The Facts
On Thursday, the British Museum apologized to Chinese-Canadian writer Yilin Wang for using her translations without attribution in the museum's temporary exhibition China's Hidden Century.
In a statement, the museum said that permissions and acknowledgment for Wang's translations "had been inadvertently omitted" due to an "unintentional human error" and that it has offered financial payment.
The Spin
Narrative A
The exhibition involved over 100 scholars from 14 countries, so it's possible the museum's staff erred in giving Wang credit. The British Museum's apology highlights it didn't intend to plagiarize the translations, and it has already made amends by offering to compensate for Wang's work.
Narrative B
The museum's response sounds passive, lacks accountability, and undermines the labor and artistic expertise Wang put into the translations. It highlights the larger and long-lasting issue of translators' work being obscured and uncredited — especially the work of women and people of color.
