Hoe geregverdig is die kritiek teen 'n toeganklike vertaalteks?

Abstract

Met die huidige demografiese verspreiding en die taalopset in ons land behoort die dienste van vertalers en tolke meer sigbaar te word en behoort hulle 'n groter rol in die samelewing te speel. Deur die ondersteuning van gekwalifiseerde vertalers, tolke en vertaalprojekte sal ons meehelp om die talige werklikheid te fasiliteer. Dit behoort dus deel van die demokratiseringsproses in die land te vorm. Hierdie artikel wil die rol van vertaaldienslewering in so 'n konteks ondersoek en hoe dit kan meehelp dat veeltaligheid as 'n bate ervaar word, maar ook taalgebruikers sensitief te maak vir hulle taalregte. Die uiteindelike doel is om die elitistiese en simboliese aard van vertaling sowel as tolking aan te spreek en te verseker dat dit eerder praktiese waarde vir taalgebruikers inhou.

The current demography and the language reality in our country necessitate that translators and interpreters should become more visible and need to play a more prominent role in our society. By supporting qualified translators, interpreters and translation projects we will help to facilitate the language reality. This ought to form part of the democratisation process in our country. This article attempts to investigate the role of translation service delivery in such a context and in such a way it can assist that multilingualism is being viewed as an asset, but also to sensitise language users of their language rights. The ultimate goal is to address the elitist and symbolic nature of translation and interpreting and to ensure that it has practical value for language users.

Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 2008, 26(1): 59–67