Translators Hold the Future of the World in their Hands


Translators are like invisible ants, working quickly and providing their translations without anyone noticing them. They are superheroes (even more impressive than Ant-Man).
Seriously, what would the world be without them? No exchanges between nations, no understanding of others. I guess it would be boring and more dangerous. Fortunately, it is not the case.

« Globalization » rhymes with « translation »

Although translation can be dated back to Antiquity, it has become more important than ever since the 20th century, due to technological advances like the Internet and television. More information is spread and needs to be translated. The 20th century is also a period when countries decided to unit, as is the case with the creation of the European Union. To do so, translators did a great part of the job.

Even if translators are like invisible workers and never give their opinions about what they translate, they clearly remain part of the process of peace. Why is that? It is simple: without translators, countries would never have understood each other and there would never have been all the treaties of union or peace we know today. For instance, the European Union would never have existed, which means that countries like France would not be as safe as they are now. Translators participate in making the world a better place. They are even in the center of some extreme decisions. Diplomacy is not that easy. A simple mistake by the translator could provoke a war between two countries which already have tense relations. Nowadays, you need to really be focused when you are translating for the United States of America and Russia, for example, and not to make the same mistakes as in the past.

The most famous translation mistake happened during WWII, so to say during a very tense period. The United States of America asked for Japan to surrender and Kantarō Suzuki, the Japan Prime Minister of that time, responded “Mokusatsu”. The problem is that this word has two meanings. One is “not pay attention to” and the other is “refrain from any comment”. Suzuki meant “refrain from any comment”, but the translation chosen was “not pay attention to”. This mistake caused the U.S. to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki which cost the lives of more than 200 000 Japanese.

Source: https://timetunnels.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/mokusatsu-a-word-who-made-a-drastic-difference/

Working to make the world a better place

The translators working in a Non-Governmental Organization play an important humanitarian role. As I did an internship in an NGO as a translator, I can guarantee that. The goal of the NGO, named Unbound, is to sponsor children and aging people. I had to translate letters that sponsors and sponsor-friends sent to one another. I clearly felt like I was part of a good thing. I was helping two people to communicate and share their lives through the letters.
The funny thing is that, as a translator, I was not invisible to people. Some sponsors took the translators into considerations since I once translated a letter in which the sponsor said: “I hope the translator will be able to read my terrible handwriting”.

Besides helping people, translators are also useful to help the planet (and therefore, people). We are definitely living in a dying world, and communication between countries is the only way to solve it. The health of our planet is THE subject that concerns everyone in the world. Translators are here to relay information to all countries, to raise awareness, and to facilitate communication to reach an agreement on decisions that can define the future. The message can be sent through documentary films like Home, made by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, which was released in more than 100 countries, and translated into dozens of languages.

Source: https://www.treehugger.com/culture/world-premiere-of-yann-arthus-bertrands-home-this-environment-day-june-5.html


Translators are essential for International Non-Governmental Organizations working on environmental protection (like Greenpeace). They have to work with translators to carry out their missions. It is the same for the United Nations, for example. We have to work together to achieve great results.

Translators are necessary to maintain a connected world, and they even have the power to make History.

Now that all nations can understand each other, maybe it is time to resume the work of the tower of Babel, don’t you think?
Source: https://www.123rf.com/photo_5396407_black-and-white-hands-shaking-in-front-of-earth.html



Marcia L.





Commentaires

  1. Liselotte16 novembre 2018 à 03:15

    Wow, I never knew about this translation mistake during WW2. It is true that we do not always think about it, but translation can involve a great deal of responsibility, as our translation should always convey the meaning that the original text or speech was given, and people rely on us to understand this message. I really liked the part about your work for Unbound and how someone mentioned your work in a letter, that was sweet! How long did you do that for? And where was it?
    --
    Liselotte S.

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    1. M1 TSM16 novembre 2018 à 11:34

      Yes, translating “Mokusatsu” is very difficult! Actually, it was impossible to know what Suzuki wanted to say, even for a Japanese (as it was a Japanese who translated the word into English). However, it is known that the Japanese army never surrendered, which maybe influenced the translator… We will never know!
      As for my internship, I did it for 6 weeks (in July and August). It was in Costa Rica, but the organization is present in other countries: countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. If you want more information, here is the link of the website: https://www.unbound.org/.
      --
      Marcia L.

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  2. M1 TSM17 novembre 2018 à 01:50

    Thanks for your article! The very first lines of it reminded me of a quote from Paul Aster that I read a couple of weeks ago: "Translators are the shadow heroes of literature, the often forgotten instruments that make it possible for different cultures to talk to one another, who have enabled us to understand that we all, from every part of the world, live in one world". I think this quote can be extended to other fields of translation, since translators are the ones making the language barriers disappear. Very often, though, and as you rightly said, translators are "invisible ants": they spend hours doing research on the topic and work hard on producing high-quality translations but in the end, their names rarely appear on the produced/published work. Sometimes, things even go further: the client modifies some points of your translation and you can't say anything because you don't own it.

    I am glad to hear that you enjoyed your internship and that it made you feel useful to people. I'm sure it was a very rewarding experience, and I think someday I'd like to translate for an international NGO too (even if it is for a short period of time). Are you thinking about working as a translator for an international NGO in the future?

    ~ Charline B.

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    1. M1 TSM17 novembre 2018 à 10:35

      You and Paul Auster are totally right. Anyway, what translators are looking for is not necessary fame, but the satisfaction of providing a good translation and helping people understand each other, like real heroes. However, it is sure that if translators came to disappear, everyone would notice their absence!

      Yes, I intend to work for an international NGO in the future. When I look at the world I cannot imagine living without doing anything to help. During my bachelor’s degree I have been involved in three non-profit organizations as a volunteer (not as a translator) and I want to continue helping those in need. There are too much terrible things happening around us, we cannot live for ourselves and we should not live for ourselves. I really do want to work for an international NGO, and if it will not be the case I will use my free time to help!
      --
      Marcia L.

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