The art and science of translating written text or the spoken word into another language that is understandable has many vagaries. This is not a precise science because it is nearly impossible to translate verbatim a word for word transcript.
It is because of the localization of words or text and the vagaries that go with specific locations that makes it literally impossible to obtain an exact translation. In order to get the best from translating efforts, it requires that the individual doing the translation understand the cultural background of the original as well as the one the text is being translated into to avoid costly mistakes and embarrassments.
There is a very rich and lengthy history surrounding translation. In history, we see that the first viable translation took place in Sumeria about 2000 BC as the Epic of Gilgamesh was translated into languages spoken in Southwest Asia.
One of the most famous translations in history appears about 196 BC. It was commissioned at the behest of Ptolemy V in Egypt. The Rosetta Stone is inscribed with a decree in three different languages and has become the definitive example of translation. Additionally it is now considered as being a key to understanding the concept of translation.
The task of translation is not always easy. This is shown in the translation of Rosetta Stone because it took longer than twenty years to fully decipher this text that was on the stone. This took place during 1799.
The history of translation has been a rocky road in numerous cases. It is very difficult to retain the original meaning while changing the words.
There has been a lot of discussion in the form of the written word from ancient Greece, where early translation was first practiced concerning the process and methods for accomplishing it. It was in this place that literal translation, or the art of meta-phrase and paraphrase were distinguished and the entire process laid out to make certain that the critical part of translating anything into another language involved cultural truths.
John Dryden, writer and translator of the 1700s turned translation into a science as he described the process of translation as two modes of phrasing. In his agony to get it right he wrote these words: "When words appear...literally graceful, it were an injury to the author that they should be changed. But since...what is beautiful in one language if often barbarous, nay sometimes nonsense, in another, it would be unreasonable to limit a translator to the narrow compass of his author's words." Dryden's methodology helps instruct today's modern translations.
As the 18th century saw advances in translations, this led to less accuracy. Translators who perceived a text might be boring to the audience, they often left them out altogether, and this brought about some strange, yet unique translations.
When the 19th century rolled around commerce--due to improved transportation--became much more global in nature and translation became more necessary than ever before. New styles, new methods and entirely new levels of accuracy were achieved because it was necessary to accomplish accurate translations to provide for doing business with people from other cultures and languages.
As we get to our modern age, we see an even greater need for translation as people are communicating through the Internet. We are no longer separate people, but are rather a piece of the larger, global picture. As a global neighborhood people are interacting daily, and goods and services are not traded across borders.
Machine translation arrived on the scene and began taking up where individual translation left off, and some companies began to rely on inexpensive machinery to help in this area of business, but this was found to be woefully inadequate. Some hilarious results have occurred using mechanical translation as the only means. Do you remember the fiasco that happened when the game Zerowing, a Japanese game was translated poorly during the early nineties that rendered "All your base are belong to us."
No one is saying that translation through software doesn't have a place because it does help for online users and document translation.
It is necessary to translate websites and brochures, and this has produced the need for rapid or instantaneous translation. Software provides for this kind of translation in an instant and often perfect manner.
Currently, the largest majority of legal, business and medical translation takes place through the use of software that is given an assist from humans that also translate. When used in conjunction with each other, these methods are capable of catching problems with translation that is accurate and understandable. Furthermore, translations can be checked again to assure that expressions of local areas and words used are accurately to transfer the appropriate ideas.
Translation has evolved dramatically from what it once was but along the way, the evolution has allowed for translations of a lower cost and higher accuracy. Further, it has helped to provide an increased understanding for people around the world.
It is because of the localization of words or text and the vagaries that go with specific locations that makes it literally impossible to obtain an exact translation. In order to get the best from translating efforts, it requires that the individual doing the translation understand the cultural background of the original as well as the one the text is being translated into to avoid costly mistakes and embarrassments.
There is a very rich and lengthy history surrounding translation. In history, we see that the first viable translation took place in Sumeria about 2000 BC as the Epic of Gilgamesh was translated into languages spoken in Southwest Asia.
One of the most famous translations in history appears about 196 BC. It was commissioned at the behest of Ptolemy V in Egypt. The Rosetta Stone is inscribed with a decree in three different languages and has become the definitive example of translation. Additionally it is now considered as being a key to understanding the concept of translation.
The task of translation is not always easy. This is shown in the translation of Rosetta Stone because it took longer than twenty years to fully decipher this text that was on the stone. This took place during 1799.
The history of translation has been a rocky road in numerous cases. It is very difficult to retain the original meaning while changing the words.
There has been a lot of discussion in the form of the written word from ancient Greece, where early translation was first practiced concerning the process and methods for accomplishing it. It was in this place that literal translation, or the art of meta-phrase and paraphrase were distinguished and the entire process laid out to make certain that the critical part of translating anything into another language involved cultural truths.
John Dryden, writer and translator of the 1700s turned translation into a science as he described the process of translation as two modes of phrasing. In his agony to get it right he wrote these words: "When words appear...literally graceful, it were an injury to the author that they should be changed. But since...what is beautiful in one language if often barbarous, nay sometimes nonsense, in another, it would be unreasonable to limit a translator to the narrow compass of his author's words." Dryden's methodology helps instruct today's modern translations.
As the 18th century saw advances in translations, this led to less accuracy. Translators who perceived a text might be boring to the audience, they often left them out altogether, and this brought about some strange, yet unique translations.
When the 19th century rolled around commerce--due to improved transportation--became much more global in nature and translation became more necessary than ever before. New styles, new methods and entirely new levels of accuracy were achieved because it was necessary to accomplish accurate translations to provide for doing business with people from other cultures and languages.
As we get to our modern age, we see an even greater need for translation as people are communicating through the Internet. We are no longer separate people, but are rather a piece of the larger, global picture. As a global neighborhood people are interacting daily, and goods and services are not traded across borders.
Machine translation arrived on the scene and began taking up where individual translation left off, and some companies began to rely on inexpensive machinery to help in this area of business, but this was found to be woefully inadequate. Some hilarious results have occurred using mechanical translation as the only means. Do you remember the fiasco that happened when the game Zerowing, a Japanese game was translated poorly during the early nineties that rendered "All your base are belong to us."
No one is saying that translation through software doesn't have a place because it does help for online users and document translation.
It is necessary to translate websites and brochures, and this has produced the need for rapid or instantaneous translation. Software provides for this kind of translation in an instant and often perfect manner.
Currently, the largest majority of legal, business and medical translation takes place through the use of software that is given an assist from humans that also translate. When used in conjunction with each other, these methods are capable of catching problems with translation that is accurate and understandable. Furthermore, translations can be checked again to assure that expressions of local areas and words used are accurately to transfer the appropriate ideas.
Translation has evolved dramatically from what it once was but along the way, the evolution has allowed for translations of a lower cost and higher accuracy. Further, it has helped to provide an increased understanding for people around the world.
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