Ethical dilemmas in translation

Ethical principles guiding translation

There are certain ethical principles that all good translators adhere to: protecting client confidentiality, refusing work that is beyond their expertise, and not stealing business from colleagues. However, sometimes there are ethical dilemmas in translation to which there is no straightforward answer. One of the most interesting and divisive ethical dilemmas in the history of the profession is the case of Stefan Moster, a Finnish to German literary translator who changed a plot detail without asking the author's permission.

"I valued my stake as originator of the text more highly than that of the author"

Moster justified his actions in the journal Books from Finland. He had been translating Ukkosenjumalan poika ('The son of the thunder god') by Arto Paasilinna. In this satirical novel, the ancient Finnish god of thunder sends his son down to earth to save the Finns from the depravity of the modern world. Towards the end of the story, the son has a son of his own, who will herald the dawn of a new era in Finland. His birthday? 20th April. 

20th April is Paasilinna's birthday and the author almost certainly chose this date as a joke. But, as everybody in Germany knows, 20th April is also Hitler's birthday. So, to prevent a parafascist reading of the novel by neo-Nazis, Moster changed the saviour's date of birth, and he did so without asking the original author because he was not prepared to risk being told no. He said: "I valued my stake as originator of the text more highly than that of the author. Is that allowed? Yes, when you think you have to do it. Is it a problem? Not really, when you know what you're doing."

Was Moster right?

It is difficult to judge Moster's decision one way or the other. On the one hand, translators have a duty to convey a text's message faithfully and cannot be permitted to make changes to it just because they do not like or agree with the content. But on the other hand, translators exist to promote intercultural understanding, and allowing the novel to be perceived as parafascist in Germany would promote a misunderstanding between Paasilinna and German readers.

Maybe Moster should have explained his concerns to the author. But what if Paasilinna had forbidden the change? There is certainly no easy answer.

It's all about trust

As well as being a fascinating thought experiment, Moster's case teaches us the importance of building trust between clients and translators. That way, when an ethical concern arises, the translator feels that they can approach the client and the client trusts that the translator is acting in their best interests, so the two can work together to agree a solution.

How can we build trust? By communicating expectations and challenges openly, asking questions to understand each other's needs, and keeping an open mind. That goes for translators and translation buyers alike.

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