Texts in Translation

There are both benefits and drawbacks within the study of translated literature. The beauty of translated literature is that a whole new abundance of stories and information is opened up to us. We are allowed the opportunity to access what we once did not have access to. Rather than making assumptions about a particular context based on what we have seen in the news and magazines, we can now read book by authors who live in these contexts, and whose lives may be reflected within the literature. So, we are no longer being educated on political issues in the news, we are learning about the actual lifestyle of a context. We can learn about the values and attitudes of a culture, gain multicultural understandings, and through reading texts in translation we can become to be aware of how meaning can change through translation. However, there are some challenges and negative aspects to reading texts in translation. So much of a text could be misunderstood or misinterpreted. For example the meaning, metaphors, idioms, and proverbs could change. Proverbs that are personal to a particular culture would be misunderstood by another. There is potential loss of other literary devices such as rhyming, alliteration and characterization. Words that rhymes in one language may not rhyme in another. Where there is alliteration in one language, there may not be alliteration in another. These devices are usually used for the purpose of drawing the reader's attention to this particular sentence or set of words. If these devices are lost, the effect is lost. In terms of characterization, a character could be interpreted completely differently than the author intended. For example, they may possess a trait that is considered rude to one culture, but not to another. There is a concern for the translation itself, as there may be a word in one language that does not exist in another, therefore the translator would have to find a way to best fit the meaning. In doing this, the meaning of the original diction is lost. Despite the challenges, it is important for translated texts to be studied. They allow us understand differences and be aware of how meaning changes. We are exposed to different cultures, and social contexts. They encourage us to be open minded and International thinkers.