Lost in Translation? – Half a century of translation studies on Czech universities

The opening of Lost in Translation? (Ztraceni v překladu?), an exhibition dedicated to the history of translation and interpreting studies, took place at the Institute of Translation Studies of Faculty of Arts of CU, on Sunday 10th November. Over three hundred graduates and teachers of translatology, as well as representatives of professional organisations – most importantly of the Czech Union of Interpreters and Translators – attended the event.

The history of the Institute of Translation Studies, a university-level centre that trains translators and interpreters in five languages (English, French, German, Russian and Spanish), began in 1963.

It was that year, when translation and interpreting studies were established at the University of 17^th November (Univerzita 17. listopadu) in Prague for the very first time. “I must say, the team that was formed around the studies and was led by Professor Ivan Poldauf consisted of extremely capable people. They all took their job really seriously since they realised our country lacked this type of language studies,” recalls Jana Rejšková, graduate (1968) and teacher of translatology.

Translation studies had a special meaning at the University of 17^th November, as the university educated mainly students from developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America, whereas translation studies were intended for Czech and Slovak students only. In 1969, a relatively independent Institute of Translation Studies was established at the university, with a sister institution in Bratislava.

After the University of 17^th November was dissolved in 1974, Translation Studies was transferred into an independent department of Charles University, whereas the sister institution in Bratislava fused in fact with various philological departments of Komenský University.

To celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Translation Studies, the Institute of Translation Studies organised the exhibition Lost in Translation?, which focuses on three interconnected themes: history of translation and interpreting studies, memories of the graduates and the social-political context of being a translator or interpreter before 1989.

“Interpreting was quite a hazardous occupation. We got in touch with varying kinds of very confidential information on international level. Therefore, the State Security had a special division to check and spy on interpreters. They monitored our mail, who we made phone calls with, who we talked with, who we made friends with,” reads the memory of a seventy-two-year-old interpreter, Violeta Uribe, on one of the exhibition panels.

The exhibition presents quite a few other similar experiences. Together they complete an authentic picture of the history of the studies – studies somehow “lost”, studies for which a possibility of university education is of key importance. However short may the history of Translation Studies be, in comparison with other humanities, it shows us one thing particularly: numerous graduates of translation and interpreting, regardless of whether they attended the University of 17^th November or Charles University, got to the top in their field. The memories of some of them, for example Dana Hábová or Milan Dvořák, may be observed at the exhibition of the Institute of Translation Studies in Šporkův Palace (Hybernská 3, Prague 1) until 30^th June 2014.