A Proposed Code of Ethics for Professional Translation in Saudi Arabia: A Survey of Translators’ Perceptions

Abstract

This study explores translation ethics in the context of Saudi Arabia's professional translation industry; a subject that has recently received substantial scholarly attention. The study aims to investigate the views of translators with respect to the ethical principles that should be included in the final code of ethics applied to professional translation in Saudi Arabia. Three influential professional codes of ethics (the Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct of the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT), the Code of Ethics and Professional Practice of the American Translators Association (ATA), and the Translator’s Charter of the International Federation of Translators (FIT)) were reviewed and examined with reference to their different views on translation ethics. Moreover, personal, professional, and other relevant ethics among the target group were investigated, while the field of translation in Saudi Arabia was also reviewed more generally to confirm the need for the development of a professional code of ethics for translation. A questionnaire survey was developed to collect data from a representative sample of translators in order to gain information about those translators’ opinions about the appropriate content for a code of ethics for professional translation in Saudi Arabia. The data from the survey, which reflected translators’ perceptions of translation ethics as practiced in Saudi Arabia, were then analyzed using quantitative methods. The resulting findings provide empirical support in favor of including 11 dimensions in any future code of ethics for translators in Saudi Arabia.