| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] | Poll: You are asked to do an assignment for a company whose ethics you disapprove of. What do you do? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
Steven Capsuto 
United States
Local time: 21:11
Member (2004)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Parrot wrote:
I would normally not bother to point this out (I assume we are aware of it), but the certainty with which some of us are beginning to pronounce things as "ethical" and "unethical" has generated complaints.
I can imagine. However, this is a discussion of ethics and morals, not law. Obviously, the views expressed are going to be very personal.
| | | | Parrot
Spain
Local time: 03:11
Spanish to English
+ ...
| :D Obviously | Oct 17, 2006 |
Steven Capsuto wrote:
the views expressed are going to be very personal.
I'm with you on that. I've even expressed my preference for the law and rule of law over value judgments per se. (On the OT, I wouldn't mind translating Anaïs Nin myself ).
I'm just asking people not to assume that everyone will find their opinions acceptable, or that one part of the world will find the views of another part as "bible truth" (to use an unfortunate phrase I can't find an acceptable synonym for).
This would improve the quality of our discussion, don't you think?
[Edited at 2006-10-17 12:42]
| | | | | Probably the best poll yet | Oct 17, 2006 |
I clicked on "accept", because I do. Examples:
I am against animal testing in principle, believe that far more could be done to exclude the use of animal testing in drugs trials, but have translated several papers in which animals were killed as part of the study. I'm a medical translator, it goes with the territory, and whether I translate it or not, the animals are still dead and still legally need to be used to test new drugs.
I've translated various jobs related to... See more I clicked on "accept", because I do. Examples:
I am against animal testing in principle, believe that far more could be done to exclude the use of animal testing in drugs trials, but have translated several papers in which animals were killed as part of the study. I'm a medical translator, it goes with the territory, and whether I translate it or not, the animals are still dead and still legally need to be used to test new drugs.
I've translated various jobs related to the fur industry, and while I did think about refusing the first one when I was offered it a few years ago, in the end I accepted (I had little work at the time and couldn't really afford to make a moral gesture) and having accepted once, well...
The Nestlé example brought up by Myléne is very interesting: I too buy no Nestlé products at all, and try to shop ethically in general. Would I translate something for them? Yes, I probably would...
Guess I'll probably be joining Christine at hypocrites anonymous! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Irene N
United States
Local time: 20:11
English to Russian
+ ...
Francesca Pesce wrote:
I translate for big banks and investment funds.... I either re-write them in my language
Francesca, by all means, I'm not telling what to do but to me this is a violation of every possible law and ethics when it comes to translation. I would assume that this may (frankly, in place of a bank president I would say "should") lead to some serious legal consequences. I can't imagine any line of defense in such cases. Big banks are no church club. "Expropriate the expropriators":-)? K. Marx.
Just another opinion.
Respectfully,
Irene
| | |
|
|
|
Marion Schimmelpfennig wrote:
To me, it matters a lot what I do, and I can't understand people who accept assignments from clients whose ethics they don't approve of. In a very real sense, this is helping "bad" people or "bad" causes and I would never ever do that.
I have turned down many such assignments over the years and I am glad I did it.
Marion
Well said!
| | | | krtko
China
Local time: 09:11
English to Croatian
+ ...
| Washing hands | Oct 18, 2006 |
Well, where I come from this is called washing hands. I will not do the job for you, but you can continue killing, poisoning, cheating, destroying, etc.. - my conscience is clear, beacuse I have refused to translate a document for you.
The thing is, moral principles inculde more than saying no to something, and more than something that is convenient to me at this time.That is moral principles include duty, and that duty is to act against what you consider morally wrong, and that, more than... See more Well, where I come from this is called washing hands. I will not do the job for you, but you can continue killing, poisoning, cheating, destroying, etc.. - my conscience is clear, beacuse I have refused to translate a document for you.
The thing is, moral principles inculde more than saying no to something, and more than something that is convenient to me at this time.That is moral principles include duty, and that duty is to act against what you consider morally wrong, and that, more than often, means to get up from chair and get out there correcting or stopping things which you consider to be morally wrong. Eveyrthing else is pure comfort and opportunism, not to mention hipocrisy.
Sorry, but such is the way of the principles, either you go all the way, or you do not - otherwise it is not a principle.
Nicholas Ferreira wrote: Marion Schimmelpfennig wrote:
To me, it matters a lot what I do, and I can't understand people who accept assignments from clients whose ethics they don't approve of. In a very real sense, this is helping "bad" people or "bad" causes and I would never ever do that.
I have turned down many such assignments over the years and I am glad I did it.
Marion Well said! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Dyran Altenburg (X)
United States
Local time: 21:11
English to Spanish
+ ...
| I don't accept | Oct 18, 2006 |
More to the point, I evaluate whether a job conflicts with my own ethics. If it does, I decline and explain why.
Some of the things I've turned down: texts promoting any type of religion; documents promoting hate or discrimation based on race, gender, sexual orientation, origin, cultural background, or disability; MLM schemes, material promoting tobacco products, and political ads promoting ideologies I do not agree with.
Other than that, I'm ok with any material descri... See more More to the point, I evaluate whether a job conflicts with my own ethics. If it does, I decline and explain why.
Some of the things I've turned down: texts promoting any type of religion; documents promoting hate or discrimation based on race, gender, sexual orientation, origin, cultural background, or disability; MLM schemes, material promoting tobacco products, and political ads promoting ideologies I do not agree with.
Other than that, I'm ok with any material describing legal practices, including sex between consenting adults, abortion, and batlantly obscure legalese.
--
Dyran ▲ Collapse
| | | | Fabio Descalzi
Uruguay
Local time: 22:11
Member (2004)
German to Spanish
+ ...
| Look at this other forum - it has a good point | Oct 21, 2006 |
A colleague from Turkey who is terribly busy wrote ten marvellous rules:
http://www.proz.com/topic/57950
And I commented on his "ten rules" with a citation from Charles Dickens: 'Charity begins at home, and justice begins next door.'
I hope that someone can write the "Ten Commandments of Translation Ethics" as well.
| | |
|
|
|
| An illustrative story... | Oct 28, 2006 |
krtko wrote:
Well, where I come from this is called washing hands. I will not do the job for you, but you can continue killing, poisoning, cheating, destroying, etc.. - my conscience is clear, beacuse I have refused to translate a document for you.
The thing is, moral principles inculde more than saying no to something, and more than something that is convenient to me at this time. That is moral principles include duty, and that duty is to act against what you consider morally wrong, and that, more than often, means to get up from chair and get out there correcting or stopping things which you consider to be morally wrong. Eveyrthing else is pure comfort and opportunism, not to mention hipocrisy.
Sorry, but such is the way of the principles, either you go all the way, or you do not - otherwise it is not a principle.
Once a like-minded journalist had a tough question to pose to Mother Teresa (also a native of former Yugoslavia). So he approached her and asked:
"Mother Teresa, imagine yourself in the following situation: you are standing in front of a crowd of 1 million people dying of starvation. And all you have in your hands is one loaf of bread. What would you do?"
There was silence after the question, and the reporter was sure Mother Teresa was stumped. But she just turned and looked at him with her simple smile.
"I would take that loaf and give it to the first hungry person there in the crowd, and I would start changing the world one person at a time!"
That is the choice Mother Teresa made, and the choice I make as well: to make my difference in the world one situation, one person, one day at a time. For my children's tomorrow, for my today. That is all we are expected to do, that is all we can do...
And I don't think there is anyone who can say Mother Teresa didn't make a difference in the world!
| | | | krtko
China
Local time: 09:11
English to Croatian
+ ...
| Footnote to a story | Mar 30, 2007 |
You forgot to mention that she also let sick people die, because she thought that was God's will. So much for universal principles...
Nicholas Ferreira wrote: krtko wrote:
Well, where I come from this is called washing hands. I will not do the job for you, but you can continue killing, poisoning, cheating, destroying, etc.. - my conscience is clear, beacuse I have refused to translate a document for you.
The thing is, moral principles inculde more than saying no to something, and more than something that is convenient to me at this time. That is moral principles include duty, and that duty is to act against what you consider morally wrong, and that, more than often, means to get up from chair and get out there correcting or stopping things which you consider to be morally wrong. Eveyrthing else is pure comfort and opportunism, not to mention hipocrisy.
Sorry, but such is the way of the principles, either you go all the way, or you do not - otherwise it is not a principle. Once a like-minded journalist had a tough question to pose to Mother Teresa (also a native of former Yugoslavia). So he approached her and asked: "Mother Teresa, imagine yourself in the following situation: you are standing in front of a crowd of 1 million people dying of starvation. And all you have in your hands is one loaf of bread. What would you do?" There was silence after the question, and the reporter was sure Mother Teresa was stumped. But she just turned and looked at him with her simple smile. "I would take that loaf and give it to the first hungry person there in the crowd, and I would start changing the world one person at a time!" That is the choice Mother Teresa made, and the choice I make as well: to make my difference in the world one situation, one person, one day at a time. For my children's tomorrow, for my today. That is all we are expected to do, that is all we can do... And I don't think there is anyone who can say Mother Teresa didn't make a difference in the world!
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: You are asked to do an assignment for a company whose ethics you disapprove of. What do you do? | TM-Town | Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business
Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.
More info » |
| | Anycount & Translation Office 3000 | Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
