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by Sylvain-Jacques
Desjardins
A Master's degree in Translation Studies will be introduced next fall to respond to the increasing demand for sophisticated translators. Sherry Simon, current Director of the Humanities PhD program, will head the new program, whose research will reflect the many developments over the last 20 years in the field of cultural studies.
"This program will not be uniquely related to translation," Simon said. "It will take a multi-disciplinary approach. Students will be able to examine everything from feminism to post-colonialism."
The new MA will be added to the current one-year diploma and undergraduate Translation programs that are part of Concordia's Études françaises. About 10 students will be admitted to the Translation Master's program its first year, and the University will likely hire a new professor to teach some of the added courses.
Meanwhile, a handful of Concordia Translation students and alumni fêted International Translation Day at a cocktail party in Old Montreal hosted by the Literary Translators Association of Canada on September 30. About 100 people came together to celebrate literary translation at the restaurant La Butte Saint-Jacques, where several well-known translators read from their works.
Howard Scott (BA Translation 79, MA Translation/Women's Studies 84) dropped by to read excerpts from The Euguelion, originally written by Quebec author Louky Bersianik, which won him the Governor-General's Award in the translation category last year.
Translation Diploma student Helge Dasher, who helped organize the evening and works as a comic-book translator, said Concordians were encouraged to attend the soirée as a way to network with others in their milieu, since most of their work is freelance. "Making contacts is critical," she said. "It's about the only way to enter, short of canvassing door to door."
Clara Gabriel, another diploma student, said she attended the party to explore the variety of jobs, from legal, commercial, publicity to literary, available to translators. She added that she has always enjoyed the creative writing process and was happy the evening paid homage to literary translators. "Literary translation seems like it's more fun," she said, "yet it's harder to get work in it."
