In an increasingly connected world, translation and interpretation have become essential elements of global communication.
On May 24 and 25, the Peruvian Association of Translators, in partnership with César Vallejo University (UCV) and other institutions that offer translation and interpretation programs in Peru, held the Third International Congress on Translation and Interpretation (CITEI 2024).
Under the theme “One World, Many Voices: Translators and Interpreters in the Digital Age,” the conference set out to explore the diverse voices that make up the field of translation and interpretation, ranging from traditional approaches to the latest technological innovations that are revolutionizing the profession.
Dr. José Luis Castagnola, deputy director general of César Vallejo University, highlighted the importance of the event, as it brings together prominent figures and organizations from around the world. “The significance of this conference lies in the fact that it will examine artificial intelligence, data science, and their contribution to translation and interpretation (…). Translation can be done by AI, but interpretation is much more complicated.”
At this year’s conference, César Vallejo University (UCV)’s special guest was Dr. Fernando Prieto Ramos, associate dean of the School of Translation and Interpretation at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, who presented the paper “Translation in the Age of Automation: The Case of Legal and Institutional Translation.”
During his presentation, Dr. Prieto Ramos spoke about the importance of machine translation in legal translation. He believed it would be very difficult for machine translation to ever replace human translation.
“Machine translation, although it has become very popular in legal translation, is not well suited to this field because it involves significant challenges related to asymmetries between legal systems. Therefore, human involvement is essential,” the expert emphasized.
Visit to the Los Olivos Campus
The day before, Dr. Fernando Prieto Ramos, director of the Center for Legal and Institutional Translation Studies (Transius), visited the School of Translation and Interpretation at UCV’s Los Olivos campus, where he had the opportunity to tour the university’s state-of-the-art laboratories.
In addition, he gave a talk titled “Research in Translation and Interpretation with an Emphasis on the Legal Field,” in which he emphasized that research can be applied to practical issues.
During his presentation, he emphasized the importance of the relationship between professional practice, research, and education, as it is essential for the development of the discipline (translation studies) and professionalization. “In translation studies, just as in medicine, there are many specialties, including legal translation (…). Research served as the springboard for translation studies to gain recognition,” he noted.
Special Guest
The special guest at César Vallejo University has produced numerous works focused on legal and institutional translation, particularly with regard to interdisciplinary approaches, terminology, and quality assurance.
He has also been recognized with several international awards, including the European Label Award for Innovative Methods in Language Teaching, the International Geneva Award, and the Consolidator Grant for his project “Legal Translation for International Institutional Settings” (Letrint).
