Editorial

In his recent volume mapping The New World Order, Joel Kotkin suggests that the world is no longer divided along binary East-West or poor-rich zones of influence. Instead, it takes the multipolar shape of tribal groups linked or opposed by culture and language. Indosphere, Sinosphere and Anglosphere are the most powerful of these numerous moving entities which communicate intra and interlinguistically as well as interculturally. The statistics revealed by Kotkin’s research team are eloquent: for instance, those with a common colonial past, sharing cultural, social or religious values trade 188% more than those with separate histories. The complex economic interdependencies ruling countries’ races for power and determining the scientific, economic and cultural growth that shapes our world depend on the effectiveness of communication and translation. In many respects, the contemporary geography of human knowledge also offers a map of specialised spheres, which intersect and need to understand each other. The field of IT, for instance, permeates most other specialised fields and needs to be understood across specialisms.

Terminology and Phraseology, in this era of intense specialisation and expanding technologies, are therefore not only developing quantitatively as new fields and expertises are born, but also evolve to respond to interdisciplinary demands and desires. Until recently, terminology was considered as a rather closed discipline, limited to the study of terms, specific concepts and meanings.  Yet it does not only refer to disciplining words and managing them, but is crucial to the articulation of new ideas in multicultural, multidisciplinary and multilingual communication. Margaret Rogers, founder member of the Association for Terminology and Lexicography and founder and co-ordinator of the Terminology Network at the Institute of Translation and Interpreting until 2011 is particularly well placed to guest edit this issue. Her long-term experience in and in-depth conceptual knowledge of these areas, combined with her dual background in Terminology and Translation Studies, have allowed her to produce a unique and rich volume which we are proud to host.

Three interviews also broaden the perspective of this issue: Michael Cronin discusses the meaning of authenticity in the global framework of communication with Dionysios Kapsaskis; Myriam Salama-Carr reflects on recent developments in Translation Studies, specialised translation and scientific discourse; Margaret Rogers interviews a freelance technical translator, David Bennett, on the nature of his work.

Finally, JoSTrans welcomes Łucja Biel in her new capacity as deputy editor. She joins the team of dedicated professionals who make this publication possible and enjoyable.
Lucile Desblache