天下•译事 | 中国与欧美翻译行业 有何差异？

作为智库型研究与资讯平台，译世界【官方微信号译·世界（YEEWORLD）】现推出“天下·译事”（原名“环球·译事”）栏目，聚焦全球语言服务行业，以专业的视角、前沿的眼光，通过双语译介、原创策划等多种形式，评述行业现象、观察业态发展，欢迎关注！

本期为第十二期，为你解读中西语言服务市场的差异，并对未来行业发展做出展望↓

After decades of helping international companies adjust their products to local requirements, the language industry itself might be in for some adapting. An emerging Chinese industry challenges translation companies in the US and Europe.

几十年来，语言行业一直在推动跨国公司调整自己的产品，以适应当地需求。如今，语言行业自身可能也面临着一些调整和改变。中国语言行业的新兴发展给美国和欧洲的翻译公司带来了挑战。

Less than ten years ago, if you were a multinational company, a small boutique firm or an independent consultant seeking translation assistance, you would likely seek services provided in the US or Europe. For years, the West has been the leading provider of language services, known for attention to detail, quality control, education and expertise. 

几年前，跨国公司、小作坊公司或是独立顾问在需要翻译服务时，很可能会找寻美国或欧洲的翻译公司。西方的语言服务多年来一直遥遥领先，以关注细节、质量把控、教育和专业性而闻名。

In October 2014, however, news outlets published the long-anticipated headlines that China had surpassed the United States GDP in purchasing power parity. To the majority of economists and citizens alike, this news came as no surprise, yet the incredible rate at which the Chinese economy had been able to maneuver such gains has created a ripple effect in industries around the globe.

然而，2014年10月，新闻媒体发布了令人期待已久的头条消息——中国购买力平价GDP超过美国。对于大多数经济学家和市民来说，这条消息并未让人感到意外，但中国经济能够以惊人的速度取得如此大的进展，已经在全球各行业产生了连锁反应。

Of course, our particular interest is the language services industry, which has experienced a significant disruption as translation services have emerged and expanded in China. China’s presence in the market has brought many new elements to the industry: lower prices, the outsourcing of translation projects originally sourced in-country, a focus on machine translation, and an increased speed in project turnover. As with any major shift in any given industry, this period of transition has posed both opportunities and challenges to the translation services sector and has led us to ask the question: what are our translation needs and how is the industry evolving?

当然，我们比较关注的是语言服务产业，随着翻译服务在中国的兴起和扩展，语言服务产业取得了重大的突破。中国加入翻译市场后，给这个行业注入了许多新的元素：低廉的价格、翻译项目最初只外包给境内服务商、重视机器翻译、项目营业额增速等。这一转型期就像所有特定行业的重大转变一样，给翻译服务部门带来了机遇和挑战，从而使我们产生了这样的疑问：我们的翻译需求是什么，这个行业是如何发展的？

With globalization and an increased need for the translation industry (expected to grow to $47 billion by 2018, Common Sense Advisory), China’s emerging market is forcing the translation industry to adapt global standards and reevaluate that fine balance between quality and speed. A closer look at language service industries in emerging China, compared to those historically provided in the US and Europe, allows us to distinguish both the differences between the services and the clues regarding the future of this ever-diversifying industry.

随着全球化的发展以及对翻译行业需求的增长（预计到2018年增至470亿美元，约合人民币3120亿元，数据来源：卡门森斯顾问公司），中国的新兴市场正在推进翻译行业适应全球标准，重新评估质量与速度之间的良好平衡。将中国的语言服务业与历史上美国和欧洲的语言服务业相比较，进行进一步研究，可以让我们发现这些服务之间的差别，从而找到这个曾经多样化的行业的未来信号。

The roots of the translation industry in Europe and the US

欧洲和美国翻译行业的起因

Ask anyone in the field of translation and they will tell you that the largest slice of the language industry pie has historically belonged to the US and Europe. With language diversity, deeply varied cultural knowledge, strong customer service and a strong demand for English translation, both locations have been well-primed to lead the industry. Historically, translation services in Europe have also been advantageous for translating into the commonly sought-out "FIGS" (French, Italian, German and Spanish).

随便问问翻译领域的任何一个人，他们都会告诉你，历史上在这个行业中分得了最大一杯羹的是美国和欧洲。由于语言的多样性，丰富的文化知识，强大的客户服务，以及对英语翻译的巨大需求，这两个地区具备了引领行业的能力。从历史上看，欧洲的翻译服务也为译入人们广泛需求的法语、意大利语、德语和西班牙语四种语言提供了帮助。

Throughout the history of CSA’s reporting, the US and Europe have led the industry. Europe is also known for having developed key measures for quality control, including the EN 15038 standard developed in Europe for service providers. A peek at industry trends of the past shows North America owning a consistently large percentage of market control, almost matched with the whole of Europe.

纵观卡门森斯公司历来发布的报告，欧美一直是翻译行业的领跑者。欧洲闻名之处还在于推出了控制质量的重要举措，包括在欧洲范围内为服务供应商制定的EN 15038标准。从过去的行业趋势来看，北美的市场占有率连续5年匹敌整个欧洲。

Common Sense Advisory calculates that the language services market is growing at an annual rate of 7.41 percent.

卡门森斯公司预测语言服务市场的年增长率为7.41%。

语言服务市场收入及区域分布情况（2010-2014）

A closer look at the translation industry in the US and Europe reveals just how far it has come over the years. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the number of jobs for translators and interpreters in 2010 was 58,400, a number that is expected to increase by 42 percent between 2010 and 2020. The American Translators Association, founded in 1959, is now the leading professional organization of translators and interpreters in the US and boasts over 10,000 members in over 90 countries. In addition, there are a handful of national associations as well as regional state and local organizations. The European Union is reported by the Commission as comprising over 103 associations of translators and interpreters, and the Union is extremely invested in examining and developing this sector.

进一步考察欧美翻译行业会发现他们近几年来取得了长足进步。美国劳工统计局数据显示，2010年口笔译岗位数量为58400个，2010-2020年间这一数字预计增长42%。1959年成立的美国翻译协会如今是美国口笔译员的专业领导机构，拥有万余名会员，遍布90多个国家。此外，还有很多国家级协会和州、地方级机构。欧委会称欧洲有103家口笔译协会，欧盟在审查和发展翻译行业上投入颇多。

While the trends clearly point to increased growth in the US and Europe, the global industry as a whole is expected to grow by 6.46 percent (Common Sense Advisory), and attention is focused on Asian industry growth, particularly in China. What was once an industry dominated by two major players is now beginning to shift and both clientele and market analysts are taking notice.

欧美市场显著增长的同时，卡门森斯公司对全球翻译行业增长的预测为6.46%，并指出增长重点在亚洲，尤其是中国。曾被两大巨头主导的翻译行业如今开始转变，客户与市场分析师都注意到了这一点。

China emerges

中国崛起

China’s rise to economic prominence came quite easily: all the country had to do is offer foreign access to capital and allow the labor market to maintain cheap costs. This mechanism became incredibly lucrative and was cloned and implemented across all industries at various scales including the language services market. According to the Translators Association of China (TAC), market-oriented translation services started appearing in the country in the late 1990’s. Although TAC was established in 1982, it served more as an academic membership institution in its early years rather than a translation hub for Chinese professionals. In the early 1990’s, translation rates were less than half of those of European and North American competitors, and the turnover rate for projects was extremely timely.

中国经济崛起的模式很简单：全国上下为外资提供渠道，让劳动力市场保持低成本。这种机制创收颇丰，在各行各业得以复制、推广，其中包括语言服务业。据中国翻译协会，上世纪90年代末中国开始出现以市场为导向的翻译服务。中国译协成立于1982年，初期定位是学术会员机构，而非中国专业译者的核心机构。20世纪90年代初，中国的翻译费还不足欧洲和北美竞争者的一半，翻译项目的营业额非常可观。

China Language Service Industry Development Report by TAC reported that from 2014 to 2015, China had 16,520 new companies providing language-based services, with an average annual increase of up to 15 percent. The 2016 report by TAC said the turnover generated by the language services sector for the previous year amounted to $44.5 billion, with an average annual increase of 19.7 percent from 2011.

中国译协发布的《中国语言服务行业发展报告》称，2014-2015年间中国新增16520家相关企业，年均增长率达15%。中国译协2016年发布的报告显示，2015年中国语言服务行业的总产值为445亿美元，相比2011年的数据，年均增长19.7%。

Interpreting the patterns: East vs. West

东西方翻译模式对比

In examining the industries in the East and the West, two major differences point to interesting indicators for the future of the industry. First, the industries vary greatly in age and quality control. The US and Europe have clearly paved a path for the industry based on quality, standard-setting and information sharing. China, whose industry emerged just recently in the late 1990’s, is in the midst of creating its own standards, industry history and building its own associations for information sharing, which will inevitably intersect with those standards already set by the West.

在考察东西方翻译行业时，有两个主要差异可以预示一些有意思的未来。首先，双方在行业历史和质量控制上有很大不同。基于质量、标准制定和信息共享，美国和欧洲显然为翻译行业铺平了道路。中国的翻译行业于上世纪90年代末刚刚诞生，在此期间，中国创造自己的标准、行业历史，建立自己的信息共享协会，这些将不可避免地与西方已经制定的标准产生交叉。

Although China’s industry is emerging, it is clear that the quality control and customer service offered in the US and Europe is currently unparalleled and highly valued by language service clients. Quick response rates, 24/7 support and convenient time zones keep the West highly competitive as they continue to dominate the industry. As China’s language services sector grows, it will be important for the country to focus on strengthening its translator associations, methods of communication, translator development programs, reporting on quality control, and customer services.

尽管中国的翻译行业正在崛起，但很明显，美国和欧洲的质量控制和客户服务还是不可比的，并且得到了语言服务客户的高度评价。快速响应率、7天24小时的全天候支持以及便捷的时区让西方翻译业保持着强大竞争力并继续主导全球翻译业。随着中国语言服务业的发展，中国的重点将是加强翻译协会、交流方法、译者发展项目、质量控制报告和客户服务。

Second, China’s emergence in the industry has highlighted both the importance and the risks of focusing on project turnaround time and price in an industry historically focused on quality. This attention to price and speed of translation services, which concerns clients at all levels, has led to invigorated efforts to bring down costs in addition to a market-wide increased attentiveness to quality at various price points.

第二，在向来重视质量的翻译行业中，中国在行业的崛起中突出了重视项目周转时间与价格的重要性和风险。这种对翻译服务价格和速度的关注关系到所有层次的客户，为降低成本做出了积极努力，并且在市场范围内增加了对不同价位的质量的关注。

However, it has also led to important industry discussions around quality standards across the sector. China’s focus has been primarily on machine translation and post-editing, a less costly and more efficient process. That being said, the process also allows for far higher human error in the final product. The US and Europe primarily apply the traditional process of human translation and CAT (computer-assisted translation) tools to achieve a more accurate, more finely tuned translation. Growth in the sector continues to recognize the importance of quality and human translation traditionally offered in the US and Europe; however, China brings business into the conversation as well. China’s language service industry certainly fills an important role in a rapidly globalizing world with its ability to accommodate quick project turnaround and an attention to varied language service budgets. It is important, however, to recognize the continued demand for the historical quality that the industry is known for, a key element that is unlikely to fade despite other less costly options.

然而，这也引发了围绕该行业质量标准的重要行业讨论。中国的重点主要放在机器翻译和译后编辑上，这是一个成本更低、效率更高的过程。不过，该过程还允许最终产品中更高的人为误差。美国和欧洲主要应用人类翻译的传统过程和CAT(计算机辅助翻译)工具来实现更精确、更精细的翻译。翻译行业的增长继续认识到传统上美国和欧洲提供的质量和人工翻译的重要性；然而，中国也将业务引入到行业对话中。中国的语言服务行业无疑在一个迅速全球化的世界中扮演了重要角色，它有能力适应快速的项目周转、应对不同的语言服务预算。然而，重要的是要认识到，这个行业应该秉承着其历来以质量而闻名的要求，尽管有其他成本较低的选择，但这个关键要素不太可能会淡化。

As the world changes and new technologies create an increasingly high-speed and connected world, translation needs have become more multifaceted than ever. No one can predict what the future will hold, but it will likely be a combination of techniques and strategies used both in the East and the West, incorporating the need for speed and budget and the importance of quality, customer service and localization. Which is all to say that the translation industry is doing quite a bit of translating itself to fit and adapt to the modernized world – one more in need of translation services than ever.

世界在改变，新技术创造了一个日益高速和互联的世界，翻译需求变得比以往更加多元化。没有人能够预测未来会怎样，但未来的翻译业很可能是东西方技术和战略的结合，包括对速度和预算的需求以及对质量、客户服务和本地化的重视。这就是我们要表达的——翻译行业正在做大量的翻译工作，以适应现代化的世界——这个世界比以往任何时候都更需要翻译服务。

作者：Elanna Mariniello,Yasin Steiert, Afaf Steiert

英文来源：TCWORLD（有删减）

编译：Yee君

注意啦，好消息！在公众号对话框回复“号内搜”，获取链接，可以快捷搜索“译·世界”号内任意信息~

推荐阅读