Exploring the ethical perspectives of translation students and professional translators on translation technology

Abstract This study adopts Q methodology to explore the ethical perspectives of translation students and professional translators on translation technology. It reveals four salient viewpoints among the two groups, i.e., “Boldness with Tradition,” “Relativism in Intersection,” “Empowerment without Agency,” and “Optimism and Social Darwinism,” and finds that the two groups differ in perspectives on clients’ interest, human translation’s sustainability, the humanist values of translation, and communication of technological usage. A shared acceptance of technology driven by social responsibility is also identified across the two groups. The findings suggest that despite the ethical divide between the two groups, lack of ethical knowledge may also exist on the professional side. Considering gap but also bridge, it is argued that the revealed consensus between the two groups offers a foundation for dialogue, where translation education and industry can converge to build a more inclusive ethical vision that encompasses a wider range of stakeholders.