Ethos and profession: 50 years of the Public Translators’ Association of Buenos Aires City revisited

Abstract

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the enactment of Argentina´s Law No. 20.305, which created the Colegio de Traductores Públicos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires —Public Translators’ Association of Buenos Aires City, CTPCBA, by its Spanish initials— to govern and control the professional register, and keep its records in the different languages; some researchers of the Commission for University Relations carried out a study to (i) know the most significant historical milestones of the profession in Argentina, and its relationship with the demand of the State, its academization and the establishment of the CTPCBA; (ii) inquire about the legal nature of this entity; (iii) determine how the relationship between the University and the State was restructured with the creation of the CTPCBA; and (iv) analyze the relationship between the ethos of the public translator and the CTPCBA, and reflect on its challenges. As this was an exploratory study, the research did not set out a hypothesis stricto sensu. However, certain assumptions guided the study: the creation of the CTPCBA is an epiphenomenon of the State's demand for a profession that has accompanied Argentina's National Organization and supported its sovereignty. Likewise, the creation of the Association has deepened the legitimization of professional practice and established quality standards. The theoretical framework of this research was mainly based on the Bourdieusian concept of “profession" and its praxis. The research had an empirical and descriptive character and may be placed within the social turn of translation studies. The methodological approach was critical-hermeneutic, and qualitative procedures were used, such as documentary analysis, semi-structured and in-depth interviews, and comparative techniques.