Bateman Simone
Centre de Recherche Médecine, Sciences, Santé, Santé Mentale, Société (CERMES3), CNRS, Villejuif, France.
Reprod Biomed Soc Online. 2020 Oct 14;11:30-41. doi: 10.1016/j.rbms.2020.09.002. eCollection 2020 Nov.
This article addresses the challenges and benefits derived from having to present social science research in another language than one's usual working language. As objects of study are, in part, moulded by language, translation becomes an invaluable opportunity for critical reflection on our epistemic choices. The article thus proposes a brief inquiry into the words we use, in French and in English, to describe and discuss issues in assisted reproductive technology, or medically assisted procreation as one would say in French. The article first explores similarities and differences in the generic terms used in each language to refer to this area, and discusses the verbs used to describe different facets of the reproductive process. It then proposes a short discussion of two terms often used interchangeably in both languages, 'reproduction' and 'procreation', and introduces a third term, ('engendering') that has recently emerged in France as an alternative concept. The conclusion points to the impact that technology may have on the issues considered worthy of attention, and on the meaning of certain words, as reproductive acts are displaced from the body to the laboratory. It also urges greater attention to how language affects the way we conceptualize reproductive practices and issues, and to how we deal with these differences in international encounters.
本文探讨了用非日常工作语言呈现社会科学研究带来的挑战和益处。由于研究对象部分地由语言塑造，翻译成为对我们认知选择进行批判性反思的宝贵契机。因此，本文提议简要探究一下我们用法语和英语来描述和讨论辅助生殖技术（或者如法语所说的医学辅助生育）相关问题时所使用的词汇。文章首先探究了每种语言中用于指代该领域的通用术语的异同，并讨论了用于描述生殖过程不同方面的动词。接着，文章对两种语言中经常互换使用的两个术语“reproduction”（繁殖）和“procreation”（生育）进行了简短讨论，并引入了第三个术语“engendering”（产生），该术语最近在法国作为一个替代概念出现。结论指出，随着生殖行为从身体转移到实验室，技术可能会对那些被认为值得关注的问题以及某些词汇的含义产生影响。它还敦促人们更加关注语言如何影响我们对生殖实践和问题的概念化方式，以及我们在国际交流中如何处理这些差异。
