FORDÍTÁSTUDOMÁNY - Translation Studies

Current Ethical Issues in Academic Publishing

2025-12-19T12:40:59+00:00

The aim of this study is to discuss, review, and summarize ethical issues in research, with a focus on the fields of linguistics and translation studies. Ethical issues have come back into focus for several reasons. For instance, the rules surrounding publication have been evolving and tightening in recent years, and the way publications are done has become more consistent (e.g., uploading to online platforms, using OJS platforms, using DOI identifiers). Abstracts and articles are also becoming more uniform in structure. Hungarian researchers are expected to publish in prestigious open-access, international journals. New research methods have been developed and new research topics have emerged and become popular. The use of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence applications, raises new integrity issues.

Research methodology is getting more attention in the field of translation studies. A series of Hungarian handbooks discussing research methods in translation studies is now available (Klaudy, Robin and Seidl-Péch 2022, 2024). The fundamentals of research methodology in linguistics were explored in Fóris’s (2008) book, while Károly (2022a) in her study offered a summary from the perspective of language mediation. The ethical – in other words, integrity – issues of research to date have been addressed by several publications (e.g., Koepsell 2017; Anderson and Corneli 2018; Fóris 2022; Iltis and MacKay 2024). Research integrity involves following ethical principles and professional standards throughout the research process. This applies to individual researchers and organizations alike. The ethical rules of scientific research apply to all fields and disciplines. Academies issue research ethics guidelines to promote public confidence in science and scientific reasoning in public discourse, as well as to contribute to debates on truth, trust, and expertise. Higher education institutions have developed their own ethics codes and issued statements on artificial intelligence applications; they also operate ethics committees at the university and/or faculty levels.

The study compiles the most important research ethics guidelines from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA 2024), the European Commission, and All European Academies (ALLEA). These include the MTA’s Code of Ethics for Science (2024) and the European Commission’s recommendations titled Living Guidelines on the Responsible Use of Generative AI in Research (2025); and ALLEA’s guidelines titled The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (2023); and the regulations of two higher education institutions. It then discusses issues of research integrity in the areas of publication, artificial intelligence applications, and data protection, drawing on scientific ethics guidelines.

When publishing, there are several ethical rules to follow, such as sharing your own results. This means being careful with sources and giving credit to the work of others by citing it. According to the guidelines for using generative AI tools in research, information about using AI must be accurately documented in publications. The basic requirements of communicating one’s own results, communicating new results, and communicating true statements can easily be violated when an author creates text using a generative AI application since AI applications use other text documents, mostly without proper attribution.

Editors and reviewers encounter ethical issues when editing journals and books, reviewing grant applications, and conducting scientific qualification procedures. The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) helps in this regard by providing detailed guidelines on its website. These guidelines include the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers (2017).

About Acronyms and their Translation in Medical Texts

2025-12-19T12:40:59+00:00

Almost exactly a century has passed since acronyms entered Hungarian language, and their spread in both general and specialised usage has been unstoppable ever since. This paper has two main aims: firstly, to review taxonomies and possible typologies of lexemes formed through linguistic reduction (including acronyms, initialisms, and other mosaic formations); secondly, to examine their functions and roles in specialised language, with an emphasis on medical communication. Following a general overview, the paper focuses on medical discourse and ‒ more specifically ‒ on translation issues regarding pharmaceutical product information documents. After presenting early Hungarian research on acronyms and tracing terminological developments, the paper surveys the principal word-formation processes that yield acronyms or mosaic words and discusses the controversial relationship between these categories. It is followed by a systematic overview of their types by part of speech, formation, and orthography, including norms in the current Hungarian spelling rules.

In the section on functions and use, the paper highlights language economy, standardisation, and even euphemistic intent as key drivers of acronym use. At the same time, it stresses potential downsides: in patient communication, the lack of expansions and disambiguations or definitions can increase comprehension risk and may have patient- and drug-safety implications. The paper proposes three guiding principles for translating acronyms in medical texts: careful consideration of context and text function (e. g., CT can stand for computer tomography or chemotherapy); awareness of interlingual differences (e.g., DNA should be translated as DNS); and the judicious use of descriptive translation, insertion of expansions and disambiguations, or consolidation into target-language acronyms where appropriate (e.g., rendering BP [blood pressure] as vérnyomás; and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as COPD).

A dedicated section addresses the translation of pharmaceutical product information documents ‒ a subcategory within medical language ‒ where regulatory constraints and quality expectations are stringent. The paper refers to European Union and Hungarian regulatory requirements and assessment practices for translations, and outlines expectations set by the Hungarian national authority (NNGYK), which include equivalence in content and formatting, avoidance of word-for-word translation, minimization of cognitive effort, adherence to orthographic norms, rejection of machine-only translation, and adherence to guidelines regarding layout and formatting. The paper presents the Table of Acronyms for product Information Texts ‒ a terminology database as well as its user guide, developed jointly by the pharmaceutical industry and the national authority experts in 2022. The resource provides more than 700 English acronyms with corresponding definitions in English and Hungarian and provides the recommended acronym to be used in Hungarian translations. The corresponding user guide includes practical rules such as defining acronyms at first mention, hyphenation with nouns and suffixes, article selection before acronyms, and punctuation constraints.

In summary, the paper confirms that modern language use is inconceivable without lexemes formed through reduction, and that their diversity and versatility make written and spoken communication more efficient. However, their application demands caution: overuse, ambiguity, or the absence of explicit expansion can hinder understanding, thus has the potential to pose risks.

Training and Practice – Translators and Interpreters in the Language Mediation Industry

2025-12-19T12:40:59+00:00

In Hungary, university-level training for language mediators began fifty years ago at the Faculty of Humanities of Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE). For this significant anniversary, the Department of Translation and Interpreting at ELTE conducted a comprehensive survey to examine the career paths of its graduates, their employment in the language industry, and their reflections on the training they received in light of their professional experiences. The survey garnered responses from 381 alumni collected via an online questionnaire through the Department’s alumni mailing lists and various social media platforms. We have already reported on the results concerning the status and professional difficulties of graduates in the translation industry in our previous research paper (Robin, Gabányi and Tóth 2025). Therefore, the aim of this study is to also present the additional reflections of translator and interpreter graduates on the training they received, with particular regard to the applicability of the knowledge provided by the Department in the language industry.

The results show that despite the transformation of the language mediation profession and the rise of artificial intelligence in translation services, the vast majority of graduates start their careers in professional translation and interpreting. At the same time, there is a significant dropout rate among recent graduates and novice language mediators—especially those who find independent freelancing difficult and uncertain, or those who are unable to specialise in a particular field, or do not receive sufficient support. This early attrition is particularly concerning given the increasing demand for adaptable and technologically skilled professionals in the translation and interpreting industry. Respondents expressed concerns about their livelihood and long-term career prospects, especially in light of the rapid advancement of technology and the growing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) in language services. These developments have become defining trends in language mediation, as highlighted in the European Language Industry Survey (ELIS 2025). However, job satisfaction among active professionals remains high, with many citing intrinsic motivation, enjoyment of the work, and opportunities for self-development as key factors in their continued engagement.

Despite the challenges and obstacles, the majority of respondents are satisfied with the skills they acquired and the training they received during their studies at the Department, considering their knowledge to be relevant to the profession and applicable in the language industry. Respondents were most satisfied with the work and expertise of their trainers, as well as the Department's administration and support, while slight criticism was directed at the technological tools used in training and the preparation of students for the language mediation market, providing clear indication for the main areas of development for the Department and other training institutions.

The insights gained from this study can inform the development of translator and interpreter training programmes, helping to better align curricula with the realities of the language industry. By incorporating more practical, market-relevant components—such as specialisation options, business training, and international project experience—training institutions can better prepare students for the challenges of the profession. Furthermore, fostering long-term engagement through alumni networks, postgraduate opportunities, and collaboration with professional associations can enhance graduates’ resilience and adaptability in a rapidly changing industry. Ultimately, the findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the structural and individual factors that influence career sustainability in the field of language mediation. They also offer practical recommendations for improving graduate employability and supporting the long-term sustainability of the profession in Hungary and beyond.

Performance Testing of Machine Translation Engines Based on Different Domain-Specific Texts

2025-12-19T12:40:59+00:00

The rapid development and spread of digital technologies – most notably artificial intelligence – have brought about a profound transformation in the translation industry, fundamentally reshaping translation workflows and professional practices. One of the most significant advances has been the rise of neural machine translation (NMT) engines, which have vastly improved upon earlier rule-based and statistical systems. These modern systems are now capable of producing target-language output that demonstrates markedly better performance in terms of grammar, adherence to language norms, and overall fluency and readability, even in the context of the Hungarian language (Prószéky 2021, Laki and Yang 2022a). Given these significant improvements, it is not surprising that general neural translation engines have become an integral part of contemporary translation workflows, not only within professional language services but also among everyday users (Sulyok 2023, Seresi 2025, ELIS 2025). These tools offer increased efficiency and accessibility, reducing the time and cost associated with human translation. However, despite their widespread use, questions remain regarding the suitability and effectiveness of these translation engines across different domains. It is particularly unclear which systems perform best when translating specialised texts that require domain-specific terminology, stylistic conventions, and a deeper understanding of content.

This exploratory study seeks to examine whether the performance of widely used general-purpose NMT engines varies depending on the domain of the source text. Specifically, the research investigates the English-to-Hungarian output of four prominent neural translation systems—Google Translate, DeepL, eTranslation, and Globalese—when applied to texts from three distinct subject areas: social sciences, economics, and information technology. To assess the text-quality of the machine-generated translations, the study employs the MQM Core error typology (Lommel 2018), a widely accepted framework for evaluating translation quality across multiple linguistic dimensions. By identifying and analysing the types and frequency of errors in the translated output, the research aims to reveal patterns of strengths and weaknesses in each engine’s handling of specialised, domain-specific content. The findings are intended to provide guidance for professional translators and language service providers. By identifying which engines perform most reliably for specific domains and subject areas, translators can make more informed choices when integrating machine translation into their workflows. Moreover, the present study highlights the persistent challenges in specialised translation that remain difficult for NMT systems to resolve, such as handling of technical terminology, coherence, and context sensitivity.

Training on the Go: The Use of E-ink Devices in Translator Training

2025-12-19T12:40:59+00:00

In contemporary education and professional life, digital technology has become an indispensable tool in nearly all areas of activity, including work, study, and leisure. Devices such as computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, along with a wide range of software and applications are used daily for regulating systems, maintaining records, producing and revising texts, and translating between languages. This study focuses on the last of these activities, translation and aims to explore a novel technological device, the e-ink tablet, as an educational aid in higher education translation training. The e-ink tablet resembles an A4 or B5 paper notebook in size and offers a paper-like display that allows handwriting with a stylus in multiple colours. Its screen is easy on the eyes and never “runs out of pages,” while also providing a sustainable, lightweight, and portable alternative to traditional notebooks. Furthermore, it integrates a variety of intelligent applications that can support teaching and learning processes. The purpose of this paper is to present these features with a particular focus on translation pedagogy and to describe a pilot translation task that demonstrates the potential benefits of incorporating this device into translator training.

The authors of the present study are translation and interpreting instructors who observed a growing number of students using e-ink tablets in the classroom, either alongside or in place of laptops and conventional tablets. Students report that e-ink tablets replicate the visual and tactile qualities of paper, allowing them to write with a stylus while benefiting from a digital device’s extensive storage capacity and sustainability advantages. These features make the e-ink tablet a promising hybrid between traditional and digital learning tools. Recent research (e.g. Saghar et al. 2023) also highlights its ecological advantages, positioning it as a sustainable educational resource. While previous studies have explored the role of tablets in interpreter training, focusing on note-taking, digital portfolios, and classroom process documentation (Arumí and Sánchez-Gijón 2019; Drechsel and Goldsmith 2020; Wang et al. 2023), very little research has addressed their application in translator training, particularly in the context of e-ink display devices. This paper seeks to fill this research gap by examining how e-ink tablets can enhance the development of translation competence and digital literacy among students, as well as how their integration can contribute to the professional digital competence of instructors.

The paper first provides an overview of the main technical and pedagogical features of e-ink tablets, followed by a discussion of how these can be integrated into the learning process to support cognitive and metacognitive aspects of translation training. Next, it presents the design and implementation of a simplified, idealized translation task conducted as a pilot project. Through this case study, the paper illustrates how e-ink tablets can serve as effective tools for reflection, revision, and documentation in the translation classroom, enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes. The results suggest that e-ink tablets can bridge the gap between analogue and digital translation workflows by combining the advantages of handwriting-based cognitive processing with the organizational and accessibility benefits of digital technologies. As such, the study encourages both translation teachers and students to experiment with this innovative device, which may enrich traditional pedagogical approaches and contribute to more sustainable, flexible, and interactive learning environments in translator education.

The Practice and Strategies of Retranslation – Lessons from an Interview Study

2025-12-19T12:40:59+00:00

Our starting point in examining the practice and strategies of retranslation is the following two questions: what do we mean by retranslation, and what justifies the creation of retranslations? A review of the literature reveals questions surrounding the definition of retranslation and explores the various motivations behind retranslations, as well as reasons that legitimize the creation of new translations. The definition of retranslation is still debated in the literature today: retranslation can be interpreted chronologically, focusing on the fact that it follows the previous translation in time. At the same time, Peeters and Van Poucke (2023) emphasize that the definition of retranslation may also focus on the fact that the retranslated text is new and different from the previous one. Regarding motivations behind retranslations, it is crucial to note that although the retranslation process is difficult to justify from the perspective of a reader who is not translation-conscious (Kappanyos 2023), we can still identify five different reasons behind retranslation. First and foremost, there can be errors, omissions, and over-translations in the previous translation; we can also mention the aging of the translation; changes in the source language text; the unexpected success of the work; and, ultimately, the idea that each generation must retranslate its classics.

The pilot study seeks to answer the following questions: What strategies do translators use in the retranslation process? How does the process of retranslation differ from that of the first translation? The strategies and working methods used in retranslation constitute an area that cannot be explored solely through the examination of the target language text. For this reason, the interview research presented in the study, conducted with four renowned literary translators, provides an opportunity to form a realistic picture of the process of retranslation, of today's expectations of textual fidelity, and literary translators' relationship to and use of previous translations. All of the literary translators participating in the research, by name Péter Ádám, Ildikó Lőrinszky, Kornélia Kiss, and Júlia Jancsó translated 20th-century French novels into Hungarian that already had previous Hungarian translations. The results of the interview research highlight that the four literary translators use different strategies in the retranslation process, using the previous translation of the given work in different ways: while some literary translators do not use the previous translation at all in their own work, others report that the previous translation is a huge help, as it can be used for proofreading. In addition, the literary translators unanimously agreed that the first translations, produced in the 20th century no longer meet today's standards, and therefore retranslation is what can restore and authentically convey the author's intention to Hungarian readers. Although the interview protocol did not address the importance of critical editions, this issue nonetheless emerged as a significant finding of the research. In the case of certain works, the need for retranslation was not only justified by changes in standards and the "aging" of the translation, but also by changes in the source text itself. In some cases, the first translator would have had access to the critical edition, but used an earlier edition instead, while in other cases, the first translation predates the publication of the critical edition. In such cases, the new translator can work with a revised, critical edition and thus present an improved version to the Hungarian audience. Based on the results of the interview research, it can be stated that, in the eyes of the literary translators participating in the research, textual fidelity is the most important factor, and they are aware of the great responsibility that literary translators have in the reception history of a work: the interviewees strive to convey what the author created in the source text authentically, both in terms of content and style.

TransELTE 2025.

2025-12-19T12:40:58+00:00

Az ELTE Fordító- és Tolmácsképző Tanszéke idén 27. alkalommal rendezte meg hagyományos fordítástudományi konferenciáját, amely a Professzionális és nem professzionális nyelvi közvetítés a mesterséges intelligencia korában címet kapta.

Language Use and Language Teaching in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. 30th Congress of Hungarian Applied Linguistics.

2025-12-19T12:40:58+00:00

A MANYE-Kongresszus 2025-ben 30. alkalommal került megrendezésre április 14-én és 15-én. Központi témája a nyelvhasználat és nyelvoktatás helyzete volt a mesterséges intelligencia korában. A Kongresszus 1991 óta évente, 2015 óta kétévente kerül megrendezésre. Az idei MANYE konferencia jubileumi alkalmat ünnepelt, ugyanis ez volt a 30. kongresszus, ahol a magyar alkalmazott nyelvészek és nyelvtanárok összejöhettek az addigi eredményeiket bemutatni, megtárgyalni és kapcsolatokat ápolni. Többek között a kerek évforduló miatt is külön öröm volt,
hogy a kongresszust – a 2015-ös kolozsvári konferencia után immár második alkalommal – egy határon túli város egyetemén, az eszéki Josip Juraj Strossmayer Tudományegyetem Bölcsészettudományi Karán rendezték meg.

Xiangdong Li: Mapping the Research Landscape of Interpreter and Translator Education Current Themes and Future Directions

2025-12-19T12:40:58+00:00

A kötet célja szisztematikusan feltárni és bemutatni, hogy a fordítás- és tolmácsoktatás területén melyek a releváns kutatási témák, és melyek lehetnek a jövőbe mutató kutatási irányok. A kötetet tizenkét fejezetre osztotta a szerző a fordítás- és tolmácsoktatás legfontosabb témakörei alapján.

Drahota-Szabó Erzsébet: Fordíthatóság, fordíthatatlanság és ami közötte van. A kultúraspecifikus nyelvi elemek átültetéséről

2025-12-19T12:40:58+00:00

Drahota-Szabó Erzsébet Fordíthatóság, fordíthatatlanság és ami közötte van című, A kultúraspecifikus nyelvi elemek átültetéséről alcímet viselő kötete 2015-ben jelent meg Szegeden, a Grimm Kiadó gondozásában. A művet Albert Sándor lektorálta, akinek munkássága, fordításelmélettel kapcsolatos írásai (Albert 2003, 2009, 2011, 2012), és az állandósult kifejezések fordítási problémáiról született munkája (Albert 2013) Drahota-Szabó Erzsébet kultúraspecifikus nyelvi elemek fordításáról szóló, jelen recenzióban ismertetett művében is jelentős elméleti alapot nyújtanak.
A szerző a mű bevezetőjében is köszönetet mond Albert Sándornak, aki figyelmét a legfontosabb kérdésre irányította: „Mit profitál ebből a könyvből a fordítástudomány?”

Summaries in English

2025-12-18T22:05:37+00:00

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2025-12-18T22:05:37+00:00

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