Toujin No Negoto　★　唐人の寝言

For the first time in a long time I actually studied something interesting. I'm not really sure at the moment, but I have a part of me that wants to go into the field of translation.

Though similar, translation and interpreting should not be grouped together. Interpreting (which comes in two flavours: consecutive and simultaneous) is transferring speech from a source language to a target language, while translating deals with the written equivalent.

Way back when I first began Japanese, while my motivation was high I lacked confidence. Probably as a direct result of that, I wasn't as outgoing as some of the others in terms of speaking Japanese in front of others.

Because of this, my study was very writing-oriented. Grammar, kanji, vocabulary were more important skills to me than speaking and listening. Nowadays the situation has changed, but my writing skills are obviously more developed than my speaking (listening is quite good).

So that's why I want to go into translation. But there are many problems in translation (which of course extend into interpreting aswell).

First and foremost, the notion of a 'perfect translation' is darn near impossible. Two distinct languages very seldom have words that mean exactly the same thing. Oftentimes the dennotation (dictionary definition) will be the same but the connotation or nuances (the feeling) of the word may not be expressed.

For example, let's consider the English word "ordinary." You could say this word equates to the Japanese 普通 futsuu or perhaps 普段 fudan in some instances. But how about the word 'mediocre,' does futsuu carry this slightly negative meaning? Or do you have to choose another word?

Another interesting point is that of idioms. For many idioms, translating them directly will have little or no meaning in the target language. For example 日常茶飯 nichijou sahan literally means everyday's tea and rice, but in English it could be compared to 'a daily occurance.'

When translating, one should definiately try to capture the nuances, express the feeling. In the past (heck, just yesterday) I was more inclined toward a literal meaning (as you can see with the Hana Yori Dango post), but now I can understand the importance of connotation.

There is a quote in the book I'm reading: "Translation is like a woman. If it is beautiful, it is certainly not faithful. If it is faithful, it is certainly not beautiful."

So what is a translator to do? Well you have to make sure that you create an equivalent sentence that will not only carry the literal meaning, but also do you best to show the connotations aswell, which means changing the words around.

When this happens, other problems can arise. Information might be lost, you may need to add information to explain why something is the way it is (maybe a cultural difference), some things might be skewed, they may not translate correctly. There are some simple guidelines to follow to ensure a better translation:

Translation should be into your dominant language, and you should have excellent control in that language. Generally if you are translating from your dominant language into another, you should get it checked by a native speaker.

You need good tools. Dictionaries, encyclopedias, people to proofread your stuff to pick out any strange points. A bilingual may often lose track of what is and isn't acceptable in their own language.

You should try to find out a bit about what you are translating. It's not always possible, but try to know about Dragonball before you start translating it. Try to learn a bit about cars before translating an operation manual. It will really help.

Language is constantly changing, and as such, a translator needs to keep up to date with the new words and usages that circulate and die out.

Well, that's a quick introduction anyway. Do you think you could make a good translator? Even being a great bilingualist doesn't necessarily mean you'll be a good translator.