Interpreters and translators from 23 countries meet at the International School on Translation and Interpreting held at St Petersburg University

‘Educational events such as this are absolutely necessary. It is for good reason that the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin famously called translators "the post-horses of enlightenment". Not only do they impart knowledge, but they never stop learning,’ said Svetlana Rubtsova, Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages at St Petersburg University in her welcoming address. ‘We are confident that, contrary to pessimistic forecasts, competent and dedicated professionals who are committed to self-development will always be in demand.’

The importance of interpreting and translation and the role of interpreters and translators in the new reality cannot be overestimated. Indeed, it is the expertise of professionals in the field of translation that helps to achieve mutual understanding between peoples. Hence, it is essential that interpreters and translators continually update their skills and knowledge and develop professionally.

Svetlana Rubtsova, Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages at St Petersburg University

The range of languages covered by the School on Translation and Interpreting at St Petersburg University is continuously expanding. This year, the organisers offered sessions in: English; Arabic; Spanish; Italian; Chinese; Korean; German; Portuguese; Turkish; French; Serbian; and Croatian. Additionally, the 2023 Winter School was the first to include sessions in Czech, Yiddish, and Hebrew.

The speakers and session moderators are leading translators, interpreters and translation theorists. Among them are: Pavel Palazhchenko, the world-renowned translator and the official interpreter of Mikhail Gorbachev and Eduard Shevardnadze; Konstantin Ioseliani, President and CEO of Janus Worldwide translation company; Maxim Berendyaev, Director for Technology and Quality at AKM-West; Aleksey Kozulyaev, CEO of RuFilms LLC and one the leading authorities on audiovisual translation; Fedor Kondratovich, CEO of the LinguaKontakt translation agency; and other experts.

The first volume of the collection "Liáozhāi zhì yì. Strange Stories from a Failed Scholar’s Studio" was presented at the 17th St Petersburg Book Fair.

Olga Ivanova, President of the Union of Translators of Russia (UTR), proposed to address the issue of the relationship between information technologies and the translation industry. According to Olga Ivanova, any technologies, including artificial intelligence, are secondary as they are objective products of human activity. The progress of civilisation is only possible if human capacities, including intelligence, are continuously developed and improved. ‘Of course, information technology is a friend of a translator. At the same time, one has to be aware that IT is simply a tool, created by humans and designed to be operated by humans. In large measure, its effectiveness and appropriateness depend on the translator’s competence,’ Olga Ivanova emphasised. ‘It is not a computer, but humans who take responsibility for the work they do, including translation activities. Creativity is an essential human quality. The introduction of information technologies in translation has enabled tackling many stereotyped tasks, indeed. Let’s hope that there are no limits to the improvement of the process of «mechanisation» of routine translation in all its forms. There is still much to be done.’

Advances in technologies will lead to the further expansion of mechanisation aiming to assist humans with routine tasks. Ultimately, it is to free up time and resources for developing abilities and fostering creativity.

Olga Ivanova, President of the Union of Translators of Russia

Director of the School of Translation and Foreign Languages at St Petersburg University Kseniia Anisimova announced educational projects that are scheduled to start soon. These include three professional development programmes: "Modern Trends in Teaching Translation"; "Simultaneous Interpreting"; and "Translator in the Field of Professional Communication". Another educational project presented at the opening session is a modular programme ‘Simultaneous Interpreting and Intercultural Communication’, targeted at those who want to try their hand at simultaneous interpreting. The programme was first launched in the summer of 2020 in an online format. It is aimed at students and graduates specialising in relevant fields of study. Also, the programme may be of interest to translators and language teachers who want to develop the skill of simultaneous interpreting. The course is currently available in eight language pairs. On the opening day of the 4th Winter School, simultaneous interpreter Faina Musaeva, Assistant Professor at St Petersburg University, spoke about the course syllabus and held a master class on simultaneous interpreting for beginners.

‘Simultaneous interpreting is a language skill that can be developed by a person who is fluent in two languages. We focus on building the skill and also we do our best to make sure that our students overcome the fear of simultaneous interpreting. It is not only beginners who enrol in the programme, but also professional translators, who have to do simultaneous interpreting as part of their job. They do not feel confident about their interpreting skills because they have not previously received specialised training,’ Faina Musaeva explained. ‘We try to help everyone, depending on their needs. During the course, our students learn what should be given special attention in their work and build confidence in their own abilities.’

At the 4th Winter School on Translation and Interpreting, the experts discussed different aspects of translation activities, including: the specifics of translation and interpreting in different professional fields (from nuclear energy to medicine); the challenges of working with certain languages; and literary translation. A master class on literary translation from Wényán — a language of classical Chinese literary texts — was conducted by Professor Aleksandr Storozhuk, Head of the Department of Chinese Philology at St Petersburg University. As illustration, he referred to "Liáozhāi zhì yì. Strange Stories from a Failed Scholar’s Studio" — one of the most outstanding collection of classical Chinese stories.

Wényán is incredibly succinct, concise and compact language. Its striking semantic capaciousness requires great attention when it is necessary not just to retell a story but to preserve the semantic depth of the original. Furthermore, the literary style of Pú Sōnglíng is distinguished by a wealth of hidden and open quotations, intertextual allusions, direct and indirect references, reflecting the different realities of the Chinese ligatures, culture, history and religion.

‘It was, indeed, the author’s choice to create a "layer cake" of intertexts and cultural references, specifically designed for a bearer of that culture, a reader well-versed in classical Chinese literature, able to enjoy unravelling the intricate textual tapestries,’ stressed Professor Storozhuk. ‘Naturally, a modern-day non-native reader cannot easily decode the text written several hundred years ago. When choosing a translating style, we are therefore to make sure that the translation reads smoothly and easily; yet, it is packed with notes so that anyone who wants to know more can find all the implicit and inferred meanings. Another challenge for translators is the style of Pú Sōnglíng’s storytelling: some short stories begin in prose, then move into rhythmic prose, and then into verse. These features must not be lost in Russian translation.’

The 4th Winter School on Translation and Interpreting at St Petersburg University is due to last three days. During the event, the key speakers will share their extensive experience and expertise with the participants and discuss the most pressing issues of the translation industry.