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The Importance of Organic Translation in a Time of Technological Change
Insights from a Short Story Translated from Chinese to English
Translation is a fickle thing. After studying Chinese for more than six years and having spent time living in the country in 2016, when translating I still find myself struggling to adequately express the essence of a text.
The endeavour ultimately becomes a balancing act. While on the one hand it’s important to remain true to the accurate translation of each individual sentence, on the other you’re driven to convey the emotion of the text as a whole as well as what you understand the authors underlying intention to be. Pursuing both aims simultaneously means you never quite satisfy each as well as you hoped.
Translation nonethless remains an important endeavour — particularly in an age characterised by increasingly accurate language algorithms and the omnipresence of Google Translate. Language and translation technology is improving year-by-year at an astounding rate. It’s not hard to envision a near future in which everything foreign we come into contact with is instantaneously converted into easily digestible content — all with no discomfort or effort expended on the part of the individual.
