Translation Workshop: Learning Outcome

Hello Friends,

This blog is my response to the task assigned to us by our Prof. Dr. Dilip Sir in thinking activity on the translation workshop which was organized in our department on 3rd January 2022 Monday and the guest speaker of this workshop was Dr. Vishal Bhadani. So here are answers to some questions and my learning outcome in those answers. 

Q-1 Has your understanding of translation improved?

A-1 Yes, There is lots of improvement in my understanding of translation. At first, it seemed to me that translation is very easy. Initially, some sentences and words are easy but as we go deeper then come to the challenges, then we realize that translation is not as easy as a jam sandwich. It needs lots of practice. Rightly said,

"Practice makes a man perfect"

So, translation needs lots of practice like Mathematics.

It's more of Passion, Patience, Perseverance, Planning, Practice, Positivity, Persistence, Pondering, and much more. 

One needs to have knowledge of various different fields like Science, Medical, Engineering, Law, Commerce, Banking, Finance, Politics, Astronomy, Journalism, and for that lots of reading is required. 

It's like a game, starting levels are easy ones but as we go forward to a higher level then the difficulty level also increases. One has to be very careful or sometimes while doing translation we may change the meaning of the original text. So, the basic thing while doing the translation is that the essence should remain the same. We don't have to translate the words but the meaning, the context, the essence. 

Some basic things that one needs for translation are a dictionary, thesaurus, and above all fluency in both languages. 

Q-2 Can you write about translation in terms of metaphors?

A-2 Yes, there can be many metaphors for translation. I would like to use "Mango drink" for translation.

1. Mango drink

As mango is generally available in the summer season, so work is written in the language known to the author. To get to know that in another language is like wanting a mango taste in other seasons. For that, someone has to translate it. So, translation is like a mango drink that one can enjoy in any season at any time. One can get the taste of mango at any time even if seasonal mangoes are not available. So, if some text is written in a foreign or an unknown language then a translation can help one to understand the content of it. But there is always some difference between the original and translation. But still, it can be very helpful. It's better to have something than nothing.

2. Photos

Just as no one can replace a person, no two people have the same fingerprints, we all are unique, have different mentalities, different ways of thinking, different ideas, so everyone is special in their own way. So, the original text is original, and the translation is like a photocopy of it. It's like a photo, it adds to our memories. When people go traveling or doing some tasks then photos help to preserve those memories. It helps to improve, gives motivation, and helps in the documentation.  So, here we get another metaphor for translation.

Just as photos add to our memories and one can go back in the past again, similarly, translation is a boon to those who don't know the original language. It's difficult to learn many languages but working in a single global language can help to get the required information or anything to read even for entertainment. 

3. Spectacles 

When natural eyes don't function as precisely as they should then spectacles help to get a clear vision. For example, if someone has poor eyesight then it's not possible to see far-off objects like stars, planes, etc. Then after wearing spectacles of proper number can help to get a clear vision. But there are precautions to be taken like one needs to get the exact number from the ophthalmologist. Wrong numbered glasses cannot give a clear vision. Similarly, while doing translation one has to be very careful in selecting the words and not to change the original meaning that the author wants to convey. There is always an option and a solution to each and everything. If one doesn't know the language then translation helps just as when one has weaker eyesight then spectacles help. 

Q-3 What according to you is the most difficult aspect of practical translation?

A-3 The most difficult aspect of practical translation is to translate the songs and poems. The original work has rhythms, rhyming words, and some messages to convey. Now while translating that piece of words it's difficult to maintain all things like meaning, rhythm, and use of same images like rainbow sometimes in translation becomes a peacock. But there is a difference between rainbow and peacock. So, to maintain the essence sometimes words are changed and along with it the images also change. So to translate a poem or song lots of expertise is needed.

Q-4 Learning outcome from the workshop.

A-4 Translation is not so easy but with years of practice, one can gain expertise in it. It's a multidisciplinary approach and so readings from other disciplines are also required to get to the core of some concepts and things. The translation is like finding better versions of the source text. Translators keep traveling between two worlds. In fact, the translator can study a text better than any critic. A thorough reading and understanding is an essential requirement before translating any text. Nowadays computer translation can help us to do translation much faster but machine translation can not always replace human translators. 

A translator has to think 16 steps ahead like Sherlock Holmes. Because one move changes the entire track of the game. So if one goes on the wrong track then it is very difficult to get back on right track. It changes the entire course of the process. A translator has to be creative and poetic while doing the translation. It is a play of words and one has to choose the words that fit exactly like that of a puzzle game or it will not give the correct precise picture. 

★ Career Opportunities ★

There are many career opportunities in this field. And the office is our own home, fields, hills, or any place of our choice. Good translators are good travelers, explorers. Literature or any text for translation, the work is unlimited, so there is a huge demand for translators. Some people don't know the Gujarati language so for the official documents and other literary works, translation is required and here translators play a vital role. They get good better income and many times even better than jobs. One is one's own boss and can give the best as it has many benefits. Lots of spirit and passion are required, if one is interested in any work then it becomes a passion but if any work is done out of force and compulsion then it becomes burdensome. 

Thank you.