The Linguist

34 The Linguist Vol/65 No/1 ciol.org.uk/thelinguist OPINION & COMMENT fits all' approach. Outside of academia, clients usually want their text to perform the same role in the new language. In the world of marketing, that's usually to convince, convert and sell. They don't have time to analyse every little decision – that's what they're paying a translator for. At every step I'm looking at what the client is trying to do, considering the context, asking myself questions such as: Is it part of an email marketing series? Which call to action (CTA) is likely to work best? Is that a CTA someone in the UK would find weird (e.g, a literal translation of j'achète ('I buy') on a website, instead of something more appropriate, such as 'buy now'). I'm always looking at the bigger picture, considering cultural adaptation, creativity, localisation and UX, because that's what a translator does. There is no 'just' about it. It's time that the world realised translators aren't simply people with knowledge of two languages. Some are lawyers or paralegals, others are pilots or engineers, others still have deep knowledge of patents or are scientists or education experts or had a previous career in finance. Some of us have studied or worked in marketing. Translators are also expert researchers; if we don't know the answer to something we take the time to find out. Some would say that by writing in The Linguist I am preaching to the converted, and they'd have a fair point; it's not enough to stop using 'just translation' among ourselves, we must get out there and let other people know. We can't let 'just' become the prefix to our profession. Translators are cultural consultants. What we do is so much more than it appears to be. We localise where needed so that people understand not only the words but the actual meaning, and it makes sense to them with their cultural perspective. We spend our time dreaming up ways to convey humour or humility, create different catchy hooks, spark emotions and foster connections. Let's stop oversimplifying that and acknowledge that it's a highly skilled profession where we provide huge added value to our clients, prevent disasters and make strong connections. If you agree then please consider sharing; we can only stop being 'just translators' if we convince those outside our profession they are wrong. Debbie Garrick MCIL CL is a freelance translator and copywriter. She mainly works on creative texts in the cosmetics, fashion, marketing and tourism industries. TL Eyhab Bader Eddin Dr Eyhab Bader Eddin MCIL CL is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Dhofar University, Oman. A scholar in translation and applied linguistics, he has a broad portfolio of research and publications, and is also a mentor for the next generation of translators and linguists. See p.16 Iraklis Lampadariou Iraklis Lampadariou MCIL CL is a member of the Panhellenic Association of Translators and an Official Translator of the Embassy of Greece in the UK. He specialises in English- Greek certified translations and leads Speak Greek, supporting learners and organisations with high‑quality linguistic services grounded in professionalism, continuous improvement and cultural insight; www.speak-greek.com. See p.24 Melody Lynch-Kimery Melody Lynch-Kimery is a PhD candidate in the Literacy, Culture and Language Education programme at Indiana University, USA. Her research focuses on English language education policy in Japan, shifts of linguistic power in Korean pop (K-pop) music, and representations of L1 speakers of English in EFL (English as a foreign language) curricula. See p.18 Karl McLaughlin Karl McLaughlin FCIL CL is an EU-accredited conference interpreter and translator who has taught both disciplines at university level in Spain and the UK for many years. His recent work includes responsibility for the English versions of a Spanish digital newspaper and the inflight magazine of a Spanish airline. He is also a magistrate for England and Wales, and a member of The Linguist Editorial Board. See p.12 Georgia Meakins Georgia Meakins holds an MA in Interpreting and works as a freelance Spanish-English-French conference interpreter/ translator. She is specialised in sustainability and renewable energies, with a particular passion for green development and international climate diplomacy. She is also a member of CIOL's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. See p.22 Pier Pischedda Dr Pier S Pischedda MCIL CL is a Lecturer in Linguistics and Intercultural Studies at the University of Leeds, UK. His teaching and research focus on historical and contact linguistics, sound symbolism, and the language of comic books and video games. He has published extensively on the use of language in Italian and US comic books across time. See p.7 Carolin Sommer Carolin Sommer MCIL CL is a freelance translator with a European translation degree in English, French and German. Having translated a number of German non-fiction books into English, including Jennifer Teege's bestselling memoir My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me, she now specialises in Sütterlin script and handwritten German material. She is based in the UK. See p.10 Sandra Tamele Sandra Tamele MCIL CL founded the first Literary Translation Award in the PALOP (African Portuguese- speaking countries) and has received several prestigious awards, including the LBF International Excellence Award for Literary Translation and PEN Translates. She established Editora Trinta Zero Nove, a publishing house dedicated to translated literature, and Livroteca, the first bookshop in Marracuene. See p.20 CONTRIBUTORS

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