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Translation as a test of language vitality
Author(s) -
Tosi Arturo
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international journal of applied linguistics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.712
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1473-4192
pISSN - 0802-6106
DOI - 10.1111/ijal.12016
Subject(s) - vitality , multilingualism , perspective (graphical) , translation (biology) , linguistics , ideology , language planning , function (biology) , test (biology) , sociology , translation studies , language policy , computer science , political science , artificial intelligence , philosophy , ecology , law , politics , theology , biochemistry , chemistry , evolutionary biology , messenger rna , biology , gene
All the papers in this collection examine various aspects of the theory and practices of the translation system adopted by the EU institutions as an instrument to implement their policy of multilingualism. My own paper adopts an ecological perspective with a view to providing an overview of how translation, rather than being a neutral operation free of ideological implications, can seriously impact on the ecosystem of the languages involved. This is certainly the case when a translation approach neglects the resources of the target language and ignores the models of its native speakers. In this sense, translation can function as a test of language vitality and a mirror of an organisation's real commitment to multilingualism.