There are no hard and fast rules--that I'm aware of--for the inclusion of a translator's name in a printed piece of translated work. Here are some guidelines I have picked up over the years. Feel free to contribute your own.
- It wouldn't make sense to name the translator when you wouldn't think to name the author, like with instructions or ad copy.
- Translators typically aren't named when doing so would detract from, or possibly raise questions about, the quality and content of the translated text itself, as with a religious tract, because the text is the message, not the persons involved in producing it. (This is different from the question of bias, which is addressed below.)
- The translator shouldn't be named when the translator doesn't want to be named.
- Do name the translator when the work requires artistic or literary skills (beyond the basic applied knowledge of two languages).
- Do name the translator when by doing so the prestige of the work is enhanced, such as when a famous author serves as translator.
- When the name of the translator is attached to a particular bias or position on an issue, you may include the name to alert the readers to the potential for bias in the translation, or exclude it to remove suspicion. Personally, I favor full disclosure in such a case.
That's all that come to mind now. As I said, I welcome more.
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