The Question of Ethics: What Options for the Translator?

This paper deals with the process and product of translation from an ethical perspective, using Pym’s theory as opposed to Berman’s theory. Pym’s concern is primarily with the translator as a mediator; while Berman’s places emphasis on the process. They are seemingly contradictory, but, in fact, they complement each other when it comes to translation. This paper discusses the efficiency of the translation process within Berman’s theoretical framework, stressing the task and responsibility of the translator within the translating process wherein the ethics limits are in force to meet the reader/client’s expectations. This paper tries to provide a ground for discussion that might help in clearly setting ethical borders in translation. It also negotiates the impossibility of equivalence between languages, and to this effect, it capitalizes on the role of the translator as a cultural mediator