Of Translation Indranil Sarkar

"Translation is like a woman. If it is beautiful, it is not faithful. If it is faithful,

it is most certainly not beautiful." Yevgeny Yevtushenko (Russian Poet)

1. Etymology and meaning: The term Translation has been derived from the Latin term translatio meaning to carry across. It is a process of re-languaging of any Text. English has derived two ways of translation following the ancient Greeks. These are literal or word to word translation technically called metaphrasing and

paraphrasing meaning

saying in other words. Metaphrase

represents formal equivalence while Paraphrase is dynamic equivalence.

Translation Process

2.Defn.-Translation is the process of transferring the idea of a source text in one language to make a text in another language. It is the process of making a symmetrical text from a source language to

another language. In general, translation is thus rendering the meaning of a text into another language in the way that the author intended the text. (Newmark 1988, p.5) 3. Types of Translation: - The Russo-American linguist Roman Jacobson opined that translation may be of three types. However, it is to be remembered that there are no two words in any language having exactly the same meaning. Sick is not exactly the same as ill. Similarly, words of any language do not possess the capability of expressing the same sensitivity or the same feeling expressed in another language. This is because of a very big issuethe issue of genetic and climatic factors. The matter would be clear if we consider the general response to heat and cold of people living in the opposite hemispheres of the globe.

Jacobson mentioned his views in a Seminal paper titled On Linguistic aspects of Translation [Jacobson 1959/2000].The three types of translations are--i. ii. iii. Intralingual translation Interlingual translation Intersemiotic translation

Intralingua translation means translation within same language. It is just a rewarding or paraphrasing the original Text. For example, The Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb. Here, Shakespearean plays are translated into modern English. Interlingual translation is when a Text in one language is translated into another language to make another text. For example, Ishwar Chandra VidyaSagars Bhranti Bilas in Bengali from the source text of Shakespeares Comedy of Errors in English. Intersemiotic translation means translation of a verbal sign into a nonverbal sign; that is to create music or an image from a text. The reverse process i, e to create a text from a music or an image is also

becomes intersemiotic translation. This feature has come into prominence in the wake of postmodernity where inter-textuality has become the prime concern. 4. The Babel Myth:-In Book of Genesis (xi: 6-9) there is a story which states that originally there was a single language for the whole of the humanity. But God felt that the single language for the whole of the humanity would make them stronger and as such would pose a positive threat to His omnipotent authority. For this reason He divided man into different linguistic groups. This is called The Babel Myth. However, critics call it simply a myth having no scientific basis. 5. History: - Historically Eugene Nida (1959-1998:12-23) is the first translator. His Septuagint is the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. According to Douglas Robinson, translation started with H.M. Hubbell in 46 B.C.E when he translated Marcus Tullius Ciceros (106-43 B.C.E) De optimo genere oratorum or The Best Kind of Orator. Cicero viewed translation two faceted. It is

either the distinction of word-for word (i, e literal translation or verbum pro verbo) or sense-for-sense (free translation or sensum pro sensu).Translation has become a distinct literary activity since the second half of 20th century. Horace, Pliny, Quintilian, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, John Dryden, Miguel de Cervantes, Novalis, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Aryeh Newman, Ezra Pound, etc, are some of the distinguished theorists and practionars of translation. Translation has become a matter of paramount importance in the present perspective of a globalized world.

Newmarks (1988b: 45- 47) view of the evolution of translation from the 19th century and onwards.

6. Principles for Translation: - A Translator should follow the following principles:-

i.He should keep an eye to accuracy. ii.He must be objective and impartial. iii.He must be free from any motive of fame or profit. iv.He must try to emulate the original style of the author, be it humorous, wordy, with colloquial or scientific language, etc. v.He should translate a Text as a contemporary of the original. 7. Transcription and Transliteration: Transcription in the linguistic sense is the systematic representation of language in written form. The source can either be speech or preexisting text in another language, although some linguists consider only the former to be transcription. Transliteration means representing a text from one script to another. Transliteration is not concerned with representing the phonemics of the original: it only strives to represent the characters accurately. Transliteration is a mapping from one system of writing into another, word by word, or ideally letter by letter. 8. What not to do? - The task of a translator is very difficult. He must be free from personal ego. He should be free from any type of

personal prejudice, hatred, ill-will etc. He must work as an unbiast sage. 9. Conclusion:- "Roger Bacon wrote that if a translation is to be true, the translator must know both languages, as well as the science that he is to translate" [ Kasparek, "The Translator's Endless Toil", pp. 8586] But, Roger Bacons statement is only partially correct. Unless a translator understands the mind behind the source text, he can not be able to represent them correctly. After all, a written text in just like an Iceberg. (Hemingways Iceberg theory) Only 1/8th of the authors vision is visible. The invisible 7/8th is to be understood properly in order to make the translation accurate. That is why a translator must possess wisdom of highest order. Translation is not science. It is the highest form of Arts. So, the translator has to follow scientific means to understand the mind of the author of the Source Text first and then to project them correctly and properly in the Target language. ****

Links; references & Acknowledgements:i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. Diagrams are from Betlem Soler Pardos Translation Studies: An Introduction to the History and Development of (Audiovisual) Translation. www.wikipedia.org www.translationllc.com www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translation_studies www.translation.illinois.edu www.stjerome.co.uk/tsa www.routledge.com/cw/munday-9780415584890 www.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Linguistic_Aspects_of_Translation