Two contrasting stories have raised the importance of professional translators. Misinterpretation of Korea’s free trade agreement with the EU has raised eyebrows and delayed the National Assembly ratification.
On the other hand, a South Korean novelist grabbed news headlines for her well-translated book “Please Look After Mom.”
Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon has apologized for the more than 200 translation errors in the Korea-EU FTA documents.
The National Assembly returned a ratification motion for the deal to the government for the second time to fix translation errors in the Korean version of the agreement.
Korea’s pact with India is reportedly studded with translation mistakes. The Trade Ministry announced that it will review all FTA texts.
Government officials said the mistakes were made as they were racing against the clock during lengthy negotiations.
The excuse is incomprehensible. The translation work should have been outsourced to professionals with due payment. This gaffe is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many undetected typos and mistranslations in public documents.
It is an exception, not a rule, to find a typo-free English homepage of government agencies and local firms. Mistranslations are also pervasive in homepages of local government and tourism agencies.
Local media have heaped criticism on the mistranslation of the FTA documents. When readers browse through their English websites, they can find many typos or sloppy translations of articles.
Novelist Shin Kyung-sook reclaimed her place as one of the nation’s most prominent writers through her latest translated book. It is to be sold in 19 countries. Her book would not have made a sensational international debut without professional translator Kim Chi-young. The 30-year-old Korean-American suspended her law practice to devote herself to translating Korean literature.
During the Joseon Dynasty, translators were ranked in the lower class. They commanded little respect and the job was regarded as a menial one. This sentiment appears to be lingering in contemporary Korean society.
In the Joseon era, translators were personally rich although they were not in the noble class. In contemporary Korea many full-time translators are unable to make both ends meet due to low-service fees. Translators are just regarded as technicians. Government agencies are stingy in translation fees.
Many local novels, poems and works of fiction are reportedly unable to receive the attention from the Nobel Literature Award screening committee due to a lack of or poor translations.
The Korea Literature Translation Institute needs more funding to globalize literary works. The government needs to provide tax incentives in order to encourage the active translation of local literary works.
More private companies need to support the translation of literary works. Kyobo’s Daesan Foundation and The Korea Times are the only private sponsors for globalizing Korean literature.
Poor translation triggers misunderstandings, spoils business deals, degrades the quality of original literary works, and has a negative impact on national image. Translators and interpreters have enough reasons to command social respect for their profession.