I gave some thought to titling this post “Should translators encourage their clients to be more gay-friendly?”, but the issue I’m mulling over is really about whether we should encourage our clients to be more inclusive in general. I should also say that although I’m not gay, I have a close family member who is, and I live in one of America’s most gay-friendly cities, so I might be more aware of this issue than some translators are.
With the identifying details removed, here’s the story: I’ve recently translated several corporate communications pieces (one was a questionnaire for a medical study and the other was a marketing piece for a line of luxury goods) that were written in a way that assumed that the target reader was straight. For example these pieces used expressions such as “his and hers,” “the patient’s mother and father,” etc. As mentioned above, I think that this type of phrasing jumps out at me because of the English documents that I’m used to reading. Case in point: the forms that my daughter’s school sends home now say “Parent or Guardian #1″ and Parent or Guardian #2” instead of “Mother” and “Father” because so many students have two parents of the same gender. But then again here in Boulder we can’t even refer to pet “owners”: we’re legally required to say pet guardians, so maybe it’s just us!
At any rate, when I went to prepare my page of client comments for each of these projects, I wondered how to phrase this issue. My objection to language such as “his and hers” when referring to an unidentified couple isn’t political; it’s based on my impression that the client risks offending some of their potential target market. Here in the U.S., it seems to be more common for mainstream companies to either produce gay-targeted ads, or ads for the general public that happen to include gay themes. This undoubtedly makes good business sense since gay men are some of America’s highest-spending consumers. When even mainstream companies like Johnson and Johnson (“for the go-go boy in all of us”…who knew?) and Campari are producing gay-targeted ads and American Express has a directory of gay and gay-friendly travel agents, it seems counterproductive not to alert a client to the potential business implications of assuming that all of their clients are heterosexual.
Unfortunately I can’t go into the specifics of the solution that I suggested for each client without saying more than I want to about the specifics of these projects. But I’m interested to hear from other translators about this topic in general: when a client has you translate a communications piece that makes assumptions about the target reader’s religion, race, sexual orientation or other “sensitive” characteristics, do you offer advice or leave it to the client to decide?
Another interesting point: when doing some research for the projects referenced above, I found that mainstream companies are producing gay-themed ads in other countries, and some of them are more overt than what we’re used to seeing in the U.S. market. For example this gay-themed ad for French McDonald’s (which uses the English slogan “come as you are” and even references the tension between a gay teen and his father) struck me as something we’d be unlikely to see on U.S. television.
In your example, I can understand your desire to alert the client to the relevant marketing issues involved – after all, you are “putting your name on it” – even if that name is invisible!
I would say it depends on how well you know your client. There is the danger that you may be seen to be usurping the expertise of the marketing manager (or whoever is responsible) which could set off a series of events in the internal politics of the company of your client. In such a case I would probably test the waters first before laying all my cards on the table. Nevertheless, I would make it clear to the client that the choice was entirely theirs and request guidance as to which way they wished the text to be translated. As translators, we are not paid particularly for our opinions, but in certain circumstances our judgement is valued, or appreciated.
I did once alert a direct client to racialistic overtones in a project report for an NGO, and recommended a less incendiary alternative in the target text. This was, however in the context that I knew the report writer was a new addition to the project, and that his attitude was contrary to the non-racial policies of the organisation concerned. The organisation was grateful, particularly as the target audience was most likely to be the group most offended by the phrasing used. I should add that I conducted the conversation of this face to face, since I did not want to stick my neck out in writing!
Because of the cautious, “testing of the waters” approach, I find it hard to do this with work for translation agencies – because the agency cannot read my mind. In work I did recently, I was at pains to explain to the agency about a lack of acknowledgement on a quotation in the source text, which did not apply, strictly speaking, to my translation. I put the details in a “Translator’s note” in a footer on the relevant page. Imagine my surprise to find my “Translator’s note” gaily uploaded to the website a few days later! So, I contacted the agency again, and the matter seems to have been resolved.
As my translation work generally involves technical documents, I rarely encounter this issue, although I do agree that a decision on whether to bring it up would depend on how well I knew the client.
At the beginning of any client relationship, I make it clear that I also offer other types of communications consulting services, including copy writing and strategy advisory. If I’m working under a higher-value consulting agreement, then I would definitely be more proactive about alerting the client to potential pitfalls such as the one you mention.
Great post topic!
This is an important topic and I think it is well within the responsibility of the translator to address on a grammatical level. When I take the French son/sa into English, I have to either choose a balanced representation of his/hers or find a way to stay neutral.
On the other hand, the closest that I usually come to this issue is with an annual report. In that case, a change in phrasing could be seen as a change in company policy and that is beyond the role of a translator.
This is a very interesting post, Corinne. I never tend to question this kind of choice, because in most cases, the client has a marketing strategy that is pretty much fixed in stone, and so it is normally too late to change anything at such a late stage. Besides, I worry that any such intervention may be misplaced. In this particular case, if they had wanted to target gay people, they wouldn’t have included such “straight” language, or maybe they did want to target gay people, but took the tack that straight language is “the norm” and that although it is not inclusive, it may not necessarily be construed as exclusive either.
In short, when it comes to marketing and communication documents, we come so late in the chain that all the decisions have already been made, hopefully taking into account all the different audiences. Our task is, as ever, to stay faithful to the source document.
I really don’t do marketing stuff, in part for just this reason, but if you consider all corporate communication to be marketing (which I do), then we all need to deal with this issue.
Japanese companies in general can certainly use some diversity education in their English communications. I try to provide advice as my clients’ English communications expert, and consider whether the document is achieving the desired impact with the target audience (making their customers angry is usually not the desired impact).
But Japanese companies are making progress: it’s been a while since I saw a manual saying, “This equipment is so simple even women and children could operate it.”
Our role – if we are not simply bilingual transcribing monkeys – rightly includes cultural interpretation in many cases, and I wouldn’t make too many assumptions about being too far down the line to encourage change. A few simple questions like “Are you aware that in my country this might be perceived as… ?” expressed in a polite way can be much appreciated. Even if they are not, if the excrement hits the intake of the jet engine later, it will be easier for the client to understand what went awry. Depending on the situation, I don’t have a problem with putting these things in writing either. If nothing else, your missive can serve as reference notes for internal discussion, and what you’ve said is less likely to be forgotten, misunderstood or distorted as it gets passed along the chain of command.
I translate financial and corporate texts, areas where (direct) clients rely on translators to spontaneously provide feedback on how effective or not their texts are likely to be with foreign clients. They really count on us, and say as much — that’s part of the value we bring to the table.
A few years back, a private bank offering services to high net worth individuals — buyers of yachts, ski lodges at Davos, apartments in Monte Carlo, etc. — needed a brochure translated. One concern of the seriously rich being to *remain,* seriously rich, this document described how you could structure your wealth to disinherit or at least keep the lid on funds flowing to family members who “misbehaved”. But misbehaving is fairly culture-specific, right?
The French original read something like “every family has its black sheep: the spendthrift son, the thrice-married daughter…” Erp. (And not just for the awkwardness of the word “thrice” anywhere an author might choose to use it.)
Anyway, I found both references to be inappropriate (provincial, in fact, as stated) and potentially counterproductive, and said as much. The French text was changed as a result.
In concrete terms, a phrase like Kevin’s is a excellent lead-in to a heads-up.
I think you have to point it out so that if the client sticks with the original, it’s their informed decision.
Sure, people will reply “we just wanted a translation”. But in my case I’m translating into English in a country where people’s English abilities are growing rapidly (Austria). The high-end market is the only one where there’s a hope of doing business in the future.
So I think it’s necessary to put out the idea that there’s no such thing as “just a translation”. I don’t need to work for everybody; I do need to find the clients who have an inkling of what this kind of thing is about, appreciate advice and will make the case up the line for what they are spending their company’s money on.
My lawyer gave me a good tip, perhaps inadvertently. He said translators are »ein beratender Berufsstand«, i.e. a consulting profession. What he was referring to were the legal standards for liability for your work, but in a general sense it’s also true. I’ll either succeed in enlightening some clients, or I’ll be out of business.
My mind has drifted back to this over the afternoon and I’ve found another very recent example (good topic, Corinne!).
A big French food company produces various types of healthy, nutritious (etc.) babyfood. In its French annual report, the text referred to how reassuring this is for “mothers” and how “health-conscious moms” can dip in and select just what their infants need, etc. Following a suggestion from the translators, the English switched this to “parents”. I think the French did, too, in the end. Added value.
I think Kevin and Chris are spot-on: we’re not just linguists, but cultural bridges. It’s meaning we’re trying to convey, and we must use culture-appropriate (and effective) language. If a cultural snafu gets in the way of communication, our client is not well-served.
Lucky for me, most of the marketing material I do is extremely geeky, to the point it of being asexual…
I agree with several people here. I can understand why many translators feel it is not their place to make such suggestions, but like Ben, I feel we should give companies what information and advice we can so that they can make their own informed decision.
I think phrasing is key here and that Kevin Lossner’s right on target. Suggesting changes in a way that doesn’t sound presumptuous is a great way of getting your message across without taking unnecessary risk of offending anyone, and in the end, the other party may be very grateful for your insight!
In addition to your post and comments, I would like to add that since translation deals with two or more languages, that means that we are also talking about two (or more) cultures. As a translator, in addition to being knowledgable of the source language, which would be French in your case, we should also be sensitive to the source language’s culture, which can often times heavily impact the quality of translations that we produce. I can relate to your situation as a Spanish to English translator. In Spain and Latin America, society leans towards emphasizing “machismo,” which is evident not only in day-to-day encounters, but in writing as well. We must not be quick to assume that in writing we tend to tone down stereotypes or sensitive subjects that might often be tied to culture. We are influenced by culture which can affect writing. In one of my translation classes in college, I remember going over how to translate marketing material. One of our assignments was to translate a McDonald’s ad into Spanish and make it so as to attract the consumer world. Our teacher, from Peru, came up with a translation of the slogan, “A place where you can gather with your family,” (or something to that effect), which touched on the whole emphasis of family that is stressed in the Spanish-speaking world. When I traveled to Argentina, I actually ate a a local McDonalds near the house I was living in, and indeed, families would gather, eat, and stay for hours– something that I would not have expected otherwise in an American fast food restaurant where the mission is to eat and leave in 5 minutes.
I emphasize that while this post may not suggest that the French culture is not as gay-friendly, I just thought that bringing up the whole culture aspect would be suitable for this discussion since in many cases, positions on sexual orientation might possibly spring from culture, similar to how in the Spanish world, the stress on family and machismo is much more common than in many cultures, which is many times evident in writing.
What a great discussion. I wrote my reply just after a rather difficult exchange with a client on a similar issue, during which I was duly chastened and put back in my place (“you’re the translator, leave the marketing to us”). It’s good to hear that others have had better experiences.
Most products and services are not intended to be inclusive or universal. Products/services are positioned to appeal to distinct target market segments. If the marketers have done their jobs well then language will be aligned with attributes associated with the target market. The whole point of modern marketing is differentiation, not appealing to all groups equally.
As a professional marketer and a translation agency owner I would prefer that translators focus on conveying in the target language what was conveyed in the source language. That’s challenging enough without introducing other considerations. Give the marketers some credit!
Great stuff. I think it’s wonderful that the language in Boulder reflects the reality that families are no longer mom/dad. I wish it were like that everywhere. Boulder certainly is a progressive place!
Another issue along those lines is very important for us: gender-inclusive language, and we also see ourselves as language pioneers a bit — and certainly cultural bridges. Since we are at the forefront of language, I think it makes sense to do some gentle client education (love that term, from Chris D!). For instance, one of our health care clients, a large hospital, insists on making the doctors male by using “el médico.” Since clearly not all doctors are male, we suggested alternatives — same for nurses, which are not always female. The client really appreciated the point and took it to PR — where they said that the hospital simply wasn’t ready for that (sad, but we tried).
The glass ceiling still exists for women, and language is reflective of our reality. It’s a good thing no one calls me Mrs. Keith Anderson anymore as they would have in the past — and the language has adapted because people like us have worked at it. 🙂 Gender-inclusive language is the norm in Austria, but there’s a long way to go elsewhere. For instance, heard an interview with NPR’s ombudsman the other day — except she’s a woman. Grrrr.
So yes, I agree, we should give gentle, non-pushy input and move on when it’s not welcome/appreciated/implemented.
“As a professional marketer and a translation agency owner I would prefer that translators focus on conveying in the target language what was conveyed in the source language.”
That depends.
Professional marketers in the countries where the source language is spoken often lack awareness of what direct translations might convey in other countries. Maybe it shouldn’t be so, but it is.
Here in Austria, advertising agencies and departments routinely just tack translations on to the end of a marketing project. This can be very disadvantageous, because the pragmatics of German and English advertising texts are very different. An adequate translation will regularly require total rewriting. To do this, the translator needs some real knowledge of the product and concept over and above what is in the bare source text. For example, marketing German can be quite repetitive by English standards, so you generally need a bit more content to fill up the space.
If you are trying to market the product to English-speaking countries, then you are competing with the products of the creative people in those countries. And you can be sure they don’t bring their copywriters in at the end of a project. It’s just not realistic to expect a translator to take a text without at least some briefing on the target group and the concept and turn it into something that can compete on that level. This is regularly not done, and just as regularly, Austrians end up committing communication gaffes abroad.
There’s also a legal liability aspect, which I alluded to before. A translator is liable to supply a text which is adequate for its purpose. In Europe the professional standard is EN 15038, which among other things requires translators to find out about the target group and the purpose of every translation. Therefore, if I find something in a text which is likely to be grossly offensive to some English speakers, I am legally bound to warn the client.
At the end of the day, translating is a massively undervalued profession. We don’t have a future unless we can get clients to regard us as valuable professionals; and we won’t do that unless we behave like professionals.
And all professionals sometimes say no, it can’t be done that way. The fact that at present, people are probably much less likely to listen to this from a translator than from a plumber or electrician, is the responsibility of all of us.
I would appreciate Allison Wright comments, the way he has given all details and put all the situation before you. I also would like to test the scene before deciding anything, I would like to suggest my points to client but some way or its client only who will decide. But yes as mention by you. We should at least inform to them that if they could ad this particular thing to there material will going to help them..
Great issues raised in this post. Personally, I would tell the client my thoughts about language and target audience and give him or her the chance to decide. Sometimes they make these self-limiting decisions because these factors have not occured to them; so sharing the information is a good service to them. If, after informing them, it turns out they want to retain those limitations, then I will respect that and translate accordingly. The choice should be the client’s, I think.