better epithet.
| | | | Bora Taşdemir
Local time: 23:50
Member (2012)
English to Turkish
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| Not necesarrily | Jan 5, 2016 |
Every kind of people work in this business just like in every other sectors and we can't really say "all the people working in this business are ...". Period!
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Kristina Cosumano (X)
Germany
Local time: 22:50
German to English
...but then, my definition of an intellectual may differ from others'. I don't consider all intelligent, curious people to fit that particular term. Now, the gentleman who recently left about 2000 words of etymological information in answer to a recent KudoZ term query, he might qualify.
However, this is not meant as a slight to anyone, intellectual or not - we intelligent, curious people can be happy with our talents without needing to see ourselves as intellectuals, no?
| | | | | First I said 'of course' ... | Jan 5, 2016 |
... That is one thing we do have in common. Anyone who can make a living by translating, or even do it adequately, must have certain intellectual abilities and therefore count as an intellectual.
I have never liked the word intellectual. When I was young it was bandied about as the opposite of 'the workers', who supposedly bore all the burdens and did the dirty work while the intellectuals fiddled about and found refined ways to oppress the workers.
I am a bit touchy, b... See more
| | | | Natalie Soper
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:50
French to English
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| Inte-what now? | Jan 5, 2016 |
Great question, but as everyone else has said, how do you qualify as an intellectual? Lots of translators love learning. Lots would have gone to university, read lots of books, and presumably have an interest in the world and its events (or at least the parts of the world where the languages that they speak are also spoken)...is that enough? Or are there more stringent membership requirements? 
| | | | | Other (between "I don't know" and "no, not necessarily") | Jan 5, 2016 |
Interesting question to which I have no clear answer! For starters, aren’t we translators a very diverse bunch? We have different nationalities, different cultures, different religions, different language pairs, different areas of specialization and experience, and different opinions on… everything! Then, translation is an intellectual activity, but nowadays, thanks mostly to CAT tools, is increasingly seen, at least by some (clients, translators and general public), as a product (even lite... See more Interesting question to which I have no clear answer! For starters, aren’t we translators a very diverse bunch? We have different nationalities, different cultures, different religions, different language pairs, different areas of specialization and experience, and different opinions on… everything! Then, translation is an intellectual activity, but nowadays, thanks mostly to CAT tools, is increasingly seen, at least by some (clients, translators and general public), as a product (even literary work) since it uses more and more industrial-like processes and procedures. As the image of translation (the product) has changed, so has that of the translator (the manufacturer) (Daniel Gouadec dixit in “Translation as a Profession”)… ▲ Collapse
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564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 22:50
Danish to English
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But who knows? I only know about a handful of professional translators personally - it would be ridiculous to even try to form an opinion of the thousands or millions of other translators around the world.
I consider myself a pragmatic more than an intellecutal. Especially in relation to my translation work. I don't look at my work and stop to think about the big underlying issues before I start my work. I see text in one language and I do my best to convert that into text in anothe... See more But who knows? I only know about a handful of professional translators personally - it would be ridiculous to even try to form an opinion of the thousands or millions of other translators around the world.
I consider myself a pragmatic more than an intellecutal. Especially in relation to my translation work. I don't look at my work and stop to think about the big underlying issues before I start my work. I see text in one language and I do my best to convert that into text in another language. The issues I have to deal with to do that are practical, albeit knowledge-based. Not an ounce of intellecualism in that...
Curiously, the poll question could probably be termed an 'intellectual' question, so maybe, by simply considering it, we all fall into the trap of being intellectuals at some level or other. Rats... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Henry Schroeder
United States
Local time: 16:50
Member (2002)
German to English
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| Definitely, yes, if you do something with your multicultural knowledge | Jan 5, 2016 |
If you do nothing other than covert text from one language into another without giving it any thought, more or less like a machine, then of course a translator is not an intellectual.
It seems to me that this would result in poor translations, of the sort a machine produces, but I'm not one of those types, so it is hard for me to judge.
If you think about anything you do, analyze it, i.e. engage in the acts of an intellectual, the results will certainly be better...
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 16:50
English to Spanish
+ ...
Chris S wrote:
Where was the straight "no" option?
Let's face it, most translators are just jumped-up bilingual typists, not intellectuals.
The days I'd hang around cafés with Noel and Henry and Albert mulling over life's big questions are long gone; these days I'm more a mildly enhanced version of Google Translate.
You need more coffee, dear. Your otherwise witty droll delivery is somewhat missing!
😁🎷🎶
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