Comments on: Is Translation Interpretation?

By: transubstantiation

transubstantiation — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 11:47:50 +0000

There are certainly degrees of creativity which we are all aware of. Is it possible, however, to in some way quantify how creative a particular translation might be?

By: Pau

Pau — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:30:53 +0000

Somebody here said that it is impossible to “have a cake and eat a cake” and that translators have to deal with it. Indeed, the theroys of translation say that translation is impossible…It means you will never produce a perfect trnsaltion what means that to some extent it has to be a cration.
As well, it depends what text do you translate. For sure translating an instruction how to use a microwave would be less creative than translating a literary work…

By: transubstantiation

transubstantiation — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 07:32:54 +0000

Perhaps.

By: Madzik

Madzik — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:54:59 +0000

Well, creation based on interpretation … ?

By: agnes

agnes — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:40:58 +0000

it is translotor task to choose what should be translated, how, and why, or why not. the translator is responsible for this.unfortunately:)

By: transubstantiation

transubstantiation — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:06:16 +0000

Ania - the question is where is this fine line?

By: transubstantiation

transubstantiation — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:05:39 +0000

Madizk - how do you define ‘interpretation’ and ‘creation’ and do you think the two terms have anything in common?

By: ania

ania — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:54:02 +0000

yes, that article talks about the main problem I always have while translating something…people say: ‘you can’t have your cake and eat it’. but i always want it like that. both. and there is a problem. because there’s a very thin line between being as faithful to the original text as possible and being as creative as possible. so how to combine both of these things to make it the best translation possible?

By: Madzik

Madzik — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:47:51 +0000

Well, translation is to some extent interpretation. Why? Because translator is at the same time a reader. The whole translation will be based on his understanding and interpreting what he/she read. Therefore, we have good and bad translations. It depends how good translator is in recognizing the “spirit” of the text. Of course translator had to some point interfere in the text because not everything can be easily explained especially when two different cultures ar taken into consideration. We have to rememeber that most texts are written for the target readers and not everyone will be able to understand it. Above all, translation is more a creation, rather that interpretation.
Cheers

By: Merlin: Translation News, Services & Directory » Blog Archive » Creative Translation

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:59:58 +0000

[...] may say that a healthy dose of creativity is important. As we established in a previous post (see here), the translator can often be regarded as an co-author and so without creativity any form of [...]