Ethical Question

Angela Rimmer wrote:


In any case it highly unlikely that a translator would find themselves working on a text that would reveal an outright crime, so this is all hypothetical anyway. The more likely scenario is that a translator finds themselves working on a text that goes against their own personal ethics but is not necessarily illegal -- though it may be a grey area where one isn't sure if it qualifies as hate speech or something, for example, which is illegal in many countries. In that case, I stand by my own personal conviction that one has to be responsible for what one does -- your personal integrity is worth more than money, and anyway there is enough other work out there to thrive in business without accepting questionable texts. And if there is any question about the legality of the text, yes, I do think a translator should protect themselves by seeking advice as to whether or not they should continue working on it.