Even the archetypical translator rejects the term, presenting a rationale that…
EN
Even the archetypical #translator rejects the term, presenting a rationale that paradoxically embodies the very definition of #translation.
“I reject the term translator,” Akerholt says. “I create a new version of a piece of literature as if it is written in the new language but truthful to the original.” Her work benefits from her being not only bilingual, but also bicultural she says. “You must have a full understanding of the original language and the culture it comes from.”
And goes on with more arguments against the term that are precisely what translation is:
“You have to find an equivalent language in English – yes with different sounds, vowels, consonants and syllables, but they must have the same effect. That is you must transfer, rather than translate, the original voice to the new language.”
Sometimes I think there is no going back. Instead of explaining what translation really is, trying to expand the concept beyond that of a linguistic operation, we reject or avoid the term, thus reinforcing the misconceptions in the public's minds.
#morethantranslation