To Be a Good Translator
By Leila
Razmjou
BA in English Translation
MA in Applied Linguistics (TEFL
)
Iran
leilarazmjou@yahoo.com
Source: Translation
Directory
Paper presented at the Second International Conference on "Critical Discourse Analysis: the Message of the Medium" in Yemen, Hodeidah University, October, 2003
In addition to being a member of
our country, we are members of the world community, and this gives us a global
identity. Therefore, it is quite natural for us to think about world affairs and
cooperate in solving the world's problems. To do so, the first and most
important tool is "language," which is socially determined. Our beliefs and
ideologies are always reflected in our way of talking, although the connections
are hidden and only "critical language study" reveals these hidden connections
in discourse.
A nation's culture flourishes by interacting with other cultures. |
Furthermore, we know that a nation's culture flourishes by interacting with other cultures. Cultural variety opens our eyes to human rights, but cultural variety can only be recognized through discussions, which leads us back to the major tool for discussion: "language."
The role of language in the developing world is materialized through "translating," and since critical language study is concerned with the processes of producing and interpreting texts and with the way these cognitive processes are socially shaped, it can be considered as an alternative approach to translation studies.
The world is becoming smaller and smaller as the systems of communication and information are developing and becoming more and more sophisticated. In the process of such a rapid exchange of information and for the purpose of improving cultural contacts, one thing is inevitable, and that is "translating." This is why there is a need for competent translators and interpreters.
As mentioned earlier, the whole world is undergoing complex changes in different areas such as technology and education. These changes necessarily have an important bearing on systems of higher education, including translator training programs.
According to Shahvali (1997), theoretical knowledge and practical skills alone are not adequate to prepare students to face the developments in the field. There is a need for ability to adapt; therefore, it is necessary to focus on students' self-updating and to develop their relevant mental, communicative, and planning skills.
ادامه مطلب ...
What Makes a Translator?
By Brett Jocelyn Epstein
bjepstein@gmail.com
www.brettdaniel.net
Source: Translation
Directory
The "prison of language is only temporary…someday a merciful guard ? the
perfect translator ? will come along with his keys and let us out," Wendy Lesser
wrote in an article, "The Mysteries of Translation," in the Chronicle of Higher
Education in 2002. The following questions remain, however: Who is this
translator? What does he do? And what skills should he possess?
Simply
put, a translator is a person who recreates a text in another language,
attempting to keep a delicate balance between being so literal that the text
sounds awkward and unnatural in the new language or being so free that the text
has become virtually unrecognizable. A translator has to not only translate the
words, but also the concepts. In other words, a translator unlocks the prison of
language, as Ms. Lesser said, and helps a text break free of its limited
original language, culture, and audience. This service is an unfortunately
under-appreciated art and craft.
To do all the above, a translator must
have the following things: a native or near-native level of proficiency in both
the source language (the language to be translated from) and the target language
(the language to be translated to); the ability to thoroughly understand all
that a text says and implies; and excellent writing and editing skills. Ideally,
the translator would also have a lot of knowledge about both the source and
target language cultures, as this affects word usage and meaning, as well as
about the author of the original document and his style of writing.
It
all sounds rather formidable, certainly, but not impossible. There are, in fact,
many excellent practitioners out there who fulfill these hefty requirements, but
the tiny number of translated books published in the United States each year
reveals the sad fact that few people take up this challenging and stimulating
work. If only more people would join the ranks of translators and help unlock
the prison of language.