疫情如何颠覆口笔译行业？
2020年，突如其来的新冠疫情对全世界产生了很大的影响，也使一些行业发生了颠覆性的变革，翻译行业也不例外。大量现场活动和会议取消，以及各个领域对翻译的需求锐减，使得翻译行业面临巨大冲击。那么，在这个过程中，谁受到的冲击力最大？谁又能在变革的洪潮中站立得住？翻译行业受到哪些影响？前景又会怎样？
今天，就带大家看看美国Language Magazine杂志所做的世界翻译行业市场调研报告↓
COVID-19 has changed the world irrevocably, forcing the translation and interpretation industry to rapidly adopt digital technology and tools to reduce the disruption of day-to-day operations.
新冠疫情已无可避免地改变了这个世界，因此口笔译行业也必须快速适应数字技术和工具，以减少给日常业务带来的不便。
Since early March, multinational corporations and international associations have had to turn global, face-to-face events into online video conferences.
自3月初起，跨国公司和国际组织纷纷将原本全球面对面的会议转变为线上视频会议。
While frontline workers are undoubtedly the heroes of this crisis, interpreters have been essential to the smooth running of operations in many industries—from court hearings and medical appointments to government conferences and assisted learning.
而前线的工作人员也无疑成为了这场危机中的英雄，从庭审到医疗预约，再到政府会议和辅助学习，口译员在许多行业的顺利运转中扮演着至关重要的角色。
However, there has been a significant strain on interpreters suddenly having to adapt to new remote and home working conditions—a situation which looks set to be the new normal.
然而，口译员却突然要适应远程和在家办公的新模式，这对于他们来说无疑是一种巨大的压力，而这种模式即将成为一种新常态。
Who has been the worst hit?
谁受到的影响最大？
Though many translators are no strangers to working from home with the aid of glossaries and style guides, it’s the interpreters who work face-to-face who have been the worst hit.
虽然许多笔译员对于在家办公并不陌生，他们可以借助术语表和翻译风格指南轻松实现在家办公，但对于经常需要面对面交流的口译员来说，受到的影响最大。
In a recent study by CSA Research, 55% of language service providers report a decrease in business since the outbreak of the pandemic and show great concern about the uncertainty of how long the pandemic will last. They have less confidence in a quick return to business normalcy that they expected in May.
据CSA Research最近发布的一项研究表明，55%的语言服务提供商表示，自新冠疫情爆发以来，业务量有所下滑，并对疫情持续时间的不确定性感到担忧。他们对于迅速恢复商业常态的信心不如5月份时预期的那么大。
Many have had to move their services to online platforms, with varying degrees of success. In an interview on the state of the language industry in early March 2020, German translator, Alexander Gansmeier, explained: “March, usually conference ‘high season,’ has been swept by a wave of cancellations. The worse the global situation gets (and country governments react accordingly), the more clients rely on the force majeure argument to try to avoid any cancellation fees.”
许多语言服务提供商不得不转战线上平台，取得成功的程度也各不相同。2020年3月初，德国笔译员Alexander Gansmeier在接受关于语言行业现状的采访时表示：“通常3月是会议旺季，但是今年的会议却纷纷取消。国际环境越糟（各国政府应对方式不同），就会有更多客户凭借不可抗力来拒付会议取消费。”
The coronavirus had a significant impact on translators’ source of income, but smaller companies that provide on-site interpretation have also felt the pressure.
这场疫情对译者的收入来源产生了重大影响，但提供现场口译服务的小公司也倍感压力。
As an increasing number of events were cancelled, more clients cited force majeure (unforeseeable circumstances that prevent the fulfilment of a contract) as a means to avoid paying. This depletion of income is further compounded by a lack of infrastructure to allow for complete remote working.
随着越来越多的会议被取消，许多客户要求凭借不可抗力拒绝付款。而由于缺乏硬件设施，无法实现完全远程办公，也进一步导致了收入锐减。
Additionally, interpreters have been challenged to enter unchartered territory by working from home instead of a fixed booth installation.
此外，口译员在家里办公，而不是在现场固定的同传箱工作，因此面临进入未知领域的挑战。
“We unexpectedly found ourselves in our apartments wondering how to continue performing our duties and contribute to multilingualism,” said Veronique Vandegans, head of the French Interpretation Section at the United Nations. “However, it quickly became apparent that we could adapt and interpret remotely, given the proper equipment, testing and training.”
联合国法语口译部负责人Veronique Vandegans说：“我们忽然发现我们身处家中，思考着该如何继续履行我们的职责，为多语做贡献。但是，我们很快就想明白了，我们可以适应这种变化，通过合适的设备、测试和培训，实现远程口译。”
Unfortunately, most language service providers have—until now—been operating traditionally and have thus struggled to take operations online during the pandemic.
不幸的是，大部分语言服务提供商直到现在还在使用传统运营方式，因此在疫情期间难以开展在线业务。
That said, the rapid adoption of digital transformation caused by COVID-19 has proven to be a boon for many tech-savvy companies.
尽管如此，由疫情带来的对数字转型的快速适应也为许多精通技术的公司带来了福音。
Who is thriving during the pandemic?
疫情期间，谁在繁荣发展？
While Language Service Providers (LSPs) registered a decrease in demand for their services from sectors such as events or travel and leisure, certain verticals seem to have seen a surge in demand.
尽管公开活动、旅游休闲等领域对语言服务提供商的翻译需求有所下降，但某些垂直领域的需求则出现了激增。
According to the CSA survey, 64% of LSPs report an increase in demand for interpretation in the health sector, with 59% reporting a higher demand from the life sciences, medical, and pharmaceuticals sector.
根据CSA的调查，64%的语言服务提供商表示卫生服务业的口译服务需求增加，59%表示生命科学、医疗和制药业的口译服务需求增加。
The change in demand for interpretation services appears to vary highly between sectors. Companies that already provide remote or virtual interpretation services are thriving as businesses look for ways to maintain communication with staff, prospects, peers, and the general public.
不同行业对口译服务需求的变化差别很大。能够提供远程或虚拟口译服务的公司正在繁荣发展，因为许多企业都在寻找与员工、潜在客户、同行和公众保持沟通的方法。
Video conferencing platform Zoom is a prime example of this—its stock has tripled in value over the last few months as remote working and video conferences become the norm.
视频会议平台Zoom就是一个很好的例子——随着远程办公和视频会议成为常态，其股价在过去几个月里涨了三倍。
To return to a semblance of normality, some LSPs are actively encouraging more of their employees to work from home, using videoconferencing and online interpretation platforms to do so.
为了使业务回归正常状态，一些语言服务提供商正积极鼓励更多员工在家办公，并通过视频会议和在线口译平台来实现。
In our new normal, this is the way of the future, and an inevitable progression that has been hastened by the COVID-19 pandemic. With many companies having already extended their home office policy until late 2021.
在新常态下，这是未来的趋势，新冠肺炎大流行加速了这个必然的进程。许多公司已经将在家办公政策延长到2021年底。
What does the future look like?
前景如何？
The key requirements for any LSP to succeed in our new normal are resilience and adaptability. LSPs that can provide interpretation services via online platforms are already in a much better position than those that typically work offline. That’s not to say that offline LSPs are fighting a losing battle—in fact, it’s likely that many of these interpreters are already upskilling and familiarising themselves with online platforms so that they too can offer their services wherever, whenever.
任何一家语言服务供应商要想在疫后新常态下取得成功，关键是要具备弹性和适应性。能够通过在线平台提供口译服务的供应商已经比那些通常在线下工作的同行更占优势。但这并不是说线下供应商在打败仗——事实上，其中许多口译员很可能已经在提高技能、熟悉在线平台，以便能随时随地提供服务。
For interpreters, this has resulted in a greater emphasis on online platforms, with hybrid options becoming more commonplace as lockdown eases in some countries. As markets reopen, there will be a greater focus on tools that streamline and improve the experience in the future.
一些国家封锁逐渐放松，线上和线下的混合工作模式变得更加普遍，这使得口译员们更加重视在线平台。随着市场重新开放，简化和改善体验的工具在未来会更受重视。
The shift to remote participation has opened up new needs for inclusivity and audience engagement, as event organizers are tackling “zoom fatigue”. Allowing participants to join the conversation in their native language and offering the audience an accurate translation of speakers’ inputs, fosters engagement, inclusivity, and ultimately raises the likelihood of the event’s success.
远程参与的方式对活动包容性和观众参与度提出了新的要求。活动组织者正在解决“远程疲劳”的问题。让参与者使用母语对话、为观众提供发言内容的准确翻译等举措提高了参与度与包容性，并最终提升了活动成功举办的可能性。
Remote interpretation and participation may well lead to an increase in demand for interpretation services in the long run, because they are more attainable, affordable, and easier to arrange, especially for smaller organizations.
长远来看，远程口译和远程参与很可能导致对口译服务需求的增加，因为它们更容易实现、更容易负担、更容易安排，特别是对小型组织而言。
At Australia’s Royal Melbourne Hospital for example, video interpreting appointments have increased from 10–15 appointments per month (before COVID-19) to 100–200 a month currently.
例如，在澳大利亚的皇家墨尔本医院，视频口译预约已从新冠疫情前的每月10-15次，增加到目前的每月100-200次。
Pioneering a positive way forward post-pandemic
开辟疫后积极前进道路
While COVID-19 won’t be around forever, it will have a lasting effect on how interpreters operate in the future.
虽然新冠疫情不会永远存在，但它将对口译员未来的工作方式产生持久影响。
For interpreting services to evolve and demonstrate value, translation and interpretation expertise, organisations and professionals need to be resilient, flexible, and able to meet the demands of today’s digital-first world.
为了使口译服务不断发展并展现出价值，笔译专家和口译专家、各组织和专业人员的工作需要具备弹性和灵活性，并能满足当今“数字至上”世界的需求。
There can be no disputing that online interpretation for events, conferences, seminars, and press meetings is the way of the future. Luckily, the tools to facilitate this paradigm shift are already available.
毋庸置疑，活动、会议、研讨会和新闻发布会的在线口译是未来的发展方向。幸运的是，现在已经有了促进这一模式转变的工具。
转载自：译·世界，英文来源：Language Magazine，版权归原作者所有，仅供学习交流，若有侵犯了您的合法权益，请联系我们进行更正、删除，谢谢！
（编辑:T-win）
京公网安备11010802022018号