David is the treasurer of the European Association for Studies in Screen Translation, associate editor of the journal Translation Spaces and deputy editor of JoSTrans, the Journal of Specialised Translation.

Keynote speech

Can translation be a factor involuntarily deepening divides?

Different forms of translation, including professional services, machine translation and user-generated translations, are embedded in society and facilitate communication daily, with or without the users’ awareness. The evolution of translation and interpreting studies shows that translation is in constant flux and expansion, and that attention is needed to map its role in society and assess its implications. In this presentation, I will explore how visible and invisible manifestations of translations support human communication in all spheres of life in an interconnected world. I will be zooming into the accelerated implementation of machine translation across translation sectors, including audiovisual translation, and the underlying assumption that MT has the potential to help humans fully overcome language barriers. Drawing on examples of informal uses of MT and the automation of translation processes in the industry, the discussion will question the conceptualisation of translation as a frictionless and effortless procedural exercise. This conceptualisation risks promoting a myth of understanding that assumes contexts are equal and underestimates differences. Within this framework, the talk will address the consequences of digital colonisation and imposed adoption of technology that has the potential to lead to increased inequality and deepening divides in an interconnected but fragmented global society. This will allow for a discussion of how lessons from translation and interpreting studies create spaces to foster mutual acknowledgement and recognition of diversity that might lead to efficient communication and social development.

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