An art that translates into words
"Talent alone cannot create a master. To become a master in the art of translation, a translator also requires solid training."
And Charles Le Blanc knows what he's talking about. He is not only a professor at the University of Ottawa's School of Translation and Interpretation (STI) but also a renowned translator and author of Le complexe d'Hermès, regards philosophiques sur la traduction, which garnered rave reviews and earned Le Blanc a place among the finalists for a 2009 Governor General's Literary Award.
"The STI trains translators for the Canadian job market. However, our graduate programs play a leading role in creating future generations of translation scholars and theorists, the thinkers of tomorrow."
Created in 1971, the STI is now one of the leading translation schools in the world. The School has set itself apart from others by the multitude of language specialties of its teaching staff and its innovative programs. For example, the brand new master's program in literary translation allows students to submit a literary translation for their master's project, a first in Canada.
Professor Le Blanc is clearly very proud of the School's vibrancy. He is currently working on a project that would raise the school's profile even more by making it home within the next 25 years to one of the richest collections of books that have influenced the history of translation. Stay tuned!
By Sophie Coupal
Published: January 2010