Bringing information from culture to culture can always be struggle for any author. Every language differs drastically, making many ideas between translations sisters, but not twins. In these four texts, there are different perspectives taken on the benefits and limitations of translating texts and how that might impact the message received.
In the text, “Found in Translation” discusses how translation brings not only people but cultures together. It sheds a positive light on novels that are translated, specifically Arabic novels and esteemed authors that transform experiences into everlasting pages in a book. The author is very much aware of the benefits of translation in this article, and personally for me the connection is quite clear to my real life. I feel as though, there are many times when cultures are quite spread out, but to be able to read and understand another culture’s piece of literature is almost as if you are immersing yourself in that atmosphere for the book’s length.
In the text, “Lost in Translation”, it discusses the story of a translator that has gotten much criticism for the translated work he has published. It all started with a collection of poems from an Indian poet, that was then translated in China. The collection off poems consisted of 326 poems, 3 of which caused the controversy. The poet wrote the poems themselves about quite taboo subjects, that had to do with sexual relations. The way that the Chinese translator translated the work, the text came off quite straight up. This did not go down well with the elders as they thought it was white vulgar, whereas with the youth they really enjoyed the translation as they felt it was the first time someone discusses these topic so explicitly. For me, I believe that as long the authenticity and the same message was brought across to the reader that the author intended, the translation should not have been taken off the shelves.
Language is a very complicated process and does not translate accurately across every culture, but when you hit the sweet spot of translation, a whole new world is open for discovery.
