LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 6 : 5 May 2006

Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Associate Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.

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  • E-mail your articles and book-length reports (preferably in Microsoft Word) to thirumalai@mn.rr.com.
  • Contributors from South Asia may send their articles to
    B. Mallikarjun,
    Central Institute of Indian Languages,
    Manasagangotri,
    Mysore 570006, India
    or e-mail to mallikarjun@ciil.stpmy.soft.net
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Copyright © 2004
M. S. Thirumalai


 
Web www.languageinindia.com

PRACTICING LITERARY TRANSLATION
A SYMPOSIUM BY MAIL - ROUND SEVEN
Moderator: V. V. B. Rama Rao, Ph.D.


TRANSLATION, LINGUISTIC RELATIVITY AND LINGUISTIC DETERMINISM

I came across a very interesting article in MOUNTAIN PATH, a publication from Sri Ramana Ashram, Tiruvannamalai, Tamilnadu, India: From Vak-Vichara to Atma-Vichara where Rustom P Mody wrote, I quote:

"Benjamin Lee Whorf brought to our attention the fallacy of the assumption of translatability. His work can be summarized in two principles:

"Linguistic Relativity states that we create the world according to the lines ingrained in our language.

"Linguistic Determinism states that our language conditions our thinking." This explains the rationale behind the earlier "ban" on translating a scriptural text like The Koran."

ROLE OF READABILITY IN TRANSLATION

Mody states and rightly at the very beginning of his essay: "Clearly the demand and the attempt to translate rest on the assumption of readability." This is absolutely true.

A friend in Malaysia asked me to find someone who could translate Sanatkumara Tantra.

Listening to the sacred text, I realized it is absolutely untranslatable because every word in it is part of a vaidic ritual drawing from a (now) very complex intellectual/spiritual culture. Even the text is not scriptural, holy or firmly culture ingrained, poses insurmountable obstacles to clear which in an attempt to aid the understanding of the text in a target language needs long notes and explanations which interfere with the readabilty for the general, lay reader.

This needs to be stated to the enthusiasts of Literary Translation, who may think that all texts can be translated.

HOW DO LEADING PRACTITIONERS AND THEORETICIANS OF TRANSLATION IN INDIA RELATE TO THIS QUESTION?

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

V. V. B. Rama Rao

A Review of CARIBBEAN INDIAN FOLKTALES - A Fascinating Collection, Transliteration and Translation by Kumar Mahabir | A Review of KEY WORDS OF A KINSHIP - An Interesting Exploration of Historical Relationship Between the English and the Tamils by R. M. Paulraj | Englishes in India | A Study of the Skills of Reading Comprehension in English Developed by Students of Standard IX in the Schools in Tuticorin District, Tamilnadu | POWER 7 - POWER TO ACT CIVILIZED | Globalization, English and Language Ecology | Computational Analysis of Sanskrit Language | Applications of Artificial Intelligence & Mnemonics in Learning Foreign Vocabulary | Practicing Literary Translation - A Symposium by Mail - Round Seven | HOME PAGE | CONTACT EDITOR


V. V. B. Rama Rao, Ph.D.
C-7 New Township BTPS Badarpur
New Delhi - 110 044
India
vvbramarao@yahoo.com
 
Web www.languageinindia.com
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