There are moments we suddenly find ourselves dealing with tricky, difficult, or downright offensive content, like this quote from a recent translation project:
The happiest future for the Indian race is absorption into the general population, and this is the object of the policy of our government. The great forces of intermarriage and education will finally overcome the lingering traces of native custom and tradition.
(Duncan Campbell Scott, circa 1913)
My immediate reaction was one of resistance. Translating this quote felt viscerally wrong. But as a professional translator, I have my duties, and I’ve found that creating a moment of distance helps maintain professionalism. So I stepped away for a couple of minutes to think about how I should tackle this quote. I eventually completed my task and used this opportunity to jot down a few notes that might help shed light on the approach a professional translator adopts when faced with such challenges:
A) Appropriate vocabulary: Offensive quotes often contain offensive terms. It is important to resist the urge to soften or “sanitize” these words, and to instead reproduce them as faithfully as possible to reflect the original text’s tone and impact. The reverse is also true: if the source text uses “polite” language, the translation should stick to a similar level of formality, even if the overall tone of the quoted passage is anything but polite.
B) Covering your bases: Readers must be able to easily distinguish between the translator’s interpretation and the words of a third party. To avoid any legal issues, it can be useful to follow the quote with a translator’s note, such as [translated by us] or [free translation].
C) If in doubt, leave it! Sometimes, it’s best to leave the quote in its original language and follow it with a paraphrase that conveys the sentiment in a more neutral tone.
In the case of Duncan Campbell Scott’s quote, I made sure to translate “Indian race” as “l’Indien”, a term that is now outdated but was common at the time. I resisted the temptation to translate it as “sauvage”, which would have more accurately reflected the quote’s condescending attitude. I also added a note to clarify that it was my translation.
As you can see, even the most offensive passages can be translated with the utmost professionalism – even if the message runs counter to one’s own values.
