In an economy in which the private sector and academia increasingly consider cooperation in research and training as the logical choice in the name of efficiency, it is puzzling to note that translation, a field of research and study aimed at building bridges over cultural
differences, has been failing so miserably at creating the type of rapprochement and mutual understanding that is so desperately required to ensure that the needs of a
growing industry and field of research are met. This paper is an attempt to understand why translation scholars and translator employers have such strong views about each
other and how these views are the symptom, not the cause, of such mutual misunderstanding.
It will be argued that the reason why this gap exists is that the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of each party are not clearly defined, and that the success of the
(life-long) pedagogical endeavour rests in the establishment of a climate of trust and cooperation
between academia and the translation industry. In conclusion, we will suggest a number of initiatives that might help alleviate the situation.
