Personal Experience about Translation
Owed to the fact that my native language is English, depending heavily on interpreted content for the greatest part of my life has been inevitable. I always held the assumption that translated text was as good as the primary text. However, some current events have made me realize that this assumption is not true at all times. Though the need for translated text is persistent, I have realized that I can acquire the potentiality to gain a better understanding of the truth by concentrating and scrutinizing other translations of similar text.
Various translations of similar text vary from one another due to several factors. In my experience, the primary factor in determining how an article is translated is the translator’s personal bias and/or agenda. The main reason behind this is the fact that in Urdu and Arabic texts for instance, different definitions may be given for one word, and its prefix/suffix and other factors help the reader to figure out its meaning, depending on how it is placed in the sentence. However, in order to select the appropriate word while translating, the translator does not often rely on the context of the sentence.
If a particular word has two opposite meanings, the one that best coincides with the personal prejudices beliefs of the translator is chosen even in cases where the meaning is in contradiction with the initial text. At times, translators may do this inadvertently. The translator may hold the assumption that the initial content has the same beliefs, and place his or her personal view above the author’s opinion without even realizing it.
The translator’s native language is another key factor that determines the degree of accuracy in a translation. Virtually all languages have subtitles that can only be fully comprehended by the native speakers. Languages may have expressions and phrases that may not be clearly understood by a person who is not a native speaker of the language. When work that is initially in a very expressive language is translated by a translator who is not a native speaker of the language used in the work, the full meanings of the expressions may not be understood.
Despite the fact that the translators may try their level best to translate the texts, they may fail to completely grasp the depth of he words. The result of this is the translation being either inadequate or incorrect. The translators may fail to fully express the meaning of the author’s text, despite getting close to the true meaning, due to lack of full comprehension. Hence, this illustrates the essence of the translator’s native language in determining the degree of accuracy of the text.
The final outcome of a translation may also depend on the method used by the translator. One of the methods that can be used for translating texts is online translation. Online translators do not translate a word depending on its meaning but rather, they translate word by word. The result of this is that though a translation may be technically right, it may be not be accurate. Similarly, if a translation that follows a word to word procedure will have a version similar to that of online translators, which is inaccurate though technically right. A good translator should always strive to find equilibrium between meaning and word to word translation. The translator should also make sure that the translation is not done in accordance to his personal opinion but instead, according to the author’s intended meaning.
It is therefore clear that word to word translation is not the best translation method to use. In order to translate a native language to another language, the translator should first of all practice in a contrary order. For instance, a Chinese who learns to interpret Chinese into English, should at first learn how to translate English into Chinese. This enables the translator to gather and accumulate linguistry as well as improve English application capability.
Through my experience, I have learnt the correlation between paraphrasing and literal translation. Different translators have varying opinions and biases towards the distinction. I personally prefer the use of paraphrasing. I hold the view that translators should try their level best to paraphrase sentences. As mentioned earlier, various languages have varying background. Hence, it is only possible to translate literary, if a translator can not find the right idiom to use in describing the meaning of a foreign sentence or phrase.
Another aspect that I have learnt in my personal experience in translation is how to distinguish a good translation from a bad translation. Though I have the ability to read texts written in other languages, I still greatly depend on translations done in English mainly due to the fact that am not adequately fluent to comprehend the primary texts. For this reason, it is essential to make sure that I get a translation that is extremely close to the original text in terms of meaning. It is essential to have a high level of understanding in order to identify a good translation. Having a full comprehension of both the original and translated text enables one to figure out whether the translation is reliable or unreliable. However, I have come to realize that majority of people can not do this quickly, easily and affordably.
Another alternative way of distinguishing good translation from bad translation is making use of several varying translations of a similar text. Each translator interprets the text in their own distinct way. The combined translations are then used by the translator to identify the true meaning behind a given text. The most important aspect that a translator should keep in mind is the fact that a translation would always remain to be a translation. A translation can never substitute the original text regardless of how good it is. Even if it is solely the author’s unique style of writing, there will always be something missing in the translation.
My experience has taught me something about good translators. In my opinion, beginners should attempt to learn about several theories of translations that were used by popular translators of all times. Theory is similar to a lamp, which gives direction through the translation path. In the process of practicing, a beginner should master the theory. Having rich linguistry of various languages is an added advantage. This should include different grammar structure, cultural background, idiom structure and many other aspects pertaining to a language. Reading widely is essential since it helps in enriching the translator’s mind.
The above information gives a description of my personal experience about translation.
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