Die vertaler as bemagtigingsagent: ’n gevallestudie

Abstract

The translator as agent of empowerment: A case study In this article the focus is on the role of the translator as an agent of empowerment for linguistically marginalised communities; it also raises the practical issue of his/her role as an intermediary equipped with knowledge of the source and target cultures and their (non-)overlap. The community translation approach, which emerged from a socio-linguistic perspective, forms the basis for this point of departure. The aim of this approach is to give these communities access to the same information and services as the linguistical “elite”. In order to realise this, the translator uses discourse patterns and linguistic conventions of the target group. For this approach, the needs of the target audience in the translation process are of paramount importance. To illustrate the translator’s role as an agent of empowerment as well as an effective intermediary, this article’s focus is on translation strategies used in a pragmatic text.