Past IJET - IJET-28 in Columbus
Sessions
Translation in Disaster and Crisis Settings: A New Field of Research
This paper will introduce recent developments in the study of translation and interpreting in disaster and crisis settings. It will begin by presenting a case study of the translation activities which took place in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. This case was chosen for its particular relevance to the Japanese-English language pair. Using data gathered during face-to-face, individual interviews with 28 participants from 12 nationalities, the case study will explain how foreigners residing in Japan in 2011 communicated and gathered information, how translation and interpreting formed part of these activities, and why translation and interpreting were important to these foreigners’ experiences.
The paper then builds on this case to show its similarities and differences with studies of translation and interpreting in other disaster settings, such as the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti, the 2010/2011 Canterbury Earthquakes in New Zealand, and the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Five themes from the analysis of these varying cases will be discussed: translation’s contribution to disaster response; translation’s contribution to disaster preparedness; the training of volunteer translators before and during disasters; the role of technology in disaster translation; the need for advocacy to build beneficial partners with key stakeholders. The paper will also discuss the theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and interdisciplinary collaborations which are beginning to characterise this newly-emerging field of study.
The paper ends by giving a high-level overview of an upcoming EU-funded project on crisis translation to be led by Dr Sharon O'Brien of Dublin City University. The project will bring together four universities, two humanitarian NPOs, and two industry partners in a research network located across the globe. Members of the network will collaborate with and educate each other in the broad area of translation in crisis settings. By ending with a concrete example of a major effort to better understand translation and interpreting in disaster and crisis settings, the paper aims to inspire and encourage other scholars – particularly those working in the Japanese-English language pair – to consider conducting research in this developing area of enquiry.
