My Translation Memories Both Sides of the Atlantic

Let me tell you about my translator’s experience and what I have lived through in the last forty years.It is about the future of Europe, too. While living on both sides of the Atlantic I have learned that if we discuss translation services in Europe we will inevitably mention America. It may sound unbelievable, but the truth is that I have worked on this paper for two decades. Being a young man from Texas, who was living and working in a London translation agency during the cold-war years of the 1970’s and 1980’s, I thought I knew the answers to any Europe’s problem. And I had heard them more than once and in more than one single language, too. But like many American’s of my generation, I had accepted the Reagan doctrine and the sentiment which drove it. It was the time when I also thought that Europeans and Americans had the same interests. Above all, this involved the strong intention to restrain the Soviet Union from exercising control over Europe.

Since I worked for a Washington D.C. Translator agency during the 70s and the 80s, I had the chance to see the things first0hand. There was hardly a day when I did not work with powerful Washington policy institutes and university staff. There I met a number of remarkable conservative, or rather neo-conservative research workers and strategists, whose ideas were getting popularity in the Republican Party. Many of these scientific workers were involved in the administration of George W. Bush as well. Interesting enough is the fact that they used to be social democrats. Their international intelligence was impressive.

The sudden collapse of the Soviet Union brought the cold-war world to an abrupt end. At the time, my job required frequent travels from th U.K. to Oregon and back to the U.K. Since I worked for a Portland Translation Services agency and had quite rich experience in German Translation, I often visited Europe. So I was lucky enough to witness the demolition of the Berlin wall in 1989. For many Europeans, this moment was a turning point in history. It was not only the new future that Europe faced, but also the change into the Atlantic world this symbolic act brought. For, with the Soviet threat removed, Europe, suddenly, was no longer dependent upon the USA its security. Now Europe had the chance to restrict the influence of the USA. This dependence widely reported on German media could literally be translated to “unhealthy dependence”. Many believe this contributed to the growing anti-Americanism at the time. Regardless, Europeans now perceived their opportunity to be relatively independent, to become one of the superpowers.

But when I went to Washington in 1990s, I realized the feelings and the beliefs had changed. I could feel it when communicating with conservative political workers and neo-conservatives, people from the administration of both Bush senior and junior, even with some moderate Democrats. I could even see it in the Seattle Translator agency where I was employed. For example, one of the most appealing qualities of the Americans in the years of cold war was the modesty of behavior and attitude. This was not a noted feature of Europe’s political grandees. But, America’s ‘victory’ in the cold war introduced a new culture. Strong terms like “hegemony” and expressions like “global dominance” by the end of the 90s had come into political vocabulary.