Most of the time, translation is a peaceful and positive endeavor. Particularly in medical translation fields, clients and service providers view translation as a way to reduce human suffering around the world. Every once in a while, this idyllic situation gets jarring jolt.
That happened earlier today when I read how animal rights activists are suspected of targeting Novartis' CEO by burning down a house of his and desecrating the grave of his mother.
It reminds me how we received angry emails after promoting a series of audio conferences that touched on European regulatory updates related to animal and human tissue. Similarly, when we were talking to a particular prospect about taking on their translation work, they outright warned us that by working with them, we would become the target of animal rights protesters.
Unfortunately, in war zones translators get threatened or even killed. But in medical translation?
I sympathize with folks targeted by organizations like Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty. It's highly disconcerting when a conflict becomes personal.
At the same time, I understand where animal rights activists come from. As BNET's blog entry points out, if you want to spend an uncomfortable half hour figuring out what HLS is all about, check out Wikipedia.
Where do you stand on this? Do you avoid controversial topics in your work or do you take a damn the torpedoes approach?
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WRT Anonymous' comment "if I knew a customer of mine was involved in animal abuse... never work for that customer again" - well, wouldn't we all? It depends what you class as abuse. Unnecessary cosmetics testing on animals? A restaurant that prepares lobsters in the traditional way (by boiling them alive?) Legally required animal tests on investigational medicinal products? Companies in the fur trade? Companies in the leather trade? Abbatoirs? Meat eaters? Wearers of leather shoes? Users of medicines that have been tested on animals (i.e. any medicine at all)?
It's a meaningless statement, as everyone has their own definition of what counts as abuse.