Anarcho translation
Anarchists have been avid translators since the nineteenth century and our fondness for it is one of the reasons why our movement has always been so multicultural and international. French to Chinese, Italian to Yiddish, German to Turkish, Spanish to English . . . these are just some of the linguistic crossroads that anarchists have traveled.
Although there will never be a substitute for lived, practical experience with a language, changes in information technologies — the development of the internet, principally — have made translation a far less arduous process than it once was. Online dictionaries and databases, and the ease with which one can reach out to others across the globe, greatly reduce the cultural, grammatical, and lexical challenges that any good translator must face.
Not surprisingly, on the basis of the new technologies, anarchists have been innovators in the development of decentralized, participatory translation strategies. For those interested, below I will list four online resources that I have found valuable (although surely there are many others . . . and I encourage anyone who knows of any to post comments to this post).
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Radical Translator’s Email List — This list is a place for translators to ask questions about idiomatic expressions, grammatical problems, legal concerns, and even job opportunities. The list has a very low volume of activity and most discussions focus on the Spanish/English nexus. For more info, go here: http://www.negations.net/radical-translators-discussion-list/
Notas Rojas — The purpose of this list, according to its organizers, “is to work on collective translations of material from and about radical social movements as well as left theory, in order to contribute in our small way to the circulation of struggles and building relationships across the borders of languages and states. At the moment the list focuses primarily on translation from English into Spanish, but is open to other translation as well.” For more information, see: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/notasrojas
Experimental translations wiki — This a new attempt to facilitate collaborative translation. For more information (and to see an example), go to: https://we.riseup.net/jessecohn/experimental-translation-wiki
Radical translators: resources & discussion — This php forum is a place for radical translators to discuss and help each with translation-related issues: to discuss ways to translate a difficult passage, share tips about helpful tools, post information about job opportunities, or anything else that could make translation easier and more enjoyable. The focus is on Spanish/English translation, but those working in other languages are welcome and encouraged to participate. See: http://www.negations.net/forum/