Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：University of Roehampto  

More and more language service providers (LSPs) are now using a post-edited machine translation (PEMT) production model in addition to, or instead of, the traditional Translation-Editing-Proofreading (TEP) model in order to cope with the growing demand for translation. As a result, translators are increasingly expected to work as post-editors in the PEMT process, but the resistance or reluctance of translators to this expectation is evident as they feel their professional skills and identities are sidelined by technology (Kelly 2014; Cadwell, O’Brien & Teixeira 2017). This article attempts to provide a theoretical description of the translators’ resistance to post-editing work using Bourdieu's concepts: capital, field and habitus. Bourdieu’s sociological framework allows us to examine the positions of translators and post-editors in the field of translation and its mechanism of emotional impacts. For this purpose, I draw on qualitative and quantitative data collected in a focus group study with 16 UK translation project managers, a survey of 155 company websites and two training manuals for post-editors. The study will provide industry stakeholders, as well as translation educators, useful conceptualisation tools to understand the current situation surrounding social agency of translators and post-editors.

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Bellaterra University  

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Bellaterra University  

The paid crowdsourcing business model has brought a disruptive change to the translator procurement environment, offering clients algorithm-based automated systems as an alternative to conventional human-mediated project management services. This article analyses the conceptual/epistemological differences between the two from the viewpoint of knowledge management and considers the implications for future development of the industry.

DOI： 10.5565/rev/tradumatica.218

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Routledge  

Recent years have seen the advance of increasingly efficient translation and translation-related technologies such as neural machine translation and crowdsourcing-style translator procurement platforms. These AI, big-data and algorithm-driven online systems are hailed as successes in the media- and technology-vendor-led public discourse. However, in light of the notion of ‘solutionism’ (Morozov, 2013), there may be a risk that unintended adverse consequences of these technologies on users remain obscured. As a result, a correct assessment of the influence of technologies on human actors may become difficult. In order to identify such unintended consequences of translation technologies, the present article explores technology users’ perceptions about how the technology is affecting their business practice. The discussion draws on data collected in a focus group study with 16 translation project managers. The study reveals that project managers are feeling a high level of uncertainty and unease about the effects of technology when they talk about business practices, particularly in the following areas: translators’ use of MT, pricing for post-editing, post-editors’ profiles and skills and technology-induced new power struggles in the industry.

DOI： 10.1080/0907676X.2018.1473452

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：John Benjamins Publishing Company  

Professional translation is now predominantly carried out in virtual-team-style production networks where communication between language service providers (LSPs) and freelance translators’ practice is increasingly restricted to computerised methods. Although some literature deals with interactions between different participants in the translation production network, little attention has been paid to the ways in which they exchange feedback on translation products. Using observation and interview methods, this article examines how feedback is perceived and dealt with by freelance translators and LSPs’ project managers. Our results suggest that, although both groups share the value of feedback to some extent, feedback does not always reach translators and the translators are not always aware of the rationale behind it. By drawing on the Job Characteristics Model (JCM) (Hackman and Oldham 1980), which was developed in organisational psychology, we argue that incorporating feedback in the job constructs of freelance translators’ work may help to enhance translators’ motivation.

DOI： 10.1075/ts.6.2.08sak

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Presses de l'Universite de Montreal  

If we aim to offer translation education that prepares our students adequately for their future professional career, it is important to recognise the different subcultures of translation, particularly those of professional translators and translation academics/teachers. The present study describes how the subculture of working translators theorise their practice, specifically, what concepts they use when they justify their translations. Seventeen Japanese/English translators, all commercially successful professionals who work in the UK, were interviewed about their experience of conflictive situations with their clients. In this article, I present an analysis of their justifications of their translation choices using a grounded theory approach. The analysis identifies the concept of the Role of Participants as the most prominent concept in the translators’ discourse. It also highlights several sub-concepts which relate to the main concept in intricate ways. These sub-concepts include Relationship, Knowledge of Language, Time and Effort, Authority and Natural/Literal Translation. The translators’ theorization is compared with classroom discourse about translation and the differences and similarities are discussed.

DOI： 10.7202/1041024ar

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Taylor and Francis Ltd.  

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Translation with commentary is a common format of a Master’s dissertation in the UK. The present paper reports how this type of dissertation is used in UK higher institutions at Master’s level, and discusses its advantages and disadvantages, including how the use of skopos theory might adversely affect the quality of students’ commentaries. It then proposes a new type of dissertation which the author calls “translation with empirical commentary”. The author argues that this type of dissertation offers pedagogical benefits in that: 1) it encourages students to discuss their translation strategies in an inductive manner, which promotes less tautological and speculative arguments compared to the traditional translation-with-commentary dissertation and; 2) it fosters students’ research skills, which can form a foundation for their research career if they decide to move on to PhD level study.

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Opinions about the legitimacy of teaching theories of translation in translation classrooms have been divided: while translators and student translators tend to think that theories are not useful for their practice, most academics in Translation Studies and translation teachers stress its importance. Chesterman and Wagner's "Can theory help translators?: a dialogue between the ivory tower and the wordface" (2002) epitomised the divide a decade ago and since then, efforts to close the gap between theory and practice have been evident in different arenas related to translation. However, empirical evidence as to the status quo of theory teaching in translation is scarce. Against this background the present paper reports the results of a questionnaire survey conducted with translation teachers in the UK and Ireland, aiming to identify the theories taught in translation classes at UK and Irish universities and the teachers' perceptions about the teaching.

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Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：University of Roehampto  

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Language：English   Publisher：University of Portsmouth  

Technology is becoming increasingly pervasive and ubiquitous in our daily lives. While we enjoy the convenience it provides, we cannot ignore its potential negative impact. We asked translation project managers (PMs) working in Japan what challenges they are facing in their workplaces with regard to technology use and how they are dealing with them. Their answers encompassed all aspects of their day-to-day operations, including work tasks, career development, work conditions and human relationships. Circumstances concerning other actors involved in these operations, such as translators and clients, were also discussed. PMs were chosen as our study participants due to their intermediary position, which places them in continuous contact with both upstream and downstream players in the translation production process. The aim of the study is to provide useful information for the shaping of a successful and sustainable translation industry in Japan, and worldwide.

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Language：English   Publisher：Japan Society for the Promotion of Science London  

This two-day international event took place at the University of Portsmouth, combining an inspiring pre-conference seminar and an important conference at the university. The conference saw 60-strong delegates from more than 10 countries, from both academia and industry with various backgrounds. This diversity brought a lot of exciting exchanges. One of the organisers and a JSPS JBUK member, Dr Akiko Sakamoto, reports.

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Language：English   Publisher：University of Portsmouth  

The purpose of the study was to identify current trends and possible problems with technology use in the UK language service industry and share good practice and offer recommendations for effective and constructive use of technologies in translation. We aimed to find out the opinions and perceptions about technology use in translation businesses by UK Language Service Providers (LSPs), particularly Project Managers (PMs). This stakeholder group was chosen as study participants as they are the key people who have strong influences on all aspects of translation practice in the industry but form a relatively underrepresented stakeholder group both in public discourse and the research literature.

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Publisher：Informa {UK} Limited  

DOI： 10.1080/1750399X.2017.1339980

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Publisher：Japan Society for the Promotion of Science London  

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Venue：University of East Anglia (UEA, online)  

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Venue：Centre for Translation Studies (CenTraS), UCL, UK (online)  

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Technology is becoming increasingly pervasive and ubiquitous in our daily lives. While we enjoy the convenience it provides, we cannot ignore its potential negative impact. We asked translation project managers (PMs) working in Japan what challenges they are facing in their workplaces with regard to technology use and how they are dealing with them. Their answers encompassed all aspects of their day-to-day operations, including work tasks, career development, work conditions and human relationships. Circumstances concerning other actors involved in these operations, such as translators and clients, were also discussed. PMs were chosen as our study participants due to their intermediary position, which places them in continuous contact with both upstream and downstream players in the translation production process. The aim of the study is to provide useful information for the shaping of a successful and sustainable translation industry in Japan, and worldwide.

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Venue：Lancaster University, UK  

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