Code of ethics for translation agencies Autor de la hebra: Chin-En
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In Australia, translator contracting agencies often contribute a significant proportion of a translator’s workflow, making them a valuable source of income; however, agencies are notorious for making unreasonable requests of translators, meaning in order for a translator to partake of this valuable resource, he/she must often accept conditions that are far from satisfactory, such as appalling rates of payment (sometimes four-times less than what the agency charges the client), unrealistic time... See more In Australia, translator contracting agencies often contribute a significant proportion of a translator’s workflow, making them a valuable source of income; however, agencies are notorious for making unreasonable requests of translators, meaning in order for a translator to partake of this valuable resource, he/she must often accept conditions that are far from satisfactory, such as appalling rates of payment (sometimes four-times less than what the agency charges the client), unrealistic time frames and inefficient systems of delivery.
Perhaps of greater concern are the ethical practices of translation agencies which, unburdened by an enforceable code of ethics similar to the AUSIT Code of Ethics which binds individual NAATI-accredited translators, occasionally make unethical requests of translators that should not be accepted. This is not to say that the employees which comprise translations agencies are unethical people; rather, it is simply the case that there is sometimes a disjoint between the professional ethics of a translator who has studied the AUSIT Code of Ethics prior to sitting the NAATI exam, and the translation agency that has a more business-oriented approach to providing translation services. I am of a mind that a code of ethics designed specifically for translation agencies is a good idea, and welcome the input of other practitioners on this topic.
Here is a list of requests that have been asked of me which are particularly amenable to a code of ethics for translations agencies. I have included a description of each request, why I think it is unethical and how it could be corrected by a code of ethics.
1. The request to certify someone else’s translation
The certification system exists for a reason—to provide a level of certainty that a document has been translated to a high degree of accuracy by a practitioner whose abilities have been proven; however, this practice is rendered meaningless by translators who certify translations that they themselves did not produce. The fact that such a practitioner might deem a translation satisfactory prior to certifying it does not make it an acceptable practice, for if that practitioner were to produce a translation from scratch and compare it with the translation he had been asked to certify, there would points of conflict between the two which he would have to account for. The practice of certifying someone else’s translation, therefore, is irreconcilable with the purpose of certification.
A simple solution would be a clause in a code of ethics that translation agencies have to abide by, stating that “practitioners shall not be asked to certify the translations of other practitioners”.
2. The request to translate low-resolution standard documents (licences, certificates etc.)
There is a slippery slope issue at play when an agency requests that a practitioner translate a barely-legible low-resolution scan of a standard document, such as a driving licence or birth certificate. The assumption on the part of the agency is that the translator has templates for these documents (which we usually do), meaning the scan needn't be legible as the translator already knows most of the content. The problem is that subtle changes are frequently made to standard documents, meaning an over-reliance on templates due to the illegibility of a scanned document can sometimes lead to errors. What’s more, translators may be hesitant to request a new scan from agencies out of fear of seeming too picky, which might mean they do not get as much work in the future.
This problem would be easier to manage if translation agencies were required to abide by a clause such as “practitioners shall not be asked to translate low-resolution images of standard documents”.
3. The request to change a translation
I have certainly never been asked by an agency to produce a false translation; however, I have been asked by an agency, at the request of a client, whether I would be willing to use a different street name on a translation to that which was written on the original document (a driving licence). I was told that the Street name on the licence no longer existed, and that the client wanted me to write the new street name on the licence in its place. Although the translation agency had no intent of dishonesty, it nonetheless thought it was a reasonable question to ask, which speaks to its poor understanding of professional ethics as they apply to translators. Had I obliged I would have entirely defeated the purpose of translation.
Translation agencies should have to abide by a clause which states that “practitioners shall not be asked to add information to a translation that is not present in the source-text”.
These recommendations are but three among many, the likes of which could form the basis of a code of ethics for translation agencies. The goal here is not to vilify agencies; rather, the goal is to increase their professional ethics to a level that is consistent with the guidelines set out in the AUSIT Code of Ethics which applies to individual translators. Such a code would improve the integrity of certified translations in Australia, while making translators feel more comfortable working with translation agencies. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Phil Hand 
China
Local time: 06:19
chino al inglés
I understand that we all want to get good, clear documents from our clients. But your proposal seems flawed to me.
1) The agencies which would sign up to such a thing are probably the agencies which already make the effort to treat us well.
2) I don't really agree with any of your three "bad practices"
1. When I certify a translation, I don't say that I did it myself. That's not what the wording says. It says: I certify that this document is an accurate tra... See more I understand that we all want to get good, clear documents from our clients. But your proposal seems flawed to me.
1) The agencies which would sign up to such a thing are probably the agencies which already make the effort to treat us well.
2) I don't really agree with any of your three "bad practices"
1. When I certify a translation, I don't say that I did it myself. That's not what the wording says. It says: I certify that this document is an accurate translation of that document. I can do that for someone else's translation, if I believe that the translation is indeed accurate. It just takes a bit of time to check it.
2. If you get a bad scan, you put in [illegible]. If you're using templates, that's your own error.
3. For certificates or sworn translations, I see your point: we shouldn't change any information. But in general? We could easily be asked to change, add or omit information. Happens all the time. I know what it says in the NAATI code, but I disagree with it.
I don't think it's helpful for us to be too precious about what we do. Clear, open and professional; not precious.
And the way to improve agency practices? Simply by voting with your feet. Don't work for low pay or under unreasonable conditions. ▲ Collapse
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