Translators as socio-cultural agents in the Basque Country
Summary
What role does translation play in communication among different social and cultural groups? This article explains some of the ways in which translators exercise the role of mediators in the Basque Country. Based on the experiences of a small sample of 9 translators, the professional context of translation in the Basque Country is described, specifically including some of the negotiations and power relations among commissioners, translators and recipients. Thus, this small qualitative study is a work on the sociology of translation. The presented data show that translators can be considered to exercise at least two types of mediation in claiming that the text must be of “sufficient” quality. That is, supported by discourses on professional ethics, they contribute to intergroup understanding.
