Lam suggests private translation sector’s development

Agnes Lam

Lawmaker Agnes Lam has suggested that Macau should explore the private translation market in order to supply the city with more translators for a wider set of languages.

In a written inquiry sent to local government, Lam noted that “once the special finance of international commercial arbitration center [policies] are implemented [in Macau], thus bringing in foreign capital and legal research, various matters will require translation. I am afraid that the demand for translators will surpass the over 200 Chinese- Portuguese translators that the public departments [have] hired. More languages might be needed as well.”

Citing research, Lam noted that Macau lacks translation companies, and that customers of these companies are confined to the government itself, gaming operators and their surrounding companies.

Lam noted that “Macau’s translators have uneven quality” due to the fact that a large number of translators have background in translation but lack knowledge regarding the information they translate.

“These translators frequently work in jobs that are not directly related to their professions. Moreover, the salaries of these translators are not high. […] Many are often unrelated to the expertise they have to translate,” said Lam, adding, “in the long term, Macau will need mature translation professionals and a mature translation market.”

Lam brought three questions to the government as well.

The lawmaker asked the government what the current estimates or specific statistics are on employment status, and prospects for Chinese, Portuguese and other language translation students who had graduated from local universities.

“Will the government refer to [foreign] experience and study the introduction of a translation professional verification and certification system in line with international standards?” Lam questioned. “Will the government refer to examples [of other places] in the future to study the introduction of supportive policies and legal norms to encourage professional translation development?”