The Human Translator in the 2020s

Has the language industry of the 21st century been racing ahead of the translation profession and leaving translators behind? Or are translators adapting to new sociotechnical realities and societal demands, and if so, how? The chapters in this volume seek to shed light on the profiles and position of human translators in the current decade.

This collection draws together the work of leading authors to reflect on the constantly evolving language industry. The eight chapters present new perspectives on, and concepts of, translation in a digital world. They highlight the shifts taking place in the sociotechnical environment of translation and the need to address changing buyer needs and market demands with new services, profiles and training. In doing so, they share a common focus on the added value that human translators can and do bring to bear as adaptive, creative, digitally literate experts.

Addressing an international readership, this volume is of interest to advanced students and researchers in translation and interpreting studies, and professionals in the global language industry.

Gary Massey is a Professor of Translation Studies, Director of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, and Deputy Dean of the School of Applied Linguistics at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. He has published widely, and his research interests cover translator education, trainer training, translator profiles and translation process research.

Elsa Huertas-Barros is a Senior Lecturer in Translation in the School of Humanities at the University of Westminster. Her main research interests include translator education, translator competence and assessment practices. She has published her work in and with international journals and publishers and is co-editor of The Interpreter and Translator Trainer (ITT).

David Katan is a Professor of English and Translation at the University of Salento (Lecce), specialising in intercultural communication. He is editor of Cultus. Publications include Translating Cultures (3rd edition), contributions for the Routledge Encyclopaedias of Translation and Conflict and Translation and Globalisation and for the Benjamins Handbook of Translation Studies.