Constructing a Sociology of Translation.pdf

18 Hélène Buzelinary translation activity really started up. 12 According to Bibliothèque nationaledu Québec statistics, 13 the number of translations submitted – a very small one,amounting from 60 to 90 titles per year until 1970 – quadrupled during the ’70sand doubled again during the 1980s. Two systemic features have helped to shapethis industry, as well as the place and role of literary translation in it.First, being established in Québec and Canada, local publishers can counton subsidies such as the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (atthe federal level), as well as financial assistance or funding from the book sectorof Québec’s SODEC (Société de développement des entreprises culturelles)along with tax reductions. These public subsidies have regularly increased overthe years and now account for roughly 10% of publishers’ revenue. With regardto translation, the only substantial source of funding is provided by the CanadaCouncil for the Arts’ translation program, whose mission is to promote literaryexchanges between English and French Canada. As such, this program “providesfinancial assistance for the first translation of literary works written by Canadianauthors. Translation must be into French, English or an Aboriginal language forpublication in Canada”. 14 This also means that publishers wishing to undertakethe translation of non-Canadian titles must do this at their own expenses or findfunding elsewhere.Second, as French-speaking North Americans, Québec publishers have close,though sometimes difficult, relationships with other parts of the French-speakingworld, starting with French publishers, who are often seen both as a “natural”but difficult outlet when exporting domestic production and as “unfair competitors”in the rush for good translation opportunities. Indeed, being about ten timessmaller than France’s, Québec’s book market is a priori not a very attractive one to12. The Canada Council for the Arts’ translation assistance program began in 1972, the LiteraryTranslators Association of Canada (LTAC) was founded in 1975 and Montréal-Contact, aQuébec literary agency that handles many transactions between major English- and French-Canadian publishers, was created in 1980.13. To be interpreted cautiously since, in addition to new titles, these statistics indiscriminatelyinclude re-editions and brochures and group together all categories of works. Data from 1968to 1982 were taken from Allard et al. (1984). From 1983 to 1998, data were compiled throughconsultation of all the brochures published yearly under the title Statistiques de l’édition au Québecen … by the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec (1983–1997). For data from 1998 to 2005 seeBibliothèque nationale du Québec (1998–2005).1. See Canada Council for the Arts 2006a. To be eligible, the book must be translated by aCanadian citizen or permanent resident The more recent program, created in 1985, “providesassistance to foreign publishers for the translation of literary works by Canadian authors, intolanguages other than French or English, for publication abroad” (Canada Council for the Arts2006b). In both cases, the application is made by the publisher of the translation.