–Abby Schultz
Whenever I tell someone that I’m a Translation Studies Minor, I’m always asked “So, what are you supposed to do with that?” That question is not usually asked in an interested tone, but rather one that belittles translation studies and translation in general. What can I gather from this common reaction? Some people don’t see translation as anything more than translating between languages, something simple that has nothing vital at stake.
I’m sorry to say that I was actually one of those people that questioned the act of translation. I saw it as something that was rather easy, a practice that only required a solid knowledge of the language from which someone was translating. I also believed that translation only entailed translating a text word-for-word, nothing else. Of course, I realized that a translator would have to rearrange the sentence structure in order for the text to make sense to the reader, but other than that, I thought translation was simple.
This “simple” word-for-word practice was the only way I had ever encountered translation. When I was learning Spanish in middle and high school, we were always asked to translate sentences or paragraphs in order to better learn the language. All this entailed was word-for-word translations with nothing to consider other than “what does this Spanish word mean in English?” Translation seemed pretty easy to me. However, being constantly asked to do these translations in class made me form this idea of translation that was severely flawed.
It wasn’t until I came to the University that I started learning about what translation really is, what it actually entails. I was lucky enough to be able to help with the Translation Theme Semester, which is when I began to change my view of translation. All the different mediums of translation really struck me. There were contests involving translation that I always thought typical, like literary translation, but there were also contests asking people to translate art and justice. I really had no idea that anything but a text could be translated and I was immediately intrigued.
After doing more work with translation, I decided to become a Translation Studies minor in order to learn more about translation as a whole. As a result, I’m completely overwhelmed (in a good way, of course) by how complex translation is. Working through my own translation project in CompLit 322 last Fall semester really made me appreciate how difficult translation can be. It’s a lot of work to think through all the necessary details and approaches, but reaching the end product is so rewarding. Now in CompLit 200 this semester we are tackling the encyclopedic knowledge (literally) of translation. From the many theories to the different approaches of translation, I now know that the question “what does this Spanish word mean in English” is not so easy to answer or even the only question to ask.
In the end, I’m glad I questioned translation because it allowed me to discover translation’s complexities. While it can be frustrating to have people question my studies, I know from experience that translation isn’t always portrayed in an accurate light. That’s why I’m grateful the University is taking steps to promote translation. It was through attending translation events that I began to realize the true nature of translation, so hopefully the continued support and promotion of translation around campus will allow others to gain a better understanding of translation as well.
