Finding a Translator for Amani - By *Amani and Marie-Ève Monette

Amani received threatening messages sent by her husband that were almost impossible to translate. They were in a local dialect that none of the translators on the Arabic team could understand fully. Many tried and returned the originals, defeated.

The threatening messages sent by her husband were almost impossible to translate because they were in a local dialect none of the translators on the Arabic team could understand fully. Many tried and returned the originals, defeated. 

As Ayah, Respond’s Arabic Team Lead states, “The messages had a menacing tone, where the man was using his authority, power, and his bad words to threaten his wife and to insult her. I still imagine if we couldn’t find a translator who would understand the text, what would have happened?” 

Ayah finally found a translator capable and willing to do it. Working as a team, they helped each other figure out the content of the messages, and finally completed a good translation that helped Amani as she was filing for divorce. This took them a few days, but they finally sent the translated messages to be used in court. 

Finding the right dialectical match

Unfortunately, this is not the first time Ayah has faced this challenge. Time and time again, she struggled to find a translator or interpreter acquainted with a specific dialect. 

She was more convinced than ever that Arabic-speaking people not only face language but dialectical barriers, making them doubly vulnerable to language violence. Tired of struggling every time a new dialect match was required, she decided to act: 

“I made the decision to hire interpreters and translators from every single country of the Arab world, so I may have a team that is knowledgeable about the various dialects of the Arab countries and know where to find them when I need them.”

That way, when others like Amani reach out for language support, the Arabic team will seamlessly be able to provide it. 

Many of these translators and interpreters will forcibly be themselves systems and financially impacted though. At Respond, our commitment is not only to language justice but also to economic justice, so we need to make sure that we pay them dignified wages for this life-critical dialectical work. 

*Amani’s name was changed for her protection.