Translation involves the art and science of using words of one language to make it understandable within another. This isn't a precise science because there is no way to translate verbatim word for word.
Vagaries in languages and localized text or word usage make it nearly impossible to translate one exact word for another. Translation requires that the person who is translating the text have some knowledge of the culture as well as the language into which the text will be translated to prevent embarrassing or costly mistakes.
There is a very rich and lengthy history surrounding translation. In history, we see that the first viable translation took place in Sumeria about 2000 BC as the Epic of Gilgamesh was translated into languages spoken in Southwest Asia.
One of the most famous translations in history appears about 196 BC. It was commissioned at the behest of Ptolemy V in Egypt. The Rosetta Stone is inscribed with a decree in three different languages and has become the definitive example of translation. Additionally it is now considered as being a key to understanding the concept of translation.
The task of translation is not always easy. This is shown in the translation of Rosetta Stone because it took longer than twenty years to fully decipher this text that was on the stone. This took place during 1799.
The history of translation has been a rocky road in numerous cases. It is very difficult to retain the original meaning while changing the words.
At the time translation was brand new in ancient Greece, there is evidence of much discussion appearing in print concerning how to go about translation. Here is where literal translation (meta-phrase) and actual translation (paraphrase) were developed as well as a process laid out which made sure that accurate translation between cultures were possible.
Translation became much more of a science during the 1700s when writer and translator John Dryden described the process of translation as being two different modes of phrasing. He agonized over many of his translations, speaking about them in this fashion: " When words appear . . . literally graceful, it were an injury to the author that they should be changed. But since... what is beautiful in one language is often barbarous, nay sometimes nonsense, in another, it would be unreasonable to limit a translator to the narrow compass of his author's words." Modern day translation takes a great deal of instruction in word substitution from Dryden's methodology.
As the 18th century saw advances in translations, this led to less accuracy. Translators who perceived a text might be boring to the audience, they often left them out altogether, and this brought about some strange, yet unique translations.
When the 19th century rolled around commerce--due to improved transportation--became much more global in nature and translation became more necessary than ever before. New styles, new methods and entirely new levels of accuracy were achieved because it was necessary to accomplish accurate translations to provide for doing business with people from other cultures and languages.
As we get to our modern age, we see an even greater need for translation as people are communicating through the Internet. We are no longer separate people, but are rather a piece of the larger, global picture. As a global neighborhood people are interacting daily, and goods and services are not traded across borders.
Machine translation arrived on the scene and began taking up where individual translation left off, and some companies began to rely on inexpensive machinery to help in this area of business, but this was found to be woefully inadequate. Some hilarious results have occurred using mechanical translation as the only means. Do you remember the fiasco that happened when the game Zerowing, a Japanese game was translated poorly during the early nineties that rendered "All your base are belong to us."
That's not saying that there is no room for translation software because there is a place for it. It works well when translating documents and for Internet users.
Websites and brochures are created and must be translated, giving rise to the need for a rapid, or in some cases, a nearly instant translation. Software can be a means for the translation of sites to provide for that instant -if not perfect-understanding.
Currently, the largest majority of legal, business and medical translation takes place through the use of software that is given an assist from humans that also translate. When used in conjunction with each other, these methods are capable of catching problems with translation that is accurate and understandable. Furthermore, translations can be checked again to assure that expressions of local areas and words used are accurately to transfer the appropriate ideas.
Translation has evolved dramatically from what it once was but along the way, the evolution has allowed for translations of a lower cost and higher accuracy. Further, it has helped to provide an increased understanding for people around the world.
Vagaries in languages and localized text or word usage make it nearly impossible to translate one exact word for another. Translation requires that the person who is translating the text have some knowledge of the culture as well as the language into which the text will be translated to prevent embarrassing or costly mistakes.
There is a very rich and lengthy history surrounding translation. In history, we see that the first viable translation took place in Sumeria about 2000 BC as the Epic of Gilgamesh was translated into languages spoken in Southwest Asia.
One of the most famous translations in history appears about 196 BC. It was commissioned at the behest of Ptolemy V in Egypt. The Rosetta Stone is inscribed with a decree in three different languages and has become the definitive example of translation. Additionally it is now considered as being a key to understanding the concept of translation.
The task of translation is not always easy. This is shown in the translation of Rosetta Stone because it took longer than twenty years to fully decipher this text that was on the stone. This took place during 1799.
The history of translation has been a rocky road in numerous cases. It is very difficult to retain the original meaning while changing the words.
At the time translation was brand new in ancient Greece, there is evidence of much discussion appearing in print concerning how to go about translation. Here is where literal translation (meta-phrase) and actual translation (paraphrase) were developed as well as a process laid out which made sure that accurate translation between cultures were possible.
Translation became much more of a science during the 1700s when writer and translator John Dryden described the process of translation as being two different modes of phrasing. He agonized over many of his translations, speaking about them in this fashion: " When words appear . . . literally graceful, it were an injury to the author that they should be changed. But since... what is beautiful in one language is often barbarous, nay sometimes nonsense, in another, it would be unreasonable to limit a translator to the narrow compass of his author's words." Modern day translation takes a great deal of instruction in word substitution from Dryden's methodology.
As the 18th century saw advances in translations, this led to less accuracy. Translators who perceived a text might be boring to the audience, they often left them out altogether, and this brought about some strange, yet unique translations.
When the 19th century rolled around commerce--due to improved transportation--became much more global in nature and translation became more necessary than ever before. New styles, new methods and entirely new levels of accuracy were achieved because it was necessary to accomplish accurate translations to provide for doing business with people from other cultures and languages.
As we get to our modern age, we see an even greater need for translation as people are communicating through the Internet. We are no longer separate people, but are rather a piece of the larger, global picture. As a global neighborhood people are interacting daily, and goods and services are not traded across borders.
Machine translation arrived on the scene and began taking up where individual translation left off, and some companies began to rely on inexpensive machinery to help in this area of business, but this was found to be woefully inadequate. Some hilarious results have occurred using mechanical translation as the only means. Do you remember the fiasco that happened when the game Zerowing, a Japanese game was translated poorly during the early nineties that rendered "All your base are belong to us."
That's not saying that there is no room for translation software because there is a place for it. It works well when translating documents and for Internet users.
Websites and brochures are created and must be translated, giving rise to the need for a rapid, or in some cases, a nearly instant translation. Software can be a means for the translation of sites to provide for that instant -if not perfect-understanding.
Currently, the largest majority of legal, business and medical translation takes place through the use of software that is given an assist from humans that also translate. When used in conjunction with each other, these methods are capable of catching problems with translation that is accurate and understandable. Furthermore, translations can be checked again to assure that expressions of local areas and words used are accurately to transfer the appropriate ideas.
Translation has evolved dramatically from what it once was but along the way, the evolution has allowed for translations of a lower cost and higher accuracy. Further, it has helped to provide an increased understanding for people around the world.
About the Author:
Some information on translation agencies found at Eyes on Huntsville. Thank you for the valuable language translation and agency information.
