The Asociación Cubana de Traductores e Intérpretes (ACTI) may be unknown to some, but for those who were professionally trained with the graphemes, phonemes, and syntax of their mother tongue and a foreign language, ACTI means family, fellowship, solidarity, respect, and so much more. Today, with the media reporting information from specialists practically in real time, professional translators, interpreters, and terminologists face a tremendous challenge.
The significant job these professionals do may go unnoticed by the younger generations, who were born in the digital age and have allowed themselves to be lulled into believing that translators can be replaced by a machine. So, it is worth wondering: would humanity have evolved in the same way without the translations of great thinkers like Socrates, Plato, or Aristotle? For better or worse, we would probably have been content to receive the message from whoever was able to relay it. The truth is that a translator’s role goes beyond mastering the systems and grammatical structures of one or more languages. Translators, interpreters, and terminologists are sensitive professionals who develop intercultural competences so that they can adapt to other cultures, understand them, and respect them, using language to create a bridge between them.
The 30th anniversary of ACTI was a joyous occasion. Those of us who make up this family have walked a difficult path, but one paved with goodwill and integrity. We are grateful to ACTI’s founders, who saw the need to bring translation professionals together back in the 1980s.
To celebrate this anniversary, various branches held conferences and talks with national and international experts, and organised scientific workshops at university foreign language departments.
We also used digital, print, and TV media to publicise our work.
The main event was a simple but significant meeting held on 14 May in the same place that has always been our home: the ESTI headquarters.
With the same enthusiasm, dedication, and responsibility as the founding members, the current Board of Directors of ACTI and the members of each branch are moving forward in the fascinating world of letters and symbols, to share affection and bring cultures together.
Janet Perodín, ACTI Board member