Translator's Charter
Translator's Charter
Translator's Charter
(approved by the Congress at Dubrovnik in 1963, and amended in Oslo on July 9, 1994)
General obligations of the translator Rights of the translator Economic and social position of the translator Translators' societies and unions National organizations and the International Federation of Translators
The International Federation of Translators Noting that translation has established itself as a permanent, universal and necessary activity in the world of today; that by making intellectual and material exchanges possible among nations it enriches their life and contributes to a better understanding amongst men; that in spite of the various circumstances under which it is practiced translation must now be recognized as a distinct and autonomous profession; and Desiring To lay down, as a formal document, certain general principles inseparably connected with the profession of translating, particularly for the purpose of: - stressing the social function of translation, - laying down the rights and duties of translators, - laying the basis of a translator's code of ethics, - improving the economic conditions and social climate in which the translator carries out his activity, and - recommending certain lines of conduct for translators and their professional organizations, and to contribute in this way to the recognition of translation as a distinct and autonomous profession, announces the text of a charter proposed to serve as guiding principles for the exercise of the profession of translator.
5. A faithful translation, however, should not be confused with a literal translation, the fidelity of a translation not excluding an adaptation to make the form, the atmosphere and deeper meaning of the work felt in another language and country. 6. The translator shall possess a sound knowledge of the language from which he/she translates and should, in particular, be a master of that into which he/she translates. 7. He/she must likewise have a broad general knowledge and know sufficiently well the subject matter of the translation and refrain from undertaking a translation in a field beyond his competence. 8. The translator shall refrain from any unfair competition in carrying out his profession; in particular, he/she shall strive for equitable remuneration and not accept any fee below that which may be fixed by law and regulations. 9. In general, he/she shall neither seek nor accept work under conditions humiliating to himself/herself or his/her profession. 10. The translator shall respect the legitimate interests of the user by treating as a professional secret any information which may come into his/her possession as a result of the translation entrusted to him/her. 11. Being a "secondary" author, the translator is required to accept special obligations with respect to the author of the original work. 12. He/she must obtain from the author of the original work or from the user authorization to translate a work, and must furthermore respect all other rights vested in the author.
(c) publishers and other users of his/her translation shall not make changes therein without the translator's prior consent; (d) he/she shall be entitled to prohibit any improper use of his/her translation and, in general, to resist any attack upon it that is prejudicial to his/her honour or reputation. 18. Furthermore, the exclusive right to authorize the publication, presentation, broadcasting, retranslation, adaptation, modification or other rendering of his/her translation, and, in general, the right to use his/her translation in any form shall remain with the translator. 19. For every public use of his/her translation the translator shall be entitled to remuneration at a rate fixed by contract or law.
29. In watching over the quality of all works translated in their countries, they shall keep in touch with cultural organizations, societies of authors, national sections of the Pen Club, literary critics, learned societies, universities, and technical and scientific research institutes. 30. They shall be competent to act as arbiters and experts in all disputes arising between translators and users of translations. 31. They shall have the right to give advice on the training and recruitment of translators, and to cooperate with specialized organizations and universities in the pursuit of these aims. 32. They shall endeavour to collect information of interest to the profession from all sources and to place it at the disposal of translators in the form of libraries, files, journals and bulletins, for which purpose they shall establish theoretical and practical information services, and organize seminars and meetings.
existing among translators and from the dignity of translation which contributes to better understanding among nations and to the spread of culture throughout the world.