Translation and Interpreting Research
Research Institute for Translation Studies (RITS)

The Effect of Translators’ Payment on the Quality of Translations: A Sociological Perspective of Translation Quality

Document Type : Translation Studies

Authors

Jalil Jalali 1
Sima Imani 2

1 Department of English Translation Studies, Allameh Tabataba'i University of Tehran

2 Department of English Translation Studies, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literature, Allameh Tabataba'i University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22054/tir.2024.76915.1015
Abstract
This paper investigates the payment's impact on the quality of translated products, an area that has been largely overlooked in translation sociology. Drawing on Actor-Network-Theory, the study analyzed recent translations by 10 Iranian freelance and agency translators with over five years of translation experience in the market. Participants provided the researchers with translations completed for low and good payments, which were evaluated using the Waddington (2001) model. Interviews were conducted to gather the participants’ opinions with regard to the Iranian translation market. Despite dissatisfaction with low payment and the unjust translation market, most translators produced high-quality translations. However, the unjust market frustrated translators and led many to leave their jobs. The findings suggest that while low payment does not necessarily negatively affect translation quality, it can significantly impact the job satisfaction and retention of translators. This study sheds light on the economic aspect of translation and has important implications for the translation industry.

Keywords

Keywords: Actor-network Theory
Agency Theory
Translation Market
Translators’ Payment
Translation Quality
Translation and Interpreting Research
Volume 1, Issue 1
Winter 2024
Pages 71-89

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