Translation as a test of language vitality

All the papers in this collection examine various aspects of the theory and practices of the translation system adopted by the EU institutions as an instrument to implement their policy of multilingualism. My own paper adopts an ecological perspective with a view to providing an overview of how translation, rather than being a neutral operation free of ideological implications, can seriously impact on the ecosystem of the languages involved. This is certainly the case when a translation approach neglects the resources of the target language and ignores the models of its native speakers. In this sense, translation can function as a test of language vitality and a mirror of an organisation's real commitment to multilingualism. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.