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| How Multilingualism Facilitate The Translator's Work |
How Multilingualism Facilitate The Translator's Work
In an increasingly interconnected world, the ability to navigate multiple languages is an invaluable skill. For translators, bilingualism and multilingualism are not just advantages but essential tools that enhance their linguistic intuition, cultural awareness, and overall efficiency. Translators who are proficient in two or more languages can grasp nuances, idioms, and cultural references more accurately than those who rely solely on academic learning. This article explores how bilingualism and multilingualism facilitate translation work through real-life examples and the most common translation techniques used in each case.
1. Example: George L. Bastin (English-French Bilingual Translator)
George L. Bastin is a well-known scholar in translation studies, specializing in English-French translation. His deep bilingual competence allows him to effortlessly navigate between syntactic structures and idiomatic expressions.
Technique: Modulation in Translation
One of the most common techniques he applies is modulation, which involves changing the perspective of a phrase to sound more natural in the target language. For example, in English, we say "You are right", but in French, it is translated as "Vous avez raison" (literally, "You have reason"), modifying the expression without altering its meaning.
2. Example: Amina Said (English-Arabic Bilingual Translator)
Amina Said, an English-Arabic translator, works extensively in literary translation. Her bilingual background helps her interpret metaphors and poetic expressions accurately.
Technique: Transposition in Translation
Transposition is a technique where the grammatical structure is altered while keeping the meaning intact. For instance, the English phrase "She is proud of her achievements" is best translated into Arabic as "تفتخر بإنجازاتها" (Taftekher bi injazatiha), where the adjective "proud" is transformed into a verb.
3. Example: Laurent Beaudoin (English-French- Arabic Trilingual Translator)
As a professional translator in business and legal documents, Laurent Beaudoin’s multilingualism facilitates his work and enables him to work efficiently with English, French, and Arabic legal terminologies.
Technique: Borrowing in Translation
Borrowing is frequently used in legal and business texts when there is no exact equivalent in the target language. For example, terms like "force majeure" (from French) or "Sharia law" (from Arabic) are often kept as-is in English legal documents.
4. Example: Leila Aboulela (English-Arabic Bilingual Translator & Writer)
Leila Aboulela, a Sudanese-born writer and translator, incorporates Arabic cultural elements into her English literary works. Her bilingual skills allow her to maintain authenticity while translating.
Technique: Cultural Equivalence in Translation
Instead of translating words literally, translators opt for culturally equivalent terms. For example, the Arabic phrase "رمضان كريم" (Ramadan Kareem) is better translated as "Blessed Ramadan" rather than the literal "Generous Ramadan" to convey its cultural significance.
5. Example: Antoine Berman (English-French Bilingual Translator & Theorist)
Antoine Berman is a French translation theorist whose bilingual abilities contributed to translation analysis and philosophy.
Technique: Adaptation in Translation
This technique is used when a concept in the source language does not exist in the target language. For example, "Thanksgiving" in English might be translated in French as "Action de Grâce" or even described as "une fête de remerciement" to explain the cultural concept.
6. Example: Dr. Hassan Ghazala (English-Arabic Translator & Linguist)
Dr. Hassan Ghazala, a leading figure in Arabic-English translation studies, emphasizes the importance of bilingual proficiency in technical translation.
Technique: Calque in Translation
Calque involves literal translation of phrases or expressions. For instance, the English term "skyscraper" has been translated into Arabic as "ناطحة سحاب" (Natiḥat saḥāb), maintaining the imagery and structure of the original word.
Bottom Line
Bilingualism and multilingualism provide translators with a profound understanding of linguistic structures, cultural nuances, and idiomatic expressions. Each of the translators mentioned above has utilized their linguistic abilities to enhance their translation accuracy and efficiency. By mastering various translation techniques such as modulation, transposition, borrowing, cultural equivalence, adaptation, and calque, translators can bridge language gaps effectively, ensuring faithful and culturally relevant translations. As globalization continues to rise, bilingual and multilingual translators will remain essential in fostering cross-cultural communication and understanding.