By Varun Choudhary

Is translation an art or a skill? I personally believe translation to be an art, because once you get past the algorithmic aspects of translation, you enter a realm where word choice, grammatical interpretation, and the infusion of tone and style can totally transform a text from one meaning to another - even when the words themselves remain similar.

A translator must be a writer first

To be a good translator, you must be a very good - not merely adequate - writer in your target language. You must have a way with words and the ability to write with flair, across a variety of text styles: promotional and marketing, formal and legal, casual, technical, and more. A translator must enjoy writing, experimenting with words, and testing what works best where. Sometimes translators are given target word counts or even character counts they must not exceed, and adhering to such specifications can require real linguistic acrobatics and lateral thinking.

Why translation matters

Translation is necessary for the spread of information, knowledge, and ideas. It is absolutely essential for effective and empathetic communication between different cultures, and therefore critical for social harmony and peace. It is also the medium through which people come to know works that expand their knowledge.

The debate: art, science, or skill?

There are scholars and translators who hold that translation is pure art, resting on the translator's creative choices. Conversely, there are those who believe translation is a pure science, as it requires knowledge of the source and target languages in addition to familiarity with translation theories. Some scholars argue that translation is a process of creative thinking and is therefore subjective - it cannot be systematized by laws. In spite of the crucial role translation plays in world affairs today, it has long been considered a second-hand art. Yet translators are creative people: they are exposed to different ways of writing and speaking, soak up knowledge from around the world, and share it with others.

Literary or non-literary: where the answer lies

In India, people mostly associate translation with literature, but the reality is far different - the scope of this vocation is much wider in non-literary assignments. For example, translating a book on Java programming from Spanish to English is non-literary work, where there is little scope for transcreation. On the other hand, translating the Ramayana, the ancient Hindu text, into Portuguese is literary translation, where the translator has ample scope to prove and testify his or her creativity.

This literary connotation is what helps us classify translation as an art or a skill. It can be called an art when done in the context of literature, and it becomes a skill when put to use for non-literary functions, because such translations require an individual to undergo customized training and technological integration.