Exploring Translation Ethics in Fan Translation and Digital Media Environments within a Thai Context
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Abstract
This article describes global ethical translation issues, with a focus on fan translation, a specific type of translation practice, in a Thai context. Translation involves the process of transferring meaning from one language to another. As a social practice, translation is currently being facilitated by technological resources on the Internet. Previous studies of translation ethics have largely focused on codes of conduct within the profession; however, the impact of digital environments has been overlooked. Although the Internet has enabled people to become globally connected despite physical boundaries, users are still influenced by their cultural beliefs. Paying particular attention to the impacts of digital environments and cultures, this article uses ethical pluralism in digital media ethics, an approach suggested by Ess (2006, 2014), to analyse ethical considerations within Thai fan translation practices. The ways in which the industry and fan translators have taken part in audiovisual and novel translations in Thailand show that an ethical pluralistic view may be the most effective way to maintain authorial rights and intellectual property protection as well as the sharing and compassion for communities that are part of the Thai culture.
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