@Linguist_CIOL
FEBRUARY/MARCH The Linguist 19
In the translation, Erdenedalai uses нөхөн сэргээх
for both 'restorative' and 'revitalise', and сэргээн засах
for 'regenerative' and 'restorative'. "When translating
'self-regulate' and 'self-maintain', сэргээн засах is
used, which means 'protecting itself', causing a slightly
different meaning when it's being read in Mongolian,"
she explains. There is no word that could be used
for 'resilience'.
PROFESSIONAL PARTNERS
Student translators sometimes lack the experience
needed to create professional translations, and as
Climate Cardinals grows we are forming partnerships
with professional linguists to ensure that the information
distributed is accurate. Student volunteers translate
assigned fact sheets and documents. They are able to
select how much they are willing to translate, determine
how to pace themselves and opt to take only certain
sections of documents. Language team leaders for each
of the 100+ languages we cover then send the draft
translations to our partners for revisions and post-editing.
Once the professional linguists send back the revised
translations, our administrators ensure the documents
are consistent in format for outreach purposes, and our
international network helps distribute the research.
"We don't ever want to accidentally spread
misinformation, especially in the era we are living in; this
is why we have been vetting our translations with our
community partners," explains Rohan Arora, Climate
Cardinals Director of Research and Development. We
have developed partnerships with two major linguistic
organisations – Respond Crisis and Translators Without
Borders – which helps to increase our capacity to
translate and facilitates our vetting process.
Given the international support for the organisation
and its quick growth, translation accuracy is just one of
the many challenges we face. "What started out as an
idea has evolved into an international movement, which
really highlights the significance of linguistic accessibility
in the climate space," says Arora. There is still much to
accomplish and a primary goal is to increase capacity.
Climate Cardinals hopes to develop partnerships with
more linguistic organisations while also expanding our
existing programme.
Managing projects with student volunteers from all
over the world comes with its own set of challenges,
YOUNG VOICES
A climate crisis protest
in Sydney, where
relevant research is
readily available.
Many non-anglophone
countries have limited
access to information
awareness about the climate crisis across language barriers
IMAGES
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SHUTTERSTOCK
