When did translators get “elevated” to the position of linguist? Was it around the time toilet paper became bathroom tissue? Or when problems became issues?
The timing of this mischaracterization aside, the inappropriate use of the term linguist to refer to translators has taken hold, and even some translators have embraced the term, although the usage is almost always wrong, regardless of which definition we chose to use to defend the usage. Let’s take a look at the definitions.
(1) : a person accomplished in languages
especially : one who speaks several languages
(2) : a person who specializes in linguistics
Regarding definition (1), yes translators should be accomplished in at least two languages, although just speaking two languages won’t suffice. Being accomplished in two languages does not mean you are a translator or are capable of being a translator. Being a professional translator requires a number of skills and areas of areas entirely unrelated to being a linguist.
Definition (2) is even more distant from reality. I know many translators and can name only a handful who could or would lay claim to being specialized in linguistics, an academic field devoted to study of human speech including the units, nature, and language, these aspects of language not being necessary or sufficient tools for success as a translator.
Years of studying linguistics will not qualify someone to be a translator. There is some small overlap between linguists and translators, but it is small, and becomes very tiny when we compare the population of linguists with that of translators of commercially important texts. John McWhorter is a linguist; almost none of my capable translator colleagues are linguists.
But if translators enjoy being mischaracterized as linguistics, they will be able to continue to enjoy, because translation brokers continue to mischaracterize them, perhaps thinking that it makes translators feel good (perhaps some do) and perhaps thinking that it makes their clients feel good about the elevated academics doing their translations (i.e., selling translations to the broker), although the purchase-resale transaction is not apparent to many clients, many of whom surely think that the company they purchase translations from actually does the translations.
There is nothing wrong with characterizing translators as being translators, and translators should strive to educate clients regarding just what professional translators are capable of doing and why they don’t need the title of linguist to do it.
Part II will deal with another deception in the translation business, that of collaboration.