Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic became a significant crisis impacting all spheres of human activity. Communication became one of the spheres that suffered from the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. As a result, during the crisis, social media became one of the most essential tools for aligning professional communication between various individuals representing different spheres. The new challenge promoted the shift from an institutional to a networked communication model in various sectors, including healthcare (Van Dijck & Alinejad, 2022).
Over the past fifty years, conventional models of science communication have been predominantly employed. It was also relevant to translation and the transition of knowledge. The model rested on whom to trust, what to trust, and how trust is built (Van Dijck & Alinejad, 2022). However, the pandemic-triggered crisis altered this approach and promoted a new one.
The networked model of science communication centers on social media and its pivotal role in disseminating information. It follows the 21st century’s trend of shifting from institutional-professional models to networked models of trust (Van Dijck & Alinejad, 2022). This means social media is becoming a central tool in helping resolve the translation and knowledge transition crisis.
Currently characterized by significant challenges, online platforms such as Twitter and social media can serve as levers of trust and distrust in public discussions and knowledge sharing (Van Dijck & Alinejad, 2022). However, due to the growing trend of professionals using social media, the importance of this tool for trustworthy and credible translation has increased. It serves as an essential method for acquiring and transmitting information.
Trust Issues
Moreover, the patterns of translators’ cooperation through social media have altered. It is explained by a different perspective on trust and how it can be built. For instance, information flows during the pandemic are not focused on doctor-patient interaction (Pym & Hu, 2022). Instead, it focuses more on acquiring relevant information from various sources that can help increase awareness and literacy (Pym & Hu, 2022).
Under these conditions, the functioning of forums where individuals from various locations can share, translate, and explain their experiences acquires the top priority. Users can expect the necessary translation of information, which can be viewed as a new medium of interaction and data transition. These forums help address the translation crisis and align communication between specialists globally.
However, the issues of trust remain relevant for translations of this type. In many cases, data should be checked to ensure it is credible and reflects the current situation. Thus, the two-step flow communication model helps address these issues and establish trust (O’Brien, Cadwell, & Lokot, 2022).
Information in networked spaces does not travel in linear ways, as some micro-influences or users communicate with numerous individuals across the globe and possess high credibility and trust (O’Brien et al., 2022). This means that the presence of these users on forums and in discussions between individuals with various levels of knowledge and professionalism can help discover potentially erroneous information in translations and increase their credibility. In this way, the translators’ discussions on various platforms can be viewed as one of the critical tools for increasing the trustworthiness of a new type of data sharing and transfer.
Non-Translator Professional Networks
The crisis caused by the pandemic also revitalized the discussion among non-translator professional networks. The restrictions on physical interactions and travelling resulted in fewer professional conferences and meetings. As a result, communication and data exchange moved to online spaces, such as social media and forums. However, it means that the question of translation’s credibility becomes more important as users should correctly understand the information provided to them and be able to respond to it (Steigerwald et al., 2022).
Using machine translation may be one opportunity for helping to translate data, but the correctness remains one of the essential questions (Steigerwald et al., 2022). The competence of specialists, such as healthcare professionals, plays a vital role in understanding these translations and correcting them (Steigerwald et al., 2022). In this way, forums enable non-translators to communicate and share data effectively.
Non-Specialists’ Involvement
Furthermore, the media and the shift to networked communication models allowed individuals to discuss translations and correct mistakes. For instance, students have always been active users and translators (Yamada, 2019). Possessing the appropriate knowledge of the language and topic under discussion might justify their translation solutions and contribute to facilitating data transmission and exchange (Vottonen & Kujamaki, 2021).
Using specific forums, users delve into the peculiarities of a particular dataset and discuss its relevance in relation to the current situation (Vottonen & Kujamaki, 2021). It contributes to the revitalization of translation during the COVID-19 crisis and helps resolve the problem linked to the lack of professional translation and physical cooperation. The involvement of other parties and users leads to finding new opportunities to translate data and make it available to a broader audience.
Medical Translation
The medical translation during the COVID-19 pandemic also experienced several critical changes. The primary goal of this process is to align communication between various parties and improve outcomes (Luo, 2021). Thus, the power of translation during the pandemic was exceptional as it helped to align interaction between doctors, researchers, and suppliers and create a potent response to the problem (Luo, 2021). However, the crisis showed the deficiencies in the process, such as the lack of trained translators, applications for effective translation, and government involvement (Luo, 2021). As a result, forums and networks such as Twitter played a significant role in sharing knowledge and guaranteeing its availability to a broader audience.
The need to address multilingual and multicultural boundaries during COVID-19 also stimulated a change in the translation sphere. Language interpretation has always helped address and eliminate these barriers (Lundin, Hadziabdic, & Hjelm, 2018). Thus, online interaction became the solution to restrictions on physical contact and provided interpreters and translators with new opportunities to share data (Lipworth, Gentgall, Kerridge, & Stewart, 2020). As a result, online interactions became more frequent and significant.
Conclusion
Altogether, the pandemic crisis seriously challenged all spheres of human activity. Translation, one of the significant interaction mechanisms between individuals from various countries, has also experienced specific hardships. The reduced workload and stress contributed to the emergence of new forms of interaction (European Commission, 2022). The previous models are replaced with networked ones, resting on building trust through interaction, discussion, and communication. It helped meet the pandemic’s challenges and ensure effective data translation and transmission.
At the same time, there are problems such as credibility issues and the lack of professional translators. They are addressed by forums and social networks, allowing users to interact with informed or educated individuals and build trust. In such a way, social media and forums might be viewed as tools to address and resolve the translation crisis.
References
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Vottonen, E., & Kujamaki, M. (2021). On what grounds? Justifications of student translators for their translation solutions, The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 15(3), 306-325.
Yamada, M. (2019). Language learners and non-professional translators as users. In M. O’Hagan (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of translation and technology (pp. 183-201). New York, NY: Routledge.