From English To Your Language
By jaishankar
@else34 (13515)
New Delhi, India
May 13, 2016 8:48am CST
I am from India and my mother tongue is Hindi.I am interested in wildlife and have read many books by Kenneth Anderson about his adventures in Indian jungles.
I tried to translate these books in my mother tongue,but soon realised it's not easy.I can read,write and speak in English and am good at my mother tongue,but now I know translating a book from one language into another requires much more than knowledge of the two languages.Have you ever tried to translate a book written in a foreign language into your mother tongue?
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3 responses
@Nishkriti (132)
• Kolkata, India
13 May 16
I've actually tried it the other way around. Translating a book from my mother tongue to english. It's not really easy. Specially there are so many words and expressions not having an english translation at all.
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@else34 (13515)
• New Delhi, India
14 May 16
@Nishkriti,I have read somewhere that even Tagore had got his 'Geetanjali' translated in English by perhaps TS Elliot.If such a great poet had to seek help from a native speaker of English,It can easily be understood how difficult it is to translate from one language into another.I agree with you that there are many words and expressions in Hindi and Bengali that can't be translated in English.
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@else34 (13515)
• New Delhi, India
15 May 16
@Nishkriti Yes,everyday I learn something or the other.Now I understand how careful we should be while translating.
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@Nishkriti (132)
• Kolkata, India
14 May 16
@else34 very true. Good luck with your work. You might start with a slow pace but you'll be getting better with time. :)
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@albto_568 (1268)
• Costa Rica
13 May 16
The tricky part are the expressions, sayings and slang, to translate correctly, you must not only know the meaning of the words, but, more deeply, what the author wanted to convey with these words, and find into your own language, a similar meaning or expression, not necessary literal. I mean, a textual translation, not always transmits the same message, or, may be confused, when translating. I do translations online, my native language is spanish, and, although most of what I translate are commercial documents, with a simpler, more technical language, rather than books, I know that is not easy to achieve a good translation.
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@else34 (13515)
• New Delhi, India
14 May 16
@albto_568,This is the first time I am trying to translate a whole book.Am looking for someone who has command over both English and Hindi.I take help from the internet,but that doesn't work.There are expressions that can't be translated in my language.Many times I try to use Hindi slang,but am not satisfied.I agree with you that translating from one language into another is not easy.
