Welcome to the Lingua translation project’s brand new website

The home page of the new Lingua project site.

Translation is a powerful tool for building bridges across different nationalities, cultures, identities and backgrounds. After all, if we want information to open people’s minds, it has to be available in a language that they speak. And translation is also a complex art that requires a high degree of creativity and critical thinking — no two translations will be exactly alike. As translation scholar Bijay Kumar Das put it, a “translator is a reader, an interpreter and a creator – all in one.”

At Global Voices, we’ve long believed that translators are indeed interpreters and creators who deserve recognition for their work. That’s why since the launch of the Lingua project in 2006, translators have been credited for the stories that they translate with their name and profile photo right up at the top next to the author’s name and profile photo – equal size and standing for both. It might seem like common sense, but it’s far from a universally adopted standard, both in the media and in the translation industry at large. Not to mention that Lingua translators in the Global Voices community have just as much of a say in the organization's direction as any other member.

Still, there’s more that we can do to make sure that translators have their spot in the sun, which is why we’re launching this website. Global Voices has 50 different language sites, each with varying degrees of activity. The work of Lingua translators appears on the individual site that corresponds to the target language of their translation. Now, the Lingua translation project itself has a subdomain just like other initiatives at Global Voices, a central place all our own to discuss issues of translation, share experiences and resources, and recognize our volunteer translators.

On that last note, one thing you’ll find on this website is a section called “Translated Story Spotlight.” Once a quarter, the Lingua project's Translation Managers will select one or two outstanding translations from their team members that deserve a special round of applause, and those translations will appear in that section and on the home page. The inaugural batch of translations are already featured there, so be sure to browse through them. As well, check out the list below of translators whose work was nominated.

And stay tuned to this website for more news, reflections, resources and celebration!