ABSTRACT
Global epidemics, and global responses to them, set into motion human networks that are meant to curb the epidemic, heal the sick and help the dying. However, there are often different ways of explaining the epidemic, ‘clashing’ with each other and competing for hegemony in order to maintain control over its spread. In such situations, the concept of ‘culture’ is often invoked, i.e. it is assumed that differences in culture will lead to differences in medical knowledge, and in the perspectives towards disease, illness, body and mind. This foregrounds the role of language within global epidemics and the ways in which language needs to be used efficiently and appropriately in order to convey knowledge about how to prevent infections. The departure point of this contribution is that translation can serve as a useful analytical tool for understanding how medical knowledge is circulated during global epidemics, such as Ebola outbreaks. This contribution will first offer a brief conceptual analysis of the term ‘translation’, discussing some fundamental aspects of the term, in particular ‘translation’ as a means of transferring knowledge from one culture to another and/or from one language to another.
