Professor Ahmed Badr: Translation should be done by understanding the gendered nature of a creation.

Patna, October 8: A translator lives in the sun and shade of words and meanings, sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing. The crux of the matter lies in the means the translator employs to achieve the objectives, whether explicit or implicit, that the author has embedded in the source text. If the translator becomes entangled in the web of words, they must remain fully aware of the mysteries of meaning. Failure is inevitable if, while focusing on meaning, the translator strays from the author’s style. Therefore, it is essential for a translator to first understand the author’s objectives and then bring their language and lexical resources under control.

These remarks were made by renowned linguist and critic Professor Ali Rifad Fatihi, former Head of the Department of Linguistics at Aligarh Muslim University, while addressing a five-day workshop on “Issues and Possibilities in Translation in Indian Languages” organized by the National Translation Mission, Mysore, and the Department of Urdu at the College of Commerce, Arts and Science, Patna. In his address, he stated that just as several languages are embedded within a single language, every translator must recognize the different levels of language during the translation process and determine their performance accordingly. He advised a careful examination of the system of grammar, syntactic methods, and metaphorical elegance.

He referred to the English translations of two famous Urdu novels from the subcontinent. He explicitly mentioned the errors that arose in the English translation of Deputy Nazir Ahmed’s novel “Tawbah-e-Nasuh” due to ignorance of a common Hindi idiom. Similarly, he provided a scholarly discussion on how the translator of Abdus Samad’s famous novel “Khawabon Ka Suwara” completed the task by omitting a fundamental word in the English translation.

On the third day of the workshop, the first session was conducted by renowned Hindi and English writer Krishan Samdha. He based his talk on various English texts and provided participants with opportunities to ask questions regarding their interpretation and explanation. He focused on the specific tasks of interpretation and commentary in translation, attempting to clarify the distinctions between the two. He noted that both are extremely essential for human society. He emphasized that while multiple interpretations of a text are possible, one should present a reasonable alternative while understanding the context of presentation or translation. He presented polysemous quotes from Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography, as well as novels by Charles Dickens and George Orwell, explaining how a translator should practically cope with the difficulties that arise in their work. He further enriched his talk by referencing various historical figures and books.

Renowned author and Professor Ahmed Bader, a faculty member at Jamshedpur Karim City College, focused on the challenges facing translators. He emphasized that the world cannot progress without translation, but expressed regret over the severe shortage of translators in a country like India. He stated that a translation will be successful if it is done with an understanding of the specific requirements of the genre to which the source text belongs. He noted that a translator’s role is not merely the transfer of material from one language to another; rather, the duties of translators extend beyond this. He said that a translator must also be a researcher of their subject matter; otherwise, not only will there be issues with words and expressions, but obvious errors may also occur in the translation of details. He stated that while literal translation is desirable, if the translator is not fully aware of the backgrounds of both languages, various difficulties will arise. He pointed out that issues of various kinds emerge in our languages during the translation process in matters of history, religion, and culture. If a word conveys sorrow, the translation must evoke a sense of sadness; if the original text expresses anger, the translation should convey burning rage. If translators are serious about these matters, they can achieve success.

Today, in online mode, Dr. Bishudip Gagoi spoke on the localization of the art of translation. The expert translator, associated with the Assamese language, discussed the commercial aspects of the art of translation in detail and explained to what extent one can be a localizationist when translating from a language like English into Urdu or Hindi. He clarified various aspects of this. He mentioned the various stages of machine translation, AI translation, and computer-assisted translation, noting that there are also significant employment opportunities for us in new academic fields. He encouraged Urdu research scholars to enter the field of translation, understanding the global status of their language, as they could earn substantial income while working from home. He drew their attention to the fact that there are very few translators working from English to Urdu. He stated that in the global translation market, there is a large volume of work available for correction, addition, or editing and compilation after machine translation.

This is a major means of livelihood that Urdu students should pursue. Each speaker was introduced and their talk was followed by a brief impression delivered by the workshop’s local coordinator, Professor Safdar Imam Qadri. At the conclusion of the workshop, Dr. Nowshad Alam, who had come from Mysore, thanked all the participants and experts. In keeping with tradition, a question-and-answer session was held during the workshop, where Shayan, Shazia Hasan, Zul -Qarnain, Muhammad Asif Ali, Zakra Jamil, and others posed questions that were answered by the experts. On October 9, addresses will be delivered by the renowned poet Dr. Sanjay Kumar Kandan (Patna), Dr. Shabiba Rahat (Ahmedabad), and Professor Moshraf Ali (Banaras).