Creative characteristics of specialised translation

The creative aspects of specialised translation are explored here through the perceptions of translation professionals employed in various roles in the translation industry. Most of the interviewees supported the view that translation can be described as a creative task in accordance with the current understanding of professional creativity. Interviewees identified creative task elements related to changed content, linguistic forms and problem-solving. Translational creativity was considered to be limited by several factors such as the technological tools being used, although the use of tools was also seen as requiring creativity. Different text genres were considered to require different kinds of creativity, and individual translators were also seen to possess varying creative abilities. It was therefore suggested that in translation project management, selecting translation professionals who have a suitable set of creative abilities is a critical step. It seems that a narrow definition of translation may lead to a critical view of whether translation is inherently creative work, while recognising the diversity of translational tasks facilitates a more positive view.