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Impact of Brexit on translation industry? Thread poster: sam@fr-uk
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sam@fr-uk
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:40
French to English
I was just pondering, if the UK votes to leave the EU, what effect would this have on the translation industry?
For example, can we safely assume that the EU bodies would continue to produce English-language versions of all their documents? Perhaps even more paperwork would be generated by all the changes and new arrangements.
[Edited at 2015-05-27 08:54 GMT]
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| Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member for the following reason: empty post |
| No idea, but... | May 27, 2015 |
Ireland will still be a member state, and I believe many official languages are translated into English as a "bridge language" at the various European institutions. I don't think it would be easy for them to change that in practice.
This is a question I've been wondering about myself lately. Since the tabloids have already begun churning out anti-EU articles in readiness for the referendum (including today), I do think it's quite a likely scenario!
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:40
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Peter Shortall wrote:
I do think it's quite a likely scenario!
Unfortunately yes. People can be persuaded to vote for anything - even when it's against their own best interests. And in this case, all because the UK Conservative Party has a vocal minority that wants to exit the EU.
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| Wider implications | May 27, 2015 |
And looking beyond the work of the EU institutions themselves, I think there could also be much wider repercussions. Restrictions might be placed on immigration from EU states, and businesses might move to other countries (some have already suggested they might). With potentially fewer people doing business with the UK, I find it difficult to see how demand for translations in the UK would increase; the reverse seems more likely to me.
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:40
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Peter Shortall wrote:
And looking beyond the work of the EU institutions themselves, I think there could also be much wider repercussions. Restrictions might be placed on immigration from EU states, and businesses might move to other countries (some have already suggested they might). With potentially fewer people doing business with the UK, I find it difficult to see how demand for translations in the UK would increase; the reverse seems more likely to me.
It would certainly increase my overheads as a translator. Accounting would become more complex.
The same would apply to all UK businesses trading with the EU. I see billions of pounds wasted on transaction costs. But is the average British citizen listening? I fear not.
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| Britain leaving? | May 27, 2015 |
Probably little change in the amount of available work...
Brexit or Britain leaving Europe?
Is Britain about to leave Europe? Are the British Isles afloat? The British Isles are no longer altogether British and only the north-eastern tip of the second-largest isle is British, posing a potential problem – does the Republic of Ireland which occupies the lower part also wish to leave Europe?
Can Britain be towed away by gigantic tugboats and if so is there any coun... See more Probably little change in the amount of available work...
Brexit or Britain leaving Europe?
Is Britain about to leave Europe? Are the British Isles afloat? The British Isles are no longer altogether British and only the north-eastern tip of the second-largest isle is British, posing a potential problem – does the Republic of Ireland which occupies the lower part also wish to leave Europe?
Can Britain be towed away by gigantic tugboats and if so is there any country in the world willing to receive many millions of English speaking immigrants into their way of life, including several million with a Scottish or Irish lilt?
How would Britain leaving Europe affect the weather on the continent, will it improve or be made worse as rain and strong winds sweep in from the Atlantic without being softened by impact with the British Isles?
The very idea gives rise to many questions but no immediate answers.
Europe would survive, but will Britain? ▲ Collapse
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sam@fr-uk
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:40
French to English
TOPIC STARTER | British translators | May 27, 2015 |
Tom in London wrote:
But is the average British citizen listening? I fear not.
You raise another interesting point of speculation, Tom! Are British translators overwhelmingly anti-Brexit compared with the "average British citizen"? But we probably can't - and shouldn't - discuss that here!
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Sheila Wilson 
Spain
Local time: 07:40
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| More important worries for many of us | May 27, 2015 |
For the thousands and thousands of Brits who have chosen to settle permanently in other EU countries, there are far more personal worries. Will we actually have the right to work at all? What will happen about our pension and health care entitlements? Will we even be able to stay in our adopted countries or will we be forced to go back to a non-EU UK?
Personally, it's such a nightmare scenario that I can't think of it at the moment. If there's anything I can do to stop it happening,... See more For the thousands and thousands of Brits who have chosen to settle permanently in other EU countries, there are far more personal worries. Will we actually have the right to work at all? What will happen about our pension and health care entitlements? Will we even be able to stay in our adopted countries or will we be forced to go back to a non-EU UK?
Personally, it's such a nightmare scenario that I can't think of it at the moment. If there's anything I can do to stop it happening, please let me know. I imagine we won't even be given a vote, even though it affects our lives so fundamentally. ▲ Collapse
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| I hadn't thought about that | May 27, 2015 |
but yes, and what about all the EU citizens who have settled in the UK (my children have German passports), and all the young people who come and work here for many different reasons.
[Edited at 2015-05-27 10:33 GMT]
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:40
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Sheila Wilson wrote:
....if there's anything I can do to stop it happening, please let me know
Yes- there must be a forum somewhere, where people can voice their concerns.
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Tim Drayton
Cyprus
Local time: 09:40
Turkish to English
+ ...
| You CAN register to vote | May 27, 2015 |
Sheila Wilson wrote:
For the thousands and thousands of Brits who have chosen to settle permanently in other EU countries, there are far more personal worries. Will we actually have the right to work at all? What will happen about our pension and health care entitlements? Will we even be able to stay in our adopted countries or will we be forced to go back to a non-EU UK?
Personally, it's such a nightmare scenario that I can't think of it at the moment. If there's anything I can do to stop it happening, please let me know. I imagine we won't even be given a vote, even though it affects our lives so fundamentally.
Under new rules, you CAN register to vote provided you were resident in the UK in the past 15 years. I, as a British citizen permanently resident in Cyprus, have registered under this rule and voted in the recent UK general elections in the last constituency in the UK in which I was resident. This vote will have a very direct impact on the some 2.2 million Britons who have taken advantage of the right of free movement in the EU and those of us who are entitled to do so must register so as to have a vote in this referendum that will directly impact on us.
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:40
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Cyprus is an exception | May 27, 2015 |
Cyprus is an exception.
"Irish citizens in the UK are eligible. Residents from two other EU nations, Malta and Cyprus, also qualify, along with others from the Commonwealth."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32872211
[Edited at 2015-05-27 10:54 GMT]
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Tim Drayton
Cyprus
Local time: 09:40
Turkish to English
+ ...
| You have missed the point | May 27, 2015 |
Tom in London wrote:
Cyprus is an exception. So is the Republic of Ireland.
Historical reasons.
Nobody anywhere else can vote.
You are right that Cypriot nationals living in the UK get to vote in UK elections. I am talking about something else. I am British, not Cypriot, and live in Cyprus. I was able to vote in the last UK general election. There is a fairly recent rule that allows British citizens living abroad to vote in UK elections provided they were resident in the UK within the past 15 years and all British citizens living in other EU countries need to know about this and register because this referendum will have a very direct impact on them.
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:40
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| See above. I updated my post | May 27, 2015 |
See above. I updated my post
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