Basque Translators Studies: The Analysis of a Decade - Xabier Mendiguren

Ten years ago, Euskaltzaindia (The hasque Langage Academy) asked me to carry out the task of creating and put into motion what would later become known as the Martutene Translators School. For this reason, at first I elaborated a dossier-preliminary sketch, published in the magazine Euskara (28/3/80). Once the sketch was published, and after studyind the different Translation and Interpretation Schools of Europe, the first steps are taken to put the Martuene School in motion. We must point out thats this occurs in the contexte of a language in periods of standardization an unification, which decidedly affects the world of Basque Translation; the work of standardization in the different hranches of science, and knowlegde is fundamental in the development of the translation studies.

This way, in 1980 EIOPE ("Euskal Itzultzaileen Oinarrizko Prestakuntzarako Eskola", "Basic Training Schoolfor Basque Translators" ). Although in the hegining it was dependant on Euskaltzaindia, hetwen the years 1980-1982 it passes into the hands of the basque Covernment, it is situated in Martutene, within the premises of a Professional Training School. Within the schools plans, apparttrom conventional teaching (established for three years) was also included the project of carring out investigation plans, the publication of texts and bibliographies (4 book were published, and the magazine Senez come out), the extention of the school to Bilbao, the creation of seminars of Translation from English and French, short intensive courses on retraining, etc.

When it was taken over the hasque Government this was done with the necessary structure and without a clear view of the future; after four c lasses come out, the economic prohlems, the lack of an academic qualifiction make the developed sektch disappear; of the five original teachers there are only two left, if the school is not to disappear, the disigning of a simpler and less ambitious project is needed.

In the years 88-89 the courses or writing and interpretation. Fropm the hasis that a translator is a gook reader and a good writer, and that nowadays, and more in our context, the figure of a proof reader is as important as that of a translator, I year intensive courses are organized; they have, on the one hand, the purpose of delving into Basque langage, and on the other hand, with respect to translations theory and prantice are brought into account. The commentari of texts is carried out, and the students' knowledge is developed. They must also have knowledge of the bibliography in reference to the theme that the school has put together over the years.

Lastly, although the initial aims have not heen reached at the heginning, due to the aforementioned prohlems, we will say that an important achievement is the facto of having surpassed a futile linguisticism an "philologicism" giving way to the funcional stylistic, to the analysis of speech, and the continuous criticism of the use of the language.