73
Conclusions the future of the profession
Translators are a pillar of cultural diversity in Europe and the world. Without them, books, films and theatre plays would appear in their original language only and, as a result, Europe, which is built on cultural diversity, would lose its identity. In addition the increasingly globalised publishing, audiovisual and performing arts sectors would lose significant revenue. Yet the profession of translation for the creative and culture sectors has become unattractive due to poor working conditions, low remuneration and precarious status, as well as a lack of recognition and visibility. Fewer and fewer students are engaging in languages and translation studies, and the situation is particularly concerning with regard to smaller, lesser-used languages. Several actions can and should be taken in order to promote language learning in general and the practice of literary translation in particular, and to encourage a new generation to take up translation as a vocation. Policies that encourage children to be exposed to, and engage with, other languages should be promoted not only to encourage multilingualism, but also to teach the immense value of Europe’s cultural diversity. The decline in language studies at university level poses a serious threat to the supply of translators across Europe, and every effort should be made, particularly through the promotion of inter-university cooperation, to make sure that all European languages can be studied in Europe. Furthermore, stronger links between language courses at universities, the translation industry and the book sector
should be promoted, so that young people have a better understanding of the opportunities available, as well as deeper practical knowledge of how the industry works. In this way, young people can develop entrepreneurial skills and better find their way in the industry. In the book sector, translation usually represents a substantial investment for publishers, and, in some cases, it can pose a financial risk, given the uncertainty of the market for translated books outside bestsellers and ‘big’ languages’ books. As a result, publishers find it hard to pay translators what would represent a fair remuneration, given the complexity of the task and the time it takes to translate a work of fiction. Although many publishers act in good faith, the financial constraints they face might tempt some to take advantage of the fragile position of translators to impose very low fees and/or unfair contracts. This is not sustainable in the long term and is in the interest of neither publishers nor translators. In a sense, the book sector does not exploit the full potential of translators as ambassadors and mediators. As long as the creative processes involved in translation are not supported and rewarded by way of adequate pay, respect of copyright, and decent working and living conditions, it will become increasingly difficult to attract a new generation of translators to the profession, and publishers will find it even more difficult to find translators for specific combinations of languages, due to the difficulty translators face in staying in the profession as they do not have continuous work. This poses a direct threat to European diversity, Europe’s wealth of languages and its unique cultural set-up and to literature written in Europe. The situation is not better in the audiovisual sector, where there is a shortage of translators. This is mainly due to unattractive working conditions. The growth of global streaming platforms has resulted in an increased demand for quick output. The use of MT adds further pressure on translators working in this field, as
