In plain Maltese

The use of the Maltese language within the institutions of the European Union is still very limited due to the pronounced shortage of professional translators and interpreters. Ivan Camilleri discussed the matter with Joseph Eynaud, deputy dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Malta.

As from May 1, the Maltese language became an official EU language. Yet, there seems to be difficulties in finding the right people to do the job of translators and interpreters. How do you view the situation?

The fact that the Maltese language has become an official EU language is a unique opportunity and a historical moment. This is not only important status-wise but also in terms of new employment opportunities in the areas of translation and interpretation. Unfortunately, so far, the number of people who showed interest in these areas is still very low.

Why is that?

Well, Malta never had the tradition of having specific courses for translators and interpreters. There was never the need and the Maltese language was never used in the translation and interpreting fields. Usually, we used to translate in other foreign languages like from English into French or Italian and never into Maltese. So the few "freelance" translators and interpreters we have were never trained to perform in the Maltese language.

Can a translator also act as an interpreter at the same time?

In theory yes but in practice both professions are very different from each other. A translator's job is writing. It's quite difficult and meticulous especially if you are translating a legal document or a tender. If you are not precise you can change the whole meaning of a document.

An interpreter's job is different. An interpreter speaks and acts as a mediator between the original speaker and the listener.

There has been a lot of criticism of the level of some of the Maltese translations done. Is this justified?

Nothing is perfect from the word go but I can tell you that the few Maltese translators who are working permanently with the EU in Brussels and Luxembourg are doing a very good job. The pressure on them is enormous and so it's not fair that we criticise them for some minor mistakes. Sometimes their translations are even published on the internet before they have been revised. This is obviously not their fault.

What is the University of Malta doing in order to prepare graduates for such new opportunities?

We started last October with a part-time two-year evening course leading to a Masters in translation and interpretation at the Faculty of Arts. A total of 140 persons started the course but, unfortunately, only 50 will continue their second year. The majority will become translators and only four will continue to study interpreting.

We have also successfully presented two EU projects and we have obtained funding for both translation and interpretation.

The EU agreed it will fully sponsor nine Maltese students to study for an MA in interpretation at the University of Westminster, in London. About 200 students, all with a first degree, applied and the first nine students will be commencing their specialised studies next October. The costs will reach €30,000 per student and all will be paid by the EU.

We will also be getting new training equipment at the University of Malta which will help us organise our interpretation courses better. At the moment a new interpretation laboratory is being set up and from October 2005 we will launch a new evening Masters course in interpretation.

In the case of translation, the EU is funding the buying of professional software used in this work and will also be funding two local experts to start compiling a database of Maltese terminology to be used in translations. This is vital in the translation field. At the same time, as from this October we will be introducing a new course leading to a degree in translation. Unfortunately, only 20 students applied...

Was this due to lack of information?

I don't know but I really can't understand this especially when these new opportunities provide guaranteed jobs paid at about €5,000 a month! I can't understand why the Maltese students still want to become teachers and lawyers and not translators and interpreters. We have so many of the traditional professions.

I think that Maltese students are too protected both from their family and from the institutions. Abroad a student has to make a lot of sacrifices to pay for tuition but in Malta we pay our students to learn! No one is really ready to make a sacrifice. I think that in this country we need to start prioritising. It is important to have a course in Arabic or in Byzantine studies but the real priority in the language sector today is the need to have fully trained professional translators and interpreters in the Maltese language.

Can you elaborate?

We need full-time courses in translation and interpretation. These cost a lot of money to organise and we have no money available to do this. We need to prioritise our needs and channel our money towards our priorities.

Some Maltese interpreters say it is really frustrating for them to be available in a particular meeting only for the Maltese official present to decide to speak in English...

This is true. Although everyone has a right to speak whichever language one likes, I think the Maltese representatives, especially those in the European Parliament, should speak Maltese. I was very happy to note that Simon Busuttil made his first speech in the European Parliament in Maltese.

It is different at the Commission and the Council. Sometimes there are instances where certain subjects are very specific and technical and so it might be better to make certain arguments in English. This is understood especially in economic and financial matters. The most important thing is that, when appropriate, one should try to speak Maltese. Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schroeder both speak perfect English but they don't. The Maltese Prime Minister should do the same.

It is sometimes argued that this is simply a waste of money...

Why is Maltese a waste of money and not Finnish, Estonian or Latvian, for example? I think some people in Malta still have a colonial mentality. This is a historical occasion where the Maltese language is a European language. We should be proud of this. Maltese is the only Semitic European language.

The Catalans or the Irish wish they are treated in the same way as the Maltese. Democracy is not only about peace. It is also about multilingualism and the right for everyone to get one's message through one's own native tongue.

Why did the University of Malta start preparing for this eventuality only last year when we've known for quite a long time about the possibility of the Maltese language being declared an official EU language?

It is true we've started late. We weren't prepared for the implications of this and also there where others who thought that the EU will not accept Maltese as an official language. Even politically, we were undecided till the last moment and so no one was going to take the risk of investing in something which till the very last moment was still only a possibility! But now we've started and we will get there.

When?

Not in a year's time. We need from five to 10 years to have a full complement of translators and interpreters. This is not only the case for Malta. Other new languages are also in the same situation. The most important thing is that we are on the right course.

Last year the head of the translation unit at the EU Commission told me he was on an impossible mission when it comes to the Maltese language. Today he is thinking differently. In October 2005, we will, for the first time, have a small professional group trained and prepared to take up the challenge in Brussels and Luxembourg. I hope that others will follow suit.