Translations or trans-distortions?

In this week's column, I want to revisit the earlier explored theme of translations specifically from English into vernacular and vice versa. This is necessitated in the light of monumental blunders committed almost daily in an English Daily particularly in the headlines and in the editorial column. It has effectively tarnished the age-old reputation of the newspaper as a premier English Daily, reducing it to a laughing stock. Another impetus is the drastic decline in the standards of translations in general and translations of work in vernacular into English in particular.

It is pertinent here, albeit in brief, to examine translation as a crafty task which requires expertise. The skills required for any good translation is a prerequisite to perform the task of translation for the benefit of readers at large. Translation is the process of transferring written or spoken Source Language (SL) text to correspondent written or spoken Target Language (TL) text. The simple purpose of translation is to produce diverse genres of work including literary, religious, scientific, legal and philosophical texts into a TL, thus, making available the intended outcome a specific readership or target group.

However, it is a complex process since languages are not classification for a mere general or universal concept. If the primary objective of the translation is from word for word translations from SL to TL, it will be an easy task to deliver. It is common knowledge that a language defines the world in specific terms and often the imprinted idioms, meanings and the culture that bind these are embedded in the language itself and known to those who are the users of that particular language. Undoubtedly, the notion and perception of one language may differ from those of another language. In other words, each language expresses or organises the world in different manner. Thus, the process of translation becomes extremely difficult when the gap between the SL and TL is greater. Specific and unique linguistic and cultural differences of a chosen SL and TL make the process a real challenge. Factors such as form, style, meaning, proverbs and idiom constitute problematic of any type of translation.

One of the pre-requisites of an effective translator is that he or she should possess an excellent command not only both the Source Language and the TL but also in specific cultural norms and mores associated with them. For instance, a novice graduate of Mathematics or a life-long reporter would not make an ideal editor of a newspaper for the simple reason that written or spoken texts cannot either be converted into mathematical formulae or a cohesive set of arguments.

In both cases, their understanding of the language is destined to be mean and superficial making them extremely poor writers. Inability to grasp subtle nuances of the language and idiom would make such reprehensible characters either poor translators or trans-distorters.

For instance, the adjective 'nocturnal' is used generally in reference to animals such as owls, bats etc. that particularly roam in the night. However, at the hand of a translator the adjective 'nocturnal' generated surrealistic effects on readers. Some of his usages such as 'nocturnal bus service' and ' nocturnal dreams' are historic in their formations and would qualify him for a special Nobel Prize for literature.

Janus-faced 'senior critic'

A Janus-faced 'senior critic', who read for a degree in Mass Communication in vanacular, has become something like a multi-dimensional valve in carrying out tales to the literary circles. Apart from masquerading as a "gifted" translator, he has a hand in degrading the standards of translation industry in a given land. In this particular space, translation industry is dominated by a semi-literate nanny and meditating authors who have been allied together not by sheer love for the literature but only by their tribal affiliations.

For instance, most of the translations by the semi-literate Nanny are inundated with mistakes. Apparently the unholy alliance between the Semi-literate Nanny and the Janus-faced 'senior critic' seems to be one where the sub-contracts of the former have been given to the latter. Although the literary politics may not be of use for us, this 'act', to a greater extent, help understand the dynamics of the translation industry in a particular land and how these myriad of connections have effectively hampered the chances of recognising talents in the areas of literature and translations.

The tribal affiliations have become so strong as to exploiting every opportunity at disposal in promoting sub-standard literary work of the meditating author in a land, by the semi-literate nanny. In this certain land, where everything is possible under the sun, Janus-faced 'senior critic' has got Semi-literate Nanny's daughter appointed in a literary panel enabling her to present award to her mother for her unpalatable translations. The 'Group' has dominated literary field in vernacular and also the field of translations by virtues of their plants in strategic positions.

If there are real characters as such the Montage Team would not hesitate in exposing such characters would help persons concerned to recognise them in advance. For all of them have practised nothing but art of conning throughout their lives irrespective of the fact whether they are in the field of journalism or as critics and translators.